Term
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Definition
| One of the most common neurotransmitters in the brain. The chemical is used in many pathways of the brain and body, and therefore influences many behaviors and mental states pg 116 |
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Term
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Definition
| The firing of a neuron. An electrical charge travels from one end to the other pg 112 |
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Term
| Afferent (sensory) nerves |
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Definition
| The set of nerves that carry signals from the body’s parts to the spinal cord and brain, providing the sense of touching and feeling. 82 |
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Term
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Definition
| Refers to the fact that when a neuron fires the signal goes all the way, and at full strength 113 |
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Term
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Definition
| The most common form of dementia which results from an abnormal buildup of amyloid protein in the brain. They have decreased levels of acetylcholine. pg 116 |
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Term
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Definition
| Greek for “almond”, a brain area located at the end of the hippocampus that is a center for emotions, such as fear and anger. There is one in each hemisphere. It is part of the limbic system. 103 |
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Term
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Definition
| Two language areas are connected to each other by a band of brain cells below the cortex. Damage to this area is called conduction aphasia. 94 |
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Term
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Definition
| In 1997 it was reported by researcher Ben Barres that one typeof glial cells known as astrocytes where able to boost the growth of synapses in a cell culture. Astrocytes play an important role in strengthening synapses therby creating memories. Astrocytes could be used to generate neurons. They are necessary for the development of normal, mature, synapses. pg 117 |
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Term
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Definition
| The nerves that work mostly automatically in the control of body organs and basic life functions 109 |
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Term
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Definition
| The relatively long branch that extends out of the soma of a neuron and carries a message 110 |
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Term
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Definition
| The electrical process by which a signal travels from one end of a cell to the other 111 |
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Term
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Definition
| For smooth coordinated body movements the cerebellum works with the motor area of the cortex, and with another lower brain area called the basal ganglia. Damage to the basal ganglia results in diseases such as parkinson’s, tourettes, and movement disorders 105 |
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Term
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Definition
| Connecting two spirals (like the rungs of a ladder) are pairs of chemicals hooked together. There are four bases, Adenine, Cytosine, Thymine, and Guanine. pg 122 |
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Term
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Definition
| As many as 8% of DZ twins are blood chimera because they have genetic material in their blood from their twin when developing in the womb since they shared some of the same placenta. pg 121 |
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Term
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Definition
| The brain area just at the top of the spinal cord where the brain and spinal cord meet. The brainstem includes a number of regions responsible for basic body functions. Contains clusters of nuclei (brain cells) responsible for vital body functions. Such as the medulla, pons, autistic disorder, reticular formation, and reticular activating system. 103 |
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Term
| Broca's (expressive) aphasia |
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Definition
| Problems in the use of grammar or pronunciation of language due to damage to Broca’s area Aphasia means a problem with the understanding of language. 94 |
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Term
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Definition
| Discovered by Paul Broca. A region in the left frontal lobe that controls grammar and pronunciation of language. 94 |
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Term
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Definition
| A German doctor discovered another region in the brain that deals with language. It is in the back of the temporal lobe near the region for auditory processing. It is involved in processing the meaning of words and sentences. 94 |
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Term
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Definition
| Computerized Axial Tomography was first used in 1971. The CAT scan takes a series of x rays that are put together by a computer. The result is a picture of anatomical structures. The CAT scan does not show functioning, only the structures. 100 |
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Term
| Central fissure (fissure of Rolando) |
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Definition
| A major brain fissure that runs mostly vertically dividing the frontal and parietal lobes. 89 |
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Term
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Definition
| The brain and the spinal cord. Where all the signals either go to or come from. The CNS is connected to the body through a system of nerves that carry signals to and from the brain and spinal cord. 109 |
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Term
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Definition
| The part of the brain attached to the back of the brainstem. Its main job is to control coordinated body movements. 105 |
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Term
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Definition
| The top section of a brain that is very large in humans. 90% of the total brain. It is responsible for higher mental functions such as sensations (visual, hearing, perception, language, thinking, logic, music and memory). 81 |
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Term
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Definition
| The long strands of DNA that are the units of inheritance received from mother and father. 23 strands. pg 120 |
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Term
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Definition
| Damage to the arcuate fasciculus 94 |
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Term
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Definition
| The cognitive process in which people make up good sounding reasons to explain their behavior particularly noticed with split brain patients. Giving explanations pg 88 |
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Term
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Definition
| The opposite connection between the brain’s hemispheres and the body; the left hemisphere is connected to the right side of the body, and vice versa. 81 |
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Term
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Definition
