2.7 CHAPTER REVIEW

Neuroscience and Behavior

KEY POINTS

Introduction: Neuroscience and Behavior

The Neuron: The Basic Unit of Communication

The Nervous System and the Endocrine System: Communication Throughout the Body

A Guided Tour of the Brain

Specialization in the Cerebral Hemispheres

KEY TERMS

Match each of the terms on the left with its definition on the right. Click on the term first and then click on the matching definition. As you match them correctly they will move to the bottom of the activity.

Question

biological psychology
neuroscience
neuron
sensory neuron
motor neuron
interneuron
cell body
dendrites
axon
glial cells
myelin sheath
action potential
stimulus threshold
resting potential
synapse
synaptic gap
axon terminals
synaptic vesicles
neurotransmitters
synaptic transmission
reuptake
acetylcholine
dopamine
serotonin
norepinephrine
glutamate
GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)
endorphins
agonist
antagonist
nervous system
nerves
central nervous system (CNS)
spinal reflexes
peripheral nervous system
somatic nervous system
autonomic nervous system
sympathetic nervous system
parasympathetic nervous system
endocrine system
hormones
pituitary gland
oxytocin
adrenal glands
adrenal cortex
adrenal medulla
gonads
phrenology
cortical localization
functional plasticity
structural plasticity
neurogenesis
brainstem
hindbrain
medulla
pons
cerebellum
reticular formation
midbrain
substantia nigra
forebrain
cerebral cortex
cerebral hemispheres
corpus callosum
temporal lobe
occipital lobe
parietal lobe
frontal lobe
limbic system
hippocampus
thalamus
hypothalamus
amygdala
cortical localization
lateralization of function
aphasia
split-brain operation
An area at the back of each cerebral hemisphere that is the primary receiving area for visual information.
A network of nerve fibers located in the center of the medulla that helps regulate attention, arousal, and sleep; also called the reticular activating system.
Chemical messengers manufactured by a neuron.
The branch of the autonomic nervous system that maintains normal bodily functions and conserves the body’s physical resources.
The partial or complete inability to articulate ideas or understand spoken or written language because of brain injury or damage.
Neurotransmitters that regulate pain perceptions.
The part of a cell that processes nutrients and provides energy for the neuron to function; contains the cell’s nucleus; also called the soma.
The inner portion of the adrenal glands, which secretes epinephrine and norepinephrine.
An area on each hemisphere of the cerebral cortex located above the temporal lobe that processes somatic sensations.
The minimum level of stimulation required to activate a particular neuron.
A peanut-sized forebrain structure that is part of the limbic system and that regulates behaviors related to survival, such as eating, drinking, and sexual activity.
A large, two-sided hindbrain structure at the back of the brain; responsible for muscle coordination and maintaining posture and equilibrium.
A highly specialized cell that communicates information in electrical and chemical form; a nerve cell.
Chemical messengers secreted into the bloodstream primarily by endocrine glands.
An area on each hemisphere of the cerebral cortex, near the temples, that is the primary receiving area for auditory information.
The largest lobe of each cerebral hemisphere; processes voluntary muscle movements and is involved in thinking, planning, and emotional control.
Neurotransmitter involved in learning, memory, and regulation of sleep; also a hormone manufactured by adrenal glands.
The specialized branch of psychology that studies the relationship between behavior and bodily processes and systems; also called biopsychology or psychobiology.
The type of neuron that conveys information to the brain from specialized receptor cells in sense organs and internal organs.
The point of communication between two neurons.
A brief electrical impulse by which information is transmitted along the axon of a neuron.
The nearly symmetrical left and right halves of the cerebral cortex.
The development of new neurons.
Neurotransmitter that causes muscle contractions and is involved in learning and memory.
A hindbrain structure that connects the medulla to the two sides of the cerebellum; helps coordinate and integrate movements on each side of the body.
A drug or other chemical substance that blocks a receptor site and inhibits or prevents a response in the receiving cell.
The process by which neurotransmitter molecules detach from a post-synaptic neuron and are reabsorbed by a presynaptic neuron so they can be recycled and used again.
The tiny space between the axon terminal of one neuron and the dendrite of an adjoining neuron.
The division of the nervous system that consists of the brain and spinal cord.
A forebrain structure that processes sensory information for all senses except smell, relaying that information to the cerebral cortex.
The notion that specific psychological or cognitive functions are processed primarily on one side of the brain.
The division of the nervous system that includes all the nerves lying outside the central nervous system.
The notion that different functions are located or localized in different areas of the brain; also called localization of function.
The middle and smallest brain region, involved in processing auditory and visual sensory information.
A region at the base of the brain that contains several structures that regulate basic life functions.
An area of the midbrain that is involved in motor control and contains a large concentration of dopamine-producing neurons.
Neurotransmitter that usually communicates an excitatory message.
A pseudoscientific theory of the brain that claimed that personality characteristics, moral character, and intelligence could be determined by examining the bumps on a person’s skull.
The subdivision of the peripheral nervous system that communicates sensory information to the central nervous system and carries motor messages from the central nervous system to the muscles.
Neurotransmitter involved in the regulation of bodily movement, thought processes, and rewarding sensations.
The endocrine glands that secrete hormones that regulate sexual characteristics and reproductive processes; ovaries in females and testes in males.
The subdivision of the peripheral nervous system that regulates involuntary functions.
The branch of the autonomic nervous system that produces rapid physical arousal in response to perceived emergencies or threats.
An almond-shaped cluster of neurons in the brain’s temporal lobe, involved in memory and emotional responses, especially fear.
The tiny pouches or sacs in axon terminals that contain chemicals called neurotransmitters.
A white, fatty covering wrapped around the axons of some neurons that increases their communication speed.
The branches at the end of the axon that contain tiny pouches, or sacs, called synaptic vesicles.
A group of forebrain structures that form a border around the brainstem and are involved in emotion, motivation, learning, and memory.
A hindbrain structure that controls vital life functions such as breathing and circulation.
A curved forebrain structure that is part of the limbic system and is involved in learning and forming new memories.
The state in which a neuron is prepared to activate and communicate its message if it receives sufficient stimulation.
The brain’s ability to shift functions from damaged to undamaged brain areas.
The study of the nervous system, especially the brain.
Neurotransmitter involved in sensory perceptions, sleep, and emotions.
The primary internal communication network of the body; divided into the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system.
The endocrine gland attached to the base of the brain that secretes hormones affecting the function of other glands as well as hormones that act directly on physical processes.
The multiple short fibers that extend from a neuron’s cell body and receive information from other neurons or from sensory receptor cells.
The notion that different functions are located or localized in different areas of the brain; also called localization of function.
The support cells that assist neurons by providing structural support, nutrition, and removal of cell wastes; glial cells manufacture myelin.
Simple, automatic behaviors that are processed in the spinal cord.
The outer portion of the adrenal glands.
The process through which neurotransmitters are released by one neuron, cross the synaptic gap, and affect adjoining neurons.
A region of the brain made up of the hindbrain and the midbrain.
The brain’s ability to change its physical structure in response to learning, active practice, or environmental influences.
Hormone involved in reproduction, social motivation, and social behavior.
Neurotransmitter that usually communicates an inhibitory message.
The long, fluid-filled tube that carries a neuron’s messages to other body areas.
The largest and most complex brain region, which contains centers for complex behaviors and mental processes; also called the cerebrum.
The wrinkled outer portion of the forebrain, which contains the most sophisticated brain centers.
Bundles of neuron axons that carry information in the peripheral nervous system.
A surgical procedure that involves cutting the corpus callosum.
The type of neuron that signals muscles to relax or contract.
Drug or other chemical substance that binds to a receptor site and triggers a response in the cell.
The pair of endocrine glands that are involved in the human stress response.
The system of glands, located throughout the body, that secrete hormones into the bloodstream.
A thick band of axons that connects the two cerebral hemispheres and acts as a communication link between them.
The type of neuron that communicates information from one neuron to the next.

KEY PEOPLE

Pierre Paul Broca (1824-1880) French surgeon and neuroanatomist who in 1861 discovered an area on the lower left frontal lobe of the cerebral cortex that, when damaged, produces speech disturbances but no loss of comprehension. (p. 73)

Roger Sperry (1913-1994) U.S. psychologist who received the Nobel prize in 1981 for his pioneering research on brain specialization in split-brain patients. (p. 75)

Karl Wernicke (1848-1905) German neurologist who in 1874 discovered an area on the left temporal lobe of the cerebral cortex that, when damaged, produces meaningless or nonsensical speech and difficulties in verbal or written comprehension. (p. 73)