ch 2 : flashcards

Somatic Nervous System

Somatic Nervous System

System of nerves linking the spinal cord with the body and sense organs.

Autonomic Nervous System

System of nerves carrying information to and from the internal organs and glands

Sympathetic Nervous System

Division of the autonomic nervous system that coordinates arousal.

Parasympathetic Nervous System

Part of the autonomic nervous system that quiets the body and conserves energy.

Central Nervous System

Brain and spinal cord

Peripheral Nervous System

Parts of the nervous system outside the brain and spinal cord.

Limbic System

Set of brain structures that play important roles in regulating emotion and memory.

Amygdala

Part of the limbic system associated with the emotional processing

Cerebellum

Structure in the hindbrain involved in controlling coordination and balance.

Motor Cortex

Region of the frontal lobes involved in regulating body movement.

Hypothalamus

Small area of the brain that regulates emotional behaviors and basic biological needs.

All-or-none Principle

Neurons fire action potentials all the way down the axons or not at all.

Midbrain

Brain structure that connects the hindbrain with the forebrain.

Action Potential

Brief change in a neuron's electrical charge.

Hormone

Chemical released by the endocrine glands.

Glia

Components of the nervous system that provide various types of support for neurons.

Motor Neurons

Cells in the nervous system that transmit commands from the central nervous system

Neuron

Cell in the nervous system that transmits information.

Position Emission Tomography (PET)

High-resolution imaging technique that captures brain activity by attaching radioactive particles to glucose molecules.

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)

Technique that records activity levels in various areas of the brain.

Electroencephalograph (EEG)

Device that records electrical activity in the brain.

Acetylcholine

Neurotransmitters related to muscle movement and heart rate.

Endorphine

Chemicals the body produces that have painkilling and pleasurable effects.

Spinal Cord

The column of nerves that transmits information between the brain and the peripheral nervous system.

Cell Body

Part of the neuron that contains the nucleus of the cell.

Axon

Fiber that carries information away from the cell body of a neuron.

Dendrites

Neuron fibers that receive incoming messages.

Reticular Formation

Collection of cells and fibers in the hindbrain and midbrain involved in arousal and attention.

Parietal lobe

Area of the cortex in which bodily sensations register.

Temporal Lobe

Areas of the cortex that include the sites in which hearing registers.

Neurotransmitters

Chemical that moves in formation from one nervous system cell to another.

Pituitary Gland

Master gland of the endocrine system that controls the action of all other glands.

Receptor Site

Area on the surface of a neuron and other cells that is sensitive to neurotransmitters and hormones.

Frontal Lobe

Movement, sense of self, higher mental functions

Thalamus

Brain structure that relays sensory information to the cerebral cortex.

Occipital lobe

Area at the back of the brain that plays a role in visual processing.

Synapse

Microscopic space over which messages pass between 2 neurons.

Hippocampus

Stores memories.

Cerebral Cortex

Thin, wrinkles outer covering of the brain in which high-level processing takes place.

Corpus Callosum

Thick bundle of nerve fibers that connects the 2 cerebral .

Medulla

Structure that connects the brain with the spinal cord and controls vital life functions.