Physiological Psych Vocabulary Ch. 1-3

neuroplasticity

also called plasticity; the ability of the nervous system to change in response to experience or the environment

adult neurogenesis

the creation of new neurons in the brain of an adult

neuron

also called nerve cell; the basic unit of the nervous system, each composed of receptive extensions called dendrites, an integrating cell body, a conducting axon, and a transmitting axon terminal

glial cells

also called glia; nonneuronal brain cells that provide structural, nutritional, and other types of support to the brain

synapse

the cellular location at which information is transmitted from a neuron to another cell

input zone

the part of a neuron that receives information from other neurons or from specialized sensory structures

dendrite

an extension of the cell body that receives information from other neurons

integration zone

the part of a neuron that initiates neural electrical activity

cell body

also called the soma; the region of a neuron that is defined by the presence of the cell nucleus

conduction zone

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

axon

also called nerve fiber; a single extension from the nerve cell that carries action potentials from the cell body toward the axon terminal

axon collateral

a branch of an axon

output zone

the part of a neuron at which the cell sends information to another cell

axon terminal

also called synaptic bouton; the end of an axon or axon collateral, which forms a synapse onto a neuron or other target cell and thus serves as the output zone

motor neurons

also called motoneuron; a neuron that transmits neural messages to muscles (or glands)

sensory neuron

a nerve cell that is directly affected by changes in the environment, such as light, odor, or touch

interneuron

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

multipolar neuron

a nerve cell that has many dendrites and a single axon

bipolar neuron

a nerve cell that has a single dendrite at one end and a single axon at the other end

unipolar neuron

also called monopolar neuron; a nerve cell with a single branch that leaves the cell body and then extends in two directions; one end is the input zone, and the other end is the output zone

presynaptic

referring to the “transmitting” side of a synapse

postsynaptic

referring to the region of a synapse that receives and responds of a neurotransmitter

presynaptic membrane

the specialized membrane of the axon terminal of a nerve cell that transmits information by releasing neurotransmitter

synaptic cleft

the space between the presynaptic and postsynaptic neurons at a synapse

postsynaptic membrane

the specialized membrane on the surface of a neuron that receives information by responding to neurotransmitter from a presynaptic neuron

synaptic vesicle

a small, spherical structure that contains molecules of neurotransmitter

neurotransmitter

also called synaptic transmitter, chemical transmitter, or simply transmitter; the chemical releases from the presynaptic axon terminal that serves as the basis of communication between neurons

neurotransmitter receptor

also called simply receptor; a specialized protein that selectively senses and reacts to molecules of a corresponding neurotransmitter or hormone

neuroplasticity

also called neural plasticity; the ability of a nervous system to change in response to experience or the environment

axon hillock

the cone-shaped area on the cell body from which the axon originates

innervate

to provide neural input to

axonal transport

the transportation of materials from the neuronal cell body toward the axon terminals, and from the axon terminals back toward the cell body

oligodendrocyte

a type of glial cell that forms myelin in the central nervous system

Schwann cell

a type of glial cell that forms myelin in the peripheral nervous system

myelin

the fatty insulation around an axon, formed by glial cells; this sheath boosts the speed at which nerve impulses are conducted

node of Ranvier

a gap between successive segments of the myelin sheath where the axon membrane is exposed

astrocyte

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

microglial cells

also called microglia; extremely small motile glial cells that remove cellular debris from injured or dead cells

gross neuroanatomy

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

central nervous system (CNS)

the portion of the nervous system that includes the brain and the spinal cord

peripheral nervous system

the portion of the nervous system that includes all the nerves and neurons outside the brain and spinal cord

nerve

a collection of axons bundled together outside the central nervous system

motor nerve

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

sensory nerve

a nerve that conveys information from the body to the central nervous system

somatic nervous system

a part of the peripheral nervous system that supplies neural connections mostly to the skeletal muscles and sensory systems of the body; it consists of cranial nerves and spinal nerves

autonomic nervous system

a part of the peripheral nervous system that provides the main neural connections to the internal organs

