VQ

Central nervous system

Consists of the brain and spinal cord.

Peripheral nervous system

The motor and sensory neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body.

Somatic nervous system

The division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body’s skeletal muscles.

Autonomic nervous system

The part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands of internal organs (heart).

Sympathetic nervous system

The division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations.

Parasympathetic nervous system

The division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy.

Sensory neurons

Neurons that carry incoming information from sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord.

Interneurons

Neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs.

Motor neurons

Neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands.

Kinesthesia

Our movement sense- our system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts.

Vestibular sense

Our sense of body and movement and positions that enables our sense of balance.

Dopamine

A neurotransmitter associated with movement, attention, learning, and the brain’s pleasure and reward system.

Serotonin

Affects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal. Undersupply is linked to depression. Contributes to feelings of well-being and happiness.

Norepinephrine

A neurotransmitter associated with arousal (fight or flight), as well as in learning and mood regulation.

Glutamate

A major excitatory neurotransmitter involved in memory and learning.

GABA

Slows down the brain by blocking specific signals in the central nervous system, known for producing a calming effect.

Endorphins

Natural, opiatelike neurotransmitters linked to pain control and pleasure; the body’s natural pain killer.

Acetylcholine

A neurotransmitter that enables learning and memory and also triggers muscle contractions.

Agonist

A chemical that mimics the action of a neurotransmitter.

Antagonist

Chemicals that block receptors- sometimes permanently.

Cerebellum

Responsible for balance and coordination.

Occipital lobe

A region of the cerebral cortex that processes visual information.

Temporal lobe

A region in the cerebral cortex responsible for hearing and language.

Parietal lobe

A region of the cerebral cortex that processes information about touch.

Frontal lobe

Associated with reasoning, planning, parts of speech, movement, emotions, and problem solving.

Corpus Callosum

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

Broca’s area

Controls language expression, involved in muscle movements for speech.

Wernicke’s area

Controls language reception, involved in language comprehension and expression.

Trichromatic theory

Theory of color vision proposing three types of cones: red, blue, and green.

Opponent-process theory

Theory stating opposing retinal processes (red-green) enable color vision.

Place theory

Links the pitch we hear to the place where the cochlea’s membrane is stimulated.

Frequency theory

Theory of pitch stating that pitch is related to the speed of vibrations in the basilar membrane.