Chapter 1 terms

Brain and Behavior Chapter 1

Afferent

carries information INTO region of interest

Amygdala

group of nuclei in the medial anterior part of the temporal lobe

Anterior

front

Arachnoid

thin covering (one of the three meninges) of the brain that lies between the dura mater and pia mater.

Astrocytes

star-shaped glial cell with numerous processes (extensions) that run in all directions

Autonomic nervous system

the part of the peripheral nervous system that provides the main neural connections to the internal organs; its two divisions (sympathetic and parasympathetic) act in opposite fashion

Autoradiography

a staining technique that shows the distribution of radioactive chemicals in tissues

Axon

the extension of a neuron, ending in branching terminal fibers, through which messages pass to other neurons or to muscles or glands

Axonal transport

The transportation of materials from the neuronal cell body to distant regions in the dendrites and axons, and from the axon terminals back to the cell body.

Axon collaterals

branches of axon

Axon hillock

Cone shaped region of an axon where it joins the cell body.

Axon terminals

branches at the end of the axon

Basal

toward the bottom

Basal ganglia

A group of forebrain nuclei, including caudate nucleus, globus pallidus, and putamen, found deep within the cerebral hemispheres.

Behavioral intervention

an approach to finding relations between body variables and behavioral variables that involves intervening in the behavior of an organism and looking for resultant changes in body structure or function

Between-participants experiment

an experiment in which an experimental group of individuals is compared with a control group of individuals that have been treated identically in every way except that they haven't received the experimental manipulation

Bipolar neurons

one axon and one dendrite

Blood-brain barrier

The mechanisms that make the movement of substances from blood vessels into brain cells more difficult than exchanges in other body organs, thus affording the brain greater protection from exposure to some substances found in the blood.

Brainstem

the region of the brain that consists of the midbrain, the pons, and the medulla

Causality

the relationship between cause and effect

Cell body

(aka soma) region of a neuron that is defined by the presence of the cell nucleus; integration zone of the neuron

Central nervous system (CNS)

brain and spinal cord

Central sulcus

separates frontal and parietal lobes

Cerebellum

structure located at the back of the brain, dorsal to the pons, that is involved in the central regulation of movement and in some forms of learning

Cerebral arteries

the three pairs of large arteries within the skull that supply blood to the cerebral cortex

Cerebral cortex

outer covering of the cerebral hemispheres, which consists largely of neuron bodies and their branches

Cerebral hemispheres

The right and left halves of the cerebrum, covered by the cerebral cortex and connected by the corpus callosum; they control movement and feeling on the opposing sides of the body.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)

the fluid that fills the cerebral ventricles

Cervical

referring to the topmost EIGHT segments of the spinal chord in the neck region

Choroid plexus

specialized membrane lining the ventricles that produces cerebrospinal fluid by filtering blood

Cingulate gyrus

(aka cingulate cortex or cingulum) a strip of cortex, found in the frontal and parietal midline, that is part of the limbic system and is implicated in many cognitive functions

Coccygeal

lowest spinal vertebra; tailbone (coccyx)

Computerized axial tomography (CAT or CT scans)

A noninvasive technique for examining brain structure through computer analysis of X-ray absorption at several positions around the head.

Conduction zone

the part of a neuron - typically the axon - over which the action potential is actively propagated

Conserved

in the context of evolution, referring to a trait that is passed on from a common ancestor to two or more descendant species

Contralateral

opposite side

Control group

In an experiment, the group that is not exposed to the treatment; contrasts with the experimental group and serves as a comparison for evaluating the effect of the treatment.

Coronal plane

divides body into front and back

Corpus callosum

the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them

Correlation

A measure of the extent to which two factors vary together, and thus of how well either factor predicts the other.

Cortical columns

One of the vertical columns that constitute the basic organization of the cerebral cortex

Cranial nerves

12 pairs of nerves that carry messages to and from the brain

Dendrites

Branchlike parts of a neuron that are specialized to receive information.

Dependent variable

The outcome factor; the variable that may change in response to manipulations of the independent variable.

Diencephalon

the posterior part of the fetal forebrain, which will become the thalamus and hypothalamus in the adult brain

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)

a modified form of MRI in which the diffusion of water in a confined space is exploited to produce images of axonal fiber tracts

Distal

in anatomy, toward the periphery of an organism or toward the end of a limb

Dorsal

toward the back

Dura mater

thick, outermost layer of the meninges surrounding and protecting the brain and spinal cord

Efferent

conveying AWAY from the center

Forebrain

frontal division of the neural tube, which in the mature vertebrate contains the cerebral hemispheres, the thalamus, and the hypothalamus

Fornix

a fiber tract that extends from the hippocampus to the mammillary body

fourth ventricle

the passageway within the pons that receives cerebrospinal fluid from the third ventricle and releases it to surround the brain and spinal cord

Functional MRI (fMRI)

technique that uses magnetic fields to visualize brain activity using changes in blood oxygen level

Glial cells

(aka glia) nonneuronal brain cells that provide structural, nutritional, and other types of support to the brain

Glymphatic system

a lymphatic system in the brain that participates in removal of wastes and the movement of nutrients and signaling compounds

Golgi stains

a tissue stain that completely fills a small proportion of neurons with a dark, silver-based precipitate

Gray matter

areas of the brain that are dominated by cell bodies and are devoid of myelin; mostly receives and processes information

Gross neuroanatomy

anatomical features of the nervous system that are apparent to the naked eye

Gyri

ridged or raised portion of a convoluted brain surface

Hindbrain

the rear division of the brain, which in the mature vertebrate contains the cerebellum, pons, and medulla

Hippocampus

a medial temporal lobe structure that is important for learning and memory

Histology

study of tissue structure

Horizontal plane

plane that divides the body or brain into upper and lower parts

Hydrocephalus

a ballooning of the ventricles, at the expense of the surrounding brain, which may occur when the circulation of CSF is blocked

Hypothalamus

part of the diencephalon, lying ventral to the thalamus

Immunohistochemistry (IHC)

The use of antibodies to visualize the distribution of a particular protein in tissue.

Independent variable

The experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is being studied.

Inferior

below

Inferior colliculi

paired gray matter structures of the dorsal midbrain that process auditory information

Innervate

to provide neural input to

Input zone

the part of a neuron that receives information from other neurons or from specialized sensory structures; this zone usually corresponds to the cell's dendrites

In situ hybridization

a method for detecting particular RNA transcripts in tissue sections by providing a nucleotide probe that is complementary to, and will therefore hybridize with, the transcript of interest

Integration zone

the part of a neuron that initiates neural electrical activity; this zone usually corresponds to the neuron's cell body

Interneurons

a neuron that is neither a sensory neuron nor a motor neuron; receive input from and send output to other neurons

Ipsilateral

on the same side of the body

Lateral

away from the midline

Lateral ventricle

a complex C-shaped lateral portion of the ventricular system within each hemisphere of the brain

Levels of analysis

the scope of an experimental approach, which ranges from social interaction down to the molecular level

Limbic system

a loosely defined, widespread group of brain nuclei that innervate each other to form a network; implicated in emotions

Lumbar

five spinal segments in the upper part of the lower back

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

brain-imaging method using radio waves and magnetic fields of the body to produce detailed images of the brain

Magnetoencephalography (MEG)

technique that measures brain activity by detecting tiny magnetic fields generated by the brain

Medial

toward the midline

Medulla

the posterior part of the hindbrain, continuous with the spinal cord

Meninges

The three protective membranes—dura mater, pia mater, and arachnoid—that surround the brain and spinal cord

Meningiomas

noninvasive tumor of the meninges

Meningitis

acute inflammation of the meninges, usually caused by a viral or bacterial infection

Microglial cells

(aka microglia) extremely small motile glial cells that remove cellular debris from injured or dead cells

Midbrain

the middle division of the brain

Motor nerves

nerve that transmits information from the central nervous system to the muscles and glands

Motor neurons

(aka motoneuron) a neuron that transmits neural messages to muscles (or glands)

Multipolar neurons

A neuron that has many dendrites and a single axon

Myelin

The fatty insulation around an axon, formed by glial cells. This sheath boosts the speed at which action potentials are conducted.

Nerves

collection of axons bundled together outside the central nervous system

Neural tube

embryonic structure with subdivisions that correspond to the future forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain

Neurons

nerve cells

Neuroplasticity

the ability within the brain to constantly change both the structure and function of many cells in response to experience or trauma

Neurotransmitter

chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons

Nissl stains

A tissue stain that fills all cell bodies because the dyes are attracted to RNA, which encircles the nucleus