| literally, the hard body, a brain region that connects the left and the right hemispheres 83 |
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Term
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Definition
| The outer surface layer of the cerebrum pg 89 |
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Term
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Definition
| 12 pairs of nerves that serve sensation and movement in the head. These nerves are not contralateral and sometimes have fibers that carry signals in two directions, thus conveying both skin sensations and muscle movements. 82 |
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Term
| Critical/sensitive period |
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Definition
| The peak time for the expression of a particular characteristic; or the time when a characteristic can be most influenced by environmental conditions. A children’s brain is ready for an experience of some sort. pg 118 |
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Term
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Definition
| The branches of a neuron that extend out of the soma in order to receive signals 110 |
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Term
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Definition
| The process that occurs as positively charged sodium ions enter a neuron and the inside of a cell becomes more positively charged, less polarization. 112 |
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Term
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Definition
| Commonly known as fraternal twins, the product of two ziygotes that developed in the womb at the same time. If a women produces two different ova at around the same time and if two different sperm cells then fertilize those two eggs. pg 121 |
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Term
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Definition
| acid, often called the molecule of life. What genes and chromosomes are made of. Shaped like a double helix. pg 122 |
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Term
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Definition
| The gene that is expressed pg 123 |
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Term
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Definition
| The idea that schizophrenia is caused by excessive dopamine activity pg 116 |
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Term
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Definition
| One of the most common neurotransmitters in the brain. Involved in number of brain pathways. pg 116 |
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Term
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Definition
| The shape of a chromosome – two spirals wound around each other – like a twisted ladder. pg 122 |
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Term
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Definition
| The condition in which a child inherits an extra chromosome #21, resulting in a total of 47 chromosomes instead of 46. Causes mental retardation and certain physical features pg 123 |
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Term
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Definition
| a fundamental reading disorder 95 |
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Term
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Definition
| The set of nerves that carry signals away from the brain and spinal cord to the body’s parts providing movement of the skeletal muscles 82 |
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Term
| Electroencephalogram (EEG) |
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Definition
| has been around the longest since 1920’s. Sensitive electrodes are placed on a person’s scalp. Each electrode records the electrical firing of cells in a certain region of the cerebral cortex. 100 |
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Term
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Definition
| A system of glands located throughout the body that secrete chemicals (hormones) into the bloodstream, often influencing moods and behaviors 102 |
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Term
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Definition
| A disorder in which a person has repetitive seizures pg 83 |
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Term
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Definition
| Alcohol that damages the fetus during developmental stage pg 125 |
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Term
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Definition
| A large wrinkle or crease in the brain’s cerebral cortex 81 |
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Term
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Definition
| Fuctional Magnetic Resonance Imagining, provides an image of brain functioning, similar to the PET scan but with better resolution. 101 |
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Term
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Definition
| The most common form of inherited mental retardation. Usually affects boys, is the result of mutated gene on the X chromosome in which the trinucleotide CGG repeats more than 200 times. pg 122 |
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Term
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Definition
| The lobe that distinguishes humans from other animals. In humans it is very large, bulging out in front and extends from the very front of the head back to the central fissure. It is responsible for purposeful body movements, and the highest mental functions. Responsible for human characteristics 89 |
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Term
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Definition
| On the surface of the neuron that can open to allow particles to enter 111 |
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Term
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Definition
| Damage to a particular region of the brain (on the side just behind the ear). FFA is a specialized area that allows quick recognition and memory of faces, and also becomes involved when a person is an expert at identifying something visually. 92 |
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Term
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Definition
| A particular sequence of base pairs on a chromosome, a unit of heredity that represents a recipe for the body pg 122 |
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Term
| Gene-environment interaction |
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Definition
| The idea that traits and characteristics result from an interaction between specific genes and specific experiences pg 125 |
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Term
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Definition
| The third language area, in the partial lobe. It is important in the early development of language and it’s connections with other brain aeras might be disordered in conditions such as dyslexia. 95 |
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Term
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Definition
| Greek for “glue”, a type of brain cell that mostly surrounds and nourishes neurons, 90% of the brain is composed of glial cells. pg 117 |
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Term
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Definition
| the wrinkling of the cerebrum, singular = gyrus. These features are used as boundaries for labeling and referring to parts of the brain. 81. |
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Term
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Definition
| Some people are better at writing with their left hand and some are better at writing with their right hand. 84 |
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Term