cranial nerve

a nerve that is connected directly to the brain

spinal nerve

a nerve that emerges from the spinal cord

sympathetic nervous system

the part of the autonomic nervous system that generally prepares the body for action

parasympathetic nervous system

the part of the autonomic nervous system that generally prepares the body to relax and recuperate

sagittal plane

the plane that divides the body or brain into right and left portions

coronal plane

also called frontal plane or transverse plane; the plane that divides the body or brain into front and back parts

horizontal plane TEXTBOOK PAGE 30 not sure to study or not

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cerebral hemisphere

one of the two halves-right or left- of the forebrain

cerebral cortex

also called simply cortex; the outer covering of the cerebral hemispheres, which consists largely of nerve cell bodies and their branches

gyrus

a ridged or raised portion of the cortical surface

sulcus

a crevice or valley of the cortical surface

frontal lobe

the most anterior portion of the cerebral cortex

parietal lobe

the large region of cortex lying between the frontal and occipital lobes in each cerebral hemisphere

temporal lobe

the large lateral region of cortex in each cerebral hemisphere; it is continuous with the parietal lobe posteriority and separated from the frontal lobe by the Sylvian fissure

occipital lobe

a large region of cortex that covers much of the posterior part of each cerebral hemisphere

Sylvian fissure

also called lateral sulcus; a deep fissure that demarcates the temporal lobe

central sulcus

a fissure that divides the frontal lobe from the parietal lobe

corpus callosum

the main band of axons that connects the two cerebral hemispheres

postcentral gyrus

the strip of parietal cortex, just posterior to (behind) the central sulcus, that receives somatosensory information from the entire body

precentral gyrus

the strip of frontal cortex, just anterior to (in front of) the central sulcus, that is crucial for motor control

neural tube

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

forebrain

the frontal division the neural tube, containing the cerebral hemispheres, the thalamus, and the hypothalamus

midbrain

the middles division of the brain

hindbrain

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

telencephalon

the anterior part of the fetal forebrain, which will become the cerebral hemispheres in the adult brain

diencephalon

the posterior part of the fetal forebrain, which will becomes the thalamus and hypothalamus in the adule brain

brainstem

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

pyramidal cell

a type of large nerve cell that has a roughly pyramid-shaped cell body and is found in the cerebral cortex

cortical column

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

basal ganglia

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

limbic system

a loosely defined, wide-spread group of brain nuclei that innervate each other and form a network

amygdala

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

hippocampus

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

fornix

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

cingulate gyrus

a strip of cortex, found in the frontal and parietal midline, that is part of the limbic systems and is implicated in many cognitive functions

olfactory bulb

an anterior projection of the brain that terminates in the upper nasal passages and provides the primary inputs for the sense of smell

thalamus

paired structures to wither side of the third ventricle that direct the flow of sensory information to and from the cortex

hypothalamus

part of the diencephalon, lying ventral to the thalamus

tectum

the dorsal portion of the midbrain, consisting of the inferior and superior colliculi

superior colliculi

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

inferior colliculi

process auditory information

substantia nigra

a brainstem structure that innervates the basal ganglia and ia a major source of dopaminergic projections

periaqueductal gray

a midbrain region involved in pain perception

reticular formation

an extensive region of the brainstem, extending from the medulla through the thalamus, that is involved in sleep and arousal

cerebellum

attached to the brainstem; crucial for motor coordination and control; involved in the central regulation of movement and in some form learning

pons

the portion of the brainstem that connects the midbrain in the medulla; drives essential processes such as respiration and heart rate; origin of some cranial nerves

medulla

marks transition from brain to spinal cord; drives essential processes such as respiration and heart rate; origin of some cranial nerves

meninges

the brain and spinal cord are surrounded by 3 protective membranes: dura mater, pia mater, and arachnoid

dura mater

the outermost of the three meninges that surround the brain and spinal cord; tough outermost layer

pia mater

delicate innermost layer

arachnoid

the thin covering of the brain that lies between the dura mater and the pia mater

cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)

the fluid that fills the cerebral ventricles

meningitis

an acute inflammation of the meninges

meningiomas

tumor formed in the meninges