the part of the nervous system that consists of the brain and spinal cord
central nervous system
the neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body, including the muscles and glands
peripheral nervous system
the nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system
neuron
the part of the neuron that produces the energy need for the activity of a cell
cell body
the branchlike extensions of a neuron that receive impulses and conduct them toward the cell body
dendrites
a long tube-like structure attached to a neuron that transmits impulses away from the neuron cell body
axon
a white, fatty substance that insulates axons and enables rapid transmission of neural impulses
myelin
small fibers branching out from an axon
axon terminals
the junction between the axon terminals of the sending neuron and the dendrites of the receiving neuron
synapse
a chemical messenger that carries impulses across the synaptic gaps between neurons
neurotransmitters
a column of nerves within the spine that transmit messages to and from the brain
spinal cord
the division of the peripheral nervous system that connects the central nervous system with sensory receptors, muscles, and the skin
somatic nervous system
the subdivision of the peripheral nervous system that regulates body functions, such as respiration and digestion.
autonomic nervous system
a structure at the base of the brain stem that controls vital functions such as heartbeat and breathing
medulla
a brain structure located at the top of the brain stem that is involved in respiration, movement, and sleep
pons
the large mass of the fore brain, consisting of two hemispheres
cerebellum
the part of the brain that is involved in attention, sleep, and arousal
reticular activating system
the structure of the brain that relays messages from the sense organs to the cerebral cortex
thalamus
the neural structure located below the thalamus that controls temperature, hunger, thirst, and various aspects of emotion
hypothalamus
a group of neural structures at the base of the cerebral hemispheres that is associated with emotion and motivation
limbic system
the large mass of the fore-brain, consisting of two hemispheres
cerebrum
the bumpy, convoluted surface of the brain; the body's control and information processing center
cerebral cortex
the nerve fibers that connect the left and right hemispheres of the cerebral cortex
corpus callosum
areas of the cerebral cortex that are involved in such mental operations as thinking, memory, learning, and problem solving
association areas
the glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream
endocrine system
chemicals produced by the endocrine glands that regulate through adjustments of the nervous system
hormones
the genetic transmission of traits from one generation to the next
heredity
the basic building blocks of heredity
genes
a microscopic threadlike structure in the nucleus of every living cell; it contains genes, the basic units of heredity
chromosomes