Brain and Body (2_24_25)

Thalamus

The brain’s sensory switchboard that directs messages to all sensory areas in the cortex, except olfaction.

Hypothalamus

Regulates bodily functions and motivated behaviors including hunger, thirst, aggression, and sex.

Corpus callosum

A structure that directs information to both left and right hemispheres of the brain.

Hippocampus

C-shaped structures at the center of the limbic system essential for long-term memory formation.

Amygdala

A brain structure involved in threat-related emotional processing, strongly linked to fear and anger.

Plasticity

The brain’s ability to change in response to experience, foundational for learning.

Critical periods

Specific times during which input must occur for normal development.

Cortical Plasticity

The ability of sensory areas that do not receive input to reorganize and process other sensory inputs.

Somatic Nervous System

Part of the peripheral nervous system that sends sensory information to and from the CNS, controlling voluntary movements.

Autonomic Nervous System

Regulates the body's internal environment and actions, controlling the function of internal organs.

Parasympathetic Nervous System

Part of the autonomic nervous system responsible for 'rest and digest' functions.

Sympathetic Nervous System

Part of the autonomic nervous system that prepares the body for emergency situations, often referred to as 'fight or flight'.

Genotype

An individual’s unique genetic code.

Phenotype

Observable physical or psychological characteristics that depend on the interaction between genes, environment, and experience.

Heritability

An estimate of the amount of variability in a trait within a population that is attributable to genetics.

Twin Studies

Research that examines the genetic basis of psychological traits by comparing similarities between identical and fraternal twins.

Epigenetics

The study of how environmental influences can turn genes 'on' or 'off', affecting gene expression.