| A | B |
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| Biological Psychology | A branch of phschology concerned with the links between biology and behavior |
| Neuron | A nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system |
| Dendrite | The bushy, branching extension of a neuron that recieves messages and conducts impulses toward the cell body |
| Axon | The extension of s neuron, ending in branching terminal fibers through which messages are sent to other neurons or to muscles or glands |
| Myelin Sheath | A layer of fatty cells segmentally encasing the fibers of many neurons; makes possible a vastly greater transmission speed of neural impulses |
| Action Potential | A neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down the axon |
| Threshold | The level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse |
| Synapse | The junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron |
| Neurotransmitters | Chemical messages that transverse the synaptic gaps between neurons. When released by the sending neuron, neurotransimitters travel across the synapse and blind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron, thereby influencing whether it will generate a neural impulse |
| Acetylcholine | A neurotransmitter that, among its function, triggers muscle contraction |
| Endorphins | Morphine within; natural, opiatelike neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure |
| Nervous System | The body's speedy, electrochemical communication system, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems |
| Central Nervous System | The brain and spinal cord |
| Peripheral Nervous System | The neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body. It consists of the sensory neurons, which carry messages to the central nervous system from the body's sense receptors, and the motor neurons, which carry messages from the central nervous system to the muscles and glands |
| Nerves | Neural "cables" containing many axons. These bundled axons, which are part of the peripheral nervous system, connect the central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense organs |
| Sensory Neurons | Neuron that carry incoming information from the sense receptors to the central nervous system |
| Interneurons | Central nervous that carry neurons that intervene directly between the sensory inputs and motor outputs |
| Motor Neurons | The neurons that carry outgoing information from the central nervous system to the muscles and glands |
| Skeletal 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 and the muscles of the internal organs. Its sympathetic division arouses; its parasympathetic division calms |
| Sympathetic Nervous System | The division of the automatic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situation |
| Parasympathetic Nervous System | The division of the automatic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy |
| Reflex | A simple, automatic, inborn response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee-jerk response |
| Endocrine System | The body's "slow" chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream |
| Hormones | Chemical messangers, mostly those manufactured by the endocrine glands, that are produced in one tissue and affect other tissues |
| Adrenal Glands | A pair of endocrine glands just above the kidneys. The adrenals secrete the hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine, which help to arouse the body in times of stress |
| Pituitary Glands | The endocrine system's most influential gland; regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands |
| Brainstem | The oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; it is responsible for automatic survival functions |
| Medulla | The base of the bainstems; controls heartbeat and breathing |
| Lesion | The cause tissue destruction; naturally or experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue |
| Electroencephalogram (EGG) | - |
| CAT (computerized axil tomograph) Scan | - |
| PET (positron emission tomograph) Scan | - |
| MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) | - |
| Reticular Formation | - |
| Thalamus | - |
| Cerebellum | - |
| Limbic System | - |
| Amygdala | - |
| Hypothalamus | - |
| Cerebral Cortex | - |
| Frontal Lobes | - |
| Parietal Lobes | - |
| Occipital Lobes | - |
| Temporal Lobes | - |
| Motor Cortex | - |
| Sensory Cortex | - |
| Association Areas | - |
| Aphasia | - |
| Broca's Area | - |
| Wernicke's Area | - |
| Plasticity | - |
| Corpus Callosum | - |
| Split Brain | - |