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Definition
| the left and right sides of the brain’s cerebrum (top part) 81 |
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Term
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Definition
| A German scientist who was the first to measure the speed of the nervous system signals. He touched a person on the knee and asked them to respond. The signal took about 200 miles per hour. 78 |
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Term
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Definition
| Greek for “seahorse”, the part of the brain bends around the inside of the temporal lobe. An important region for the formation and storage of conscious memories, learning and memory. People with damage to the region lose the ability to form new memories. 103 |
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Term
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Definition
| The extremely rare condition in which a person is formed from the fusing together of two fertilized eggs. This person has a different mix of chromosomes in different cells of the body. pg 121 |
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Term
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Definition
| A form of dementia caused by a dominant gene on chromosome 4 that strikes late in life and eventually results in death due to destruction of major brain areas. pg 123 |
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Term
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Definition
| An important brain area located just below the thalamus that serves as a regulator or control center for a number of motivations, such as hunger and thirst. 102 |
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Term
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Definition
| Real life accidents that occur, people are doing something and become blind and cannot explain what happened. 104 |
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Term
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Definition
| Defined in sociology as the complex, inborn behavior patterns of animals. In evolutionary psychology, the inherited tendencies of species. We are born with a predisposition to learn any language very quickly 96 |
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Term
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Definition
| A condition in which a person has two X chromosomes and a Y chromosome. Such people will develop some male characteristics because of the Y chromosome, but some female characteristics such as enlarged breasts. pg 124 |
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Term
| Language acquisition device |
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Definition
| A biological mechanism that is inborn in all humans and that provides a universal grammar. Noam Chumsky hypothesis. 95 |
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Term
| Lateral fissure (fissure of Sylvius) |
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Definition
| A large fissure that extends horizontally from the middle front of the cerebral cortex toward the back 89 |
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Term
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Definition
| meaning to the side, used to refer to brain fuctions that are more localized in one hemisphere than the other, such as language pg 83 |
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Term
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Definition
| a medicine used to treat Parkinson’s disease because it is a precursor of dopamine and helps the brain make more of that neurotransmitter pg 116 |
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Term
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Definition
| A series of interconnected structures that lie between the brainstem and the cortex. The limbic system processes emotional feelings and reactions. 103 |
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Term
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Definition
| The idea that certain mental states and behaviors are controlled by a specific location in the brain 92 |
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Term
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Definition
| The wrinkle that divides the cerebrum front to back 81 |
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Term
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Definition
| Commonly called identical twins, the result of one fertilized egg that split in two in the womb and developed into two individuals (one-egg twins) pg 121 |
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Term
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Definition
| The gyrus at the top of the cortex, at the back of the frontal lobe just in front of the central fissure, extending from the top down vertically, that controls muscle movement. 92 |
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Term
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Definition
| Magnetic Resonance Imaging was invented in 1952 and provides a more precise, higher resolution than a CAT. MRI is more expensive. Electromagnets are used to align atoms in the brain, then radio wave pulses disturb the atoms, and finally emitted radio signals are recorded. 100 |
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Term
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Definition
| A serious disease that destroys the myelin that protects and insulates nerves 113 |
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Term
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Definition
| When chromosomes are passed from generation to generation and are replicated, mistakes happen. pg 122 |
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Term
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Definition
| The white, fatty substance that surrounds portions of the axon of a neuron 113 |
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Term
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Definition
| The question that asks what things are inherited (nature) and what things are learned (nurture), or the extent to which a certain characteristic is inherited or learned pg 124 |
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Term
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Definition
| The brain’s creation of new cells, a process that occurs in the hippocampus area, even in adults. The newly creation of cells migrate out to other brains region and are used for learning and memory. 78 |
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Term
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Definition
| medicine used to treat schizophrenia and other psychoses that block dopamine receptors in the brain, helps to reduce up to 80% of symptoms of schizophrenia. Longtime use cases impairment in the dopamine system. pg. 117 |
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Term
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Definition
| The major type of cell in the nervous system that sends and receives signals. Often called a brain cell. Is the fundamental unit of communication in the nervous sytem. There are billions of neurons in the human brain. 110 |
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Term
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Definition
| The chemical messengers that send signals from one neuron to another, they are inside vesicles. 113 |
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Term
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Definition
| He hypothesized a language acquisition device. His theory states that every language is they are part of the biological programming of our brains. The brain is capable of learning language without any learning. 95 |
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Term
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Definition
