| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Chromosome | strand of hereditary material found in the nucleus of the cell (provide chemical basis of hereditary |
| Gene | section along each chromosome that controls the chemical reactions that direct the individual's development and are composed of DNA |
| DNA(Dioxiribonucleicacid) | controls the production of RNA which in turn controls the production of proteins |
| Sex-linked (x-linked) genes | genes located on the x chromosome (ex. colorblindness is more common in men because they only have one x chromosome to control their vision (y chromosomes can't control vision_ |
| Sex-limited genes | genes that affect one sex more than the other, even though both sexes have that gene(ex. men facial hair and women breasts--> both genes are in men and women but the difference in hormones activate different body development) |
| Charles Darwin | invented the theory that whoever reproduces the most will have the greater likelihood of keeping their species living the longest and less likely to get extinct |
| Recessive gene | a gene that will affect development only in a person who is homozygous for that gene |
| Dominant gene | a gene that will exert evident effects on development even in a person who is heterozygous for that gene |
| Trait | the genes you get that make you who you are |
| Heritability | an estimate of the variance with in a population that is due to heredity; ranges from 1(indicating that all variance is due to heredity) to 0 (indicating that none of it exists) ex. tongue curling=1, language spoken=0 |
| Evolution | a process in which something passes by degrees to a different stage (especially a more advanced or mature stage) |
| Neuron | cell in the nervous system that recieves info and transmits it to other cells by conducting electrochemical impulses |
| Dendrite | one of the widely branching structures of a neuron that receive transmissions from other neurons |
| Axon | A single, long, thin, straight fiber that transmits info from a neuron to muscle cells |
| Glia | cell of the nervous system that insulates neurons, removes waste materials (e.g. dead cells) and perform other supportive functions |
| Action potential | an excitation that travels along an axon at a constant strength, no matter how far it must travel |
| All or none firing | the fight or flight response the body goes through when it is in danger (performed by the sympathetic nervous system) |
| Synapse | the junction (space) between one neuron and another; it is where one neuron releases a neurotransmitter, which either excites or inhibits the next neuron |
| Pre-synaptic neuron | neuron on the giving side of the synapse |
| Post-synaptic neuron | neuron on the receiving end of the synapse |
| Reuptake | when the axon reabsorbs the neurotransmitter it has released |
| CNS(central nervous system) | brains and spinal chord |
| PNS (Peripheral nervous system) | everything else; bundles of axons that convey messages between the spinal chord and the rest of the body |
| Somatic nervous system | peripheral nerves that communicate with the skin and muscles(part of the PNS system) |
| Autonomic nervous system | system of neurons that controls the internal organs (the heart etc.)(part of the PNS system) |
| Sympathetic nervous system | controls the body's "fight or flight" response and puts it back into regular mode (part of autonomic NS) |
| Parasympathetic nervous system | calms body back down from the "fight or flight" response after it comes into danger (part of the autonomic NS) |
| Endocrine System | set of glands that produce hormones and release them into the blood stream |
| Hormone | chemical released by glands and conveyed by the blood to other parts of the body(where it alters activity) |
| Hind brain | medulla, pons, reticular formation, cerebellum |
| medulla | controls heart rate and breathing |
| pons | controls body movements |
| Reticular formation | controls your body's arousal |
| cerebellum | nonverbal learning and memory; controls coordination of voluntary movement |
| midbrain??? | Segment of brainstem that lies between the hindbrain and forebrain Sensory processing vision and hearing |
| forebrain??? | largest and most complex region of the brain, encompassing a variety of structures including the thalamus, hypothalamus, limbic system, and cerebrum |
| Hemispheric Specialization | describes how different hemispheres have different functions even though they may appear identical physically |
| corpus callosum | connects the two hemispheres and carries messages between them |
| cerebral cortex | axon connections + 20-23 billion nerve cells |
| lobes | region of all the stuff our brains do; occipital, parietal, temporal, & frontal |
| occipital lobe | visual |
| parietal | sensation |
| temporal | hearing, memory, emotion, & speech |
| frontal | personality, organization, planning, and creative thinking (bid decision making) |
| Amygdala | aggression, fear and the perception of the two; processing of emotional memories |
| Hippocampus | processing of new memory |
| thalamus | on top of brain; "sensory switchboard;" receives info from all senses but smell and routes it to brain area hub; controls some shifts of electrical activity in brain which slow at sleep and speed up at waking consciousness |
| hypothalamus?? | controls the four "f"'s: food, fight or flight, sex behaviors, pituitary secretions of hormones, and reward centers |
Combine with other sets
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