AP Psych. chapter 3

axons that carry information inward to the central nervous system from the periphery of the body

the brain and the spinal cord

a one-celled organism formed by the union of a sperm and an egg

a research design in which hereditary influence is assessed by comparing the resemblance of identical twins and fraternal twins with respect to a trait

a structure in the forebrain through which all sensory information (except smell) must pass to get to the cerebral cortex

small knobs at the end of axons that secrete chemicals called neurotransmitters

a microscopic gap between the terminal button of a neuron and the cell membrane of another neuron

a junction where information is transmitted from one neuron to the next

the branch of the autonomic nervous system that mobilizes the body's resources for emergencies

a procedure in which the bundle of fibers that connects the cerebral hemispheres (the corpus callosum) is cut to reduce the severity of epileptic seizures

the system of nerves that connect to voluntary skeletal muscles and to sensory receptors

the cell body of a neuron which contains the nucleus and much of the chemical machinery common to most cells

a process in which neurotransmitters are sponged up from the synaptic cleft by the presynaptic membrane

the stable, negative charge of a neuron when it is inactive

a time following orgasm during which males are largely unresponsive to further stimulation

a gene whose influence is masked when paired genes are different

a voltage change at the receptor site on a postsynaptic cell membrane

the "master gland" of the endocrine system; it releases a great variety of hormones that fan out through the body, stimulating actions in the other endocrine glands

the ways in which a person's genotype is manifested in observable characteristics

all those nerves that lie outside the brain and spinal cord

left-right imbalances between the cerebral hemispheres in the speed of visual or auditory processing

the branch of the autonomic nervous system that generally conserves bodily resources

chemicals that transmit information from one neuron to another

individual cells in the nervous system that receive, integrate, and transmit information

bundles of neuron fibers (axons) that are routed together in the peripheral nervous system

insulating material, derived from glial cells, that encases some axons of neurons

the segment of the brain stem that lies between the hindbrain and the forebrain

a densely connected network of structures roughly located along the border between the cerebral cortex and deeper subcortical areas

destroying a piece of the brain

an electric potential that decreases the likelihood that a postsynaptic neuron will fire action potentials

twins formed from one zygote that splits

a structure found near the base of the forebrain that is involved in the regulation of basic biological needs

chemical substances released by endocrine glands

the situation that occurs when two genes in a specific pair are the same

the part of the brain that includes the cerebellum and two structures found in the lower part of the brainstem: the medulla and the pons

the situation that occurs when two genes in a specific pair are different

twins that result when two eggs are fertilized simultaneously by different sperm cells forming two seperate zygotes

the largest and most complicated region of the brain, encompassing a variety of structures, including the thalamus, hypothalamus, limbic system, and cerebrum

a physiological reaction to threat in which the autonomic nervous system mobilizes the organism for attacking (fight) or fleeing (flight) an enemy

an electric potential that increases the likelyhood that a postsynaptic neuron will fire action potentials

the entire family of internally produced chemicals that resemble opiates in structure and effects

a group of glands that secrete chemicals into the bloodsream that help control bodily functioning

a device that monitors the electrical activity of the brain over time by means of recording electrodes attached to the surface of the scalp

sending a weak electric current into a brain structure to stimulate (activate) it

axons that carry information outward from the central nervous system to the periphery of the body

branchlike parts of a neuron that are specialized to receive information

the structure that connects the two cerebral hemispheres

threadlike strands of DNA molecules that carry genetic information

the right and left halves of the cerebrum

the convoluted outer layer of the cerebrum

a brief change in a neuron's electrical charge

a chemical that opposes the action of a neurotransmitter

a chemical that mimics the action of a neurotransmitter

axons that carry information inward to the central nervous system from the periphery of the body