| Openings in the myelin covering and places where sodium ions can enter the cell 113 |
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Term
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Definition
| This area is in the back bottom of the cerebral cortex. It is involved with processing and interpreting visual information. Damage to this region will disturb only a particular characteristic of vision. 90 |
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Term
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Definition
| a brain area that receives and processes information from the smell receptors in the nose 102 |
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Term
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Definition
| The point in the brain where the two optic nerves meet and where cells from the left travel to the left hemisphere, where cells from the right travel to the right hemisphere pg 87 |
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Term
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Definition
| a division of the autonomic nervous system consisting of nerves that slow one down, relaxes one, and help conserve energy by digesting food and reducing heartbeat and blood pressure. The sympathetic and parasympathetic division work together to keep our bodies running smoothly. 109 |
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Term
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Definition
| The region at the top back of the cerebral cortex. It is a very large lobe that has many functions, including body and skin sensations, pain perception, spatial perception, processing of music, and memories of various kinds. The parietal lobes store information about where we saw things, and help us navigate through the environment acting as a computer. Mathematics and imagery are among the functions of this brain region 90 |
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Term
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Definition
| A common form of dementia in which damage to a particular brain area reduces the production of dopamine and thus causes muscle tremors (shaking) and eventual death pg 116 |
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Term
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Definition
| French doctor who discovered that an area in the left frontal lobe is important for pronunciation and grammar. This part of the brain is called Broca’s area in his honor. 94 |
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Term
| Peripheral nervous system |
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Definition
| The nerves that bring messages from the body to the spinal cord together with the nerves that send messages out from the spinal cord to the body. Divided into the somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system 109 |
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Term
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Definition
| Positron Emission Tomography. Allows researchers to make an image of a living brain in action. PET scans record brain activity, functioning – not structures. The PET scan gives a picture of the brain parts that are the most active. 100 |
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Term
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Definition
| The feeling that persists in a limb that has been amputated. This demonstrates that the sense of feeling is not in limbs, it is in the brain. The feeling is created in the somatosensory area of the cortex. 98 |
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Term
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Definition
| In 1948 a railroad foreman in Vermont had an accident. He was the first case of a person with brain damage. The accident had changed him and made him a meaner person. 91 |
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Term
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Definition
| Fake Science (pseudoscience). The idea that by feeling the bumps on a person’s head one could determine personality and what the person excelled at. Theory ended up to be wrong but it determined that brain has modules that perform different functions. 91 |
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Term
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Definition
| Is part of the endocrine system. A gland in the brain that is sometimes called the “master gland” because it relaxes hormones that influence other glands in the body 102 |
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Term
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Definition
| Phenylketonuria is a condition in which a person cannot metabolize an ingredient in food called phenylalanine. The inability is determined by a recessive gene. Good example of gene environment interaction. pg 126 |
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Term
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Definition
| The brain’s ability to change 97 |
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Term
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Definition
| Commonly known as a lie detector, is a machine that measures a number of physiological responses such as breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, and sweating. Supposedly people who are lying will feel guilty and will be unable to control their autonomic nervous systems and will become aroused and detected by the polygraph. 109 |
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Term
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Definition
| A rare genetic disorder that causes a person’s hypothalamus to malfunction. The sufferer has an insatiable appetite, always feeling hungry. Other problems include shortness, low muscle tone, and mental retardation. They can even eat themselves to death. 102 |
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Term
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Definition
| The disorder in which a person cannot recognize familiar faces caused by damage to a specific brain region. They need other stimuli such as hearing a persons voice 92 |
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Term
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Definition
| During teen years the brain goes through this period of reorganizing. pg 118 |
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Term
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Definition
| The neurotransmitter chemical fits together with the chemicals on the receiving dendrite called receptors. Each neurotransmitter fits into certain receptors. pg 114 |
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Term
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Definition
| The gene that is ignored. In order to have a recessive trait you would need to inherit a recessive gene from each parent. pg 123 |
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Term
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Definition
| The electrical charge on the inside of a neuron at rest. It measures precisely – 70 millivolts. The inside of the neuron when it is resting and has an electrical charge of about negative seventy one thousandths of a volt. 112 |
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Term
| Reticular activating system |
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Definition
| A system of nerve cells that extends from the spinal cord up into the brain that can be compared to the channel selector and volume control on a TV set. The RAS determines what we pay attention to and how intense our attention is. 104 |
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Term
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Definition
| Is part of the brainstem, an area that keeps one awake and attentive to things in the environment. Because of its role in activating us, the system of nerves extends up from the brainstem into other brain areas. 104 |
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Term
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Definition
| The process by which a neuron sucks some of a released neurotransmitter chemical back inside the sending cell, the presynaptic neuron pg 115 |
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Term
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Definition
| Spanish doctor who first described neurons. He made drawings of them and called them butterflies of the soul. 110 |
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Term
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Definition
| The most common of the psychotic disorders. Contrary to the popular view, this is not multiple personality. Schizophrenia is a severe brain disorder in which a person loses touch with reality and lives in a mental world full of confusion and fantasy. May be linked to excess dopamine pg 116 |
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Term
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Definition
| The surface membrane of a neuron is so called because some things can enter it and some cannot 111 |
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Term
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Definition
| One of the most common neurotransmitters in the brain; implicated in mood disorders. Is an enzyme responsible for recycling. pg 115 |
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Term
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Definition
| Genetic sex is determined by these two chromosomes known as X and Y 120 |
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Term
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Definition
| Includes red color blindness, hemophilia, and baldness pg 123 |
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Term
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Definition
| The body of a cell of a neuron pg 110 |
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Term
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Definition
| The nerves that serve the senses and that go to the skeletal muscles that move around (motor nerves) The SNS operates under our conscious control 109 |
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Term
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Definition
| The gyrus just behind the central fissure in the parietal lobe, extending from the top down vertically, that receives body sensory information and gives the feeling of touch 93 |
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Term
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Definition
| The series of nerves traveling up and down the back that carry signals to and from the brain and the body. These nerves carry signals to and from the brain and the body. 82 |
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Term
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Definition
| An operation that servers the nerves that carry signals between the left and right hemispheres, the corpus callosum. Two two hemispheres are separated and function independently, they are not able to receive signals from each other. pg 83 |
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Term
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Definition
| When a woman was too many sex chromosomes pg 124 |
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Term
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Definition
| If a man has too many Y chromosomes pg 124 |
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Term
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Definition
| A division of the autonomic nervous system made up of the nerves that use energy in situations of activation such as danger. These nerves speed up your heart, increase blood pressure, release adrenaline etc 109 |
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Term
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Definition
| The process of chemical transmission between neurons 113 |
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Term
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Definition
| The chemical process by which a signal is sent from one neuron to another 113 |
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Term
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Definition
| A side effect of extended use of antipsychotic drugs which causes uncontrollable muscle twitches, writhings, and other body movements. pg 117 |
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Term
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Definition
| This is the smallest lobe, located below the lateral fissure. One of its main functions is perceiving sounds. Areas of the temporal lobe, when electronically stimulated cause a person to hear sounds. Processes what was seen 90 |
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Term
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Definition
| (greek for causes monsters) A substance that interfere with prenatal development, such as alcohol, certain drugs and toxic materials. A teratogen passes the placental barrier and disrupts the hereditary recipe for normal development, resulting in defects of the body. pg 125 |
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Term
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Definition
| The branches at the end of the axon of a neuron that send a chemical signal to a muscle, an organ, or to another neuron. The dendrites receive a message, the axon carries it to another location, then the terminals send a message to a muscle or another neuron. 110 |
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Term
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Definition
| A brain area that serves as a relay center for the senses 101 |
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Term
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Definition
| A condition in which a woman has only one X chromosome pg 124 |
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Term
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Definition
| When twins are formed in the early prenatal period, one of them may receive the bulk of the nutrients while the other one shrinks and dies. pg 122 |
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Term
| Wernicke's (receptive) aphasia |
|
Definition
| Problems in understanding the meaning of language due to damage to the Wernicke’s area 94 |
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Term
|
Definition
| The brain region discovered by Wernicke involved in language. Is located further back from the Broca’s area. Is in the back of the temporal lobe near the region for auditory processing. Is involved in processing the meaning for words and sentences. 94 |
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Term
|
Definition
| The cellular pathway in the brain that flows into the temporal lobe and processes information about what an object is 92 |
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Term
|
Definition
| The cellular pathway in the brain that flows into the parietal lobe and processes information about where an object is 92 |
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Term
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Definition
| A rare genetic disorder that causes a number of problems such as cognitive difficulties. Resemble one another in an elfin like manner, love music and have a talent for it, have heart problems, age prematurely, have severe difficulty with spatial perception and are mentally retarded. They excel at language and social skills. It is caused by a deletion that comes about when a group of genes on chromosome 7 is deleted during embryonic development. |
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Term
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Definition
| A fertilized egg, the union of sperm and ovum. pg 120 |
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