Key Terms U3C2L1 – Brain Structure and Function
Key Terms U3C2L1 – Brain Structure and Function
1. Cortex – the highly wrinkled outer layer of the cerebrum and cerebellum (forebrain); grey matter.
2. neural plasticity– concerns the property of neural circuitry to potentially acquire (given appropriate training) nearly any function.
3. brain stem – the oldest part of the brain comprised of the mesencephalon, pons, and medulla oblongata, and connecting the spinal cord with the forebrain and cerebellum; also referred to as the reptilian brain.
4. limbic system – a group of subcortical structures (such as the hypothalamus, hippocampus, and amygdale) of the brain that are concerned especially with emotion and motivation.
5. cerebral hemisphere – when looked at from the top, the brain is composed of two interconnected spheres or lobes and is the seat of higher level thinking.
6. synapse – the space between nerve cells; the point at which a nervous impulse passes from one neuron to another.
7. sensory gating – also called the neuron spike point, regulates the transmission of stimuli to the brain.
8. sensory flooding – sensory overload, this happens when too much data is getting through to the brain.
9. axon – long fibers that send electrical impulses and release neurotransmitters.
10. dendrite – any of the usually branching protoplasmic processes that conduct impulses towards the body of a nerve cell.
11. neuron – a grayish or reddish granular cell with specialized processes that is the fundamental functional unit of newcous tissue in the brain.
12. neurotransmitter – a chemical molecule (as norepinephrine or acetylcholine) that transmits nerve impulses across a synapse, within and between brain cells.
1. Cortex – the highly wrinkled outer layer of the cerebrum and cerebellum (forebrain); grey matter.
2. neural plasticity– concerns the property of neural circuitry to potentially acquire (given appropriate training) nearly any function