| Term | Definition |
|---|
| central nervous system (CNS) | brain and spinal cord |
| spinal cord | nerves that run up and down the length of the back and transmit most messages between body and brain |
| peripheral nervous system(PNS) | nerves branching out from the spinal cord |
| neurons | long, thin cells of nerve tissue along which messages travel to and from the brain |
| synapse | gap between individual nerve cells |
| neurotransmitters | the chemicals released by neurons, which determine the rate which other neurons fire |
| somatic nervous system(SNS) | part of the PNS that controls voluntary movement of skeletal muscles |
| autonomic nervous system (ANS) | part of the PNS that controls internal biological functions |
| hindbrain | part of the brain located at the rear base of the skull involved in basic processes of life |
| forebrain | part of the brain that covers the brain's central core |
| lobes | different regions into which the cerebral cortex is divided |
| electroencephalograph (EEG) | machine used to record electrical activity of large portions of the brain |
| computerized axial tomography(CAT) | imaging technique used to see which brain areas are being activated while performing tasks |
| magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) | imaging technique used to study brain structure and activity |
| endocrine system | chemical communication system, using hormones, by which messages are sent through the bloodstream |
| hormones | chemical substances that carry messages through the body in blood |
| pituitary gland | center of control of the endocrine system that secretes a large number of hormones |
| heredity | genetic transmission of characteristics from parents to their offspring |
| identical twins | twins who came from one fertilized egg; twins having the same heredity |
| genes | basic building blocks of heredity |
| fraternal twins | twins who came from two different eggs fertilized by two different sperm |
| midbrain | small part of brain above the pons that integrates sensory information and relays it upward |
| Positron Emission tomography | an imaging technique used to see which brain areas are being activated while performing tasks |
Combine with other sets
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