neuron synapse The junction between the axon tip of a sending neuron and the dendrite of a receiving neuron Building block of the nervous system; nerve cell Chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons, influencing whether a neuron will start or stop firing an impulse axon neurotransmitters Extension of a neuron, ending in branching terminal fibers, through which messages pass to other neurons, muscles, or glands dendrite
Branching extension of a neuron that receives messages and conducts impulses toward the cell body Chemical that helps control alertness and arousal serotonin Chemical that affects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal Action potential/depolarization Brief electrical charge that travels down the axon when the positively charged K and Na ions travel inside the axon, meeting up with the negatively charged Cl ions dopamine Chemical that influences movement, learning, attention, and emotion/pleasure norepinephrine
Division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving energy acetylcholine Somatic Nervous System Chemical that enables muscle action, learning, and memory Division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body s skeletal muscles (voluntary actions) Sympathetic Nervous System Division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations Parasympathetic Nervous System Frontal lobe
Portion of the cerebral cortex involved in speaking, muscle movements, and making plans and judgments. Includes the prefrontal cortex, motor cortex, and Broca s area. Occipital lobe Portion of the cerebral cortex involved in hearing and understanding sounds/language. Includes the auditory cortex, and Wernicke s area. Portion of the cerebral cortex that receives information from the visual fields Parietal lobe Portion of the cerebral cortex that receives sensory input for touch and body position. Includes the sensory cortex and association areas for mathematical and spatial reasoning Temporal lobe Thalamus The brain s sensory switchboard, it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla
Cerebellum Directs maintenance activities such as eating, drinking, body temperature; helps regulate the endocrine system, linked to emotion and reward Hippocampus Little brain that processes sensory input, coordinates voluntary movement and balance, helps us judge time, enables nonverbal learning and memory Hypothalamus Amygdala Part of the limbic system linked to emotion; thought to determine whether we should emotionally react to sensory stimuli, especially with rage or fear; processes emotional memories Part of the limbic system responsible for processing explicit memories for storage Brainstem
Oldest part of the brain responsible for automatic survival functions. Includes the medulla, pons, and reticular activating system Plasticity Large band of neural fibers connecting the two hemispheres of the brain and carrying messages between them. Endocrine System The body s slow chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream The brain s ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience Corpus Callosum Sperry and Gazzaniga Their split-brain research has shown the complimentary functions of the right and left hemispheres
Biological Basis of Behavior/Neuropsychology: How Does the Brain Work? Instructions: 1. Pair each picture/word with its appropriate definition or description. When you have this completed, check with your instructor to determine your accuracy. 2. Remove all the definition/description cards and place them to the side. With the picture cards try the following: Nervous System Organization: categorize the cards to mirror the how the parts of the nervous system and brain are organized Pick two: each person picks two cards and explains to the others how they relate (no sharing cards) Pick two opposites: each person picks two cards and explains to the others how they are opposite (no sharing cards) Most important to least important: Order your cards from most important to least important Most confident to least confident: Separate your cards into two piles- concepts you are most confident about and concepts you are least confident about. If there is disagreement among group members, help explain the concepts to each other.