Animal Behavior Unit 2

neuron

a specialized cell that allows animals to detect environmental stimuli and produce a motor or behavioral response to that stimuli; a unilateral communication portal

nerve net

a system of few, sparsely-distributed neurons

nervous system

a system of many, densely-distributed neurons

glia cells

nervous system cell that is smaller and more numerous than neurons; support neuron function and metabolic clean up

interneurons

nervous system cell that assists with neuron function

dendrites

branches off a neuron cell body that receives information from either the environment or another neuron

cell body

the metabolic center of the cell

axon

a neuron’s long branch emanating from the cell body that send information to other neurons or motor neurons in the form of an electrical signal

action potential

an electrical signal that neurons use to send information

axon terminal

communication junction of a neuron where a chemical messenger/neurotransmitter is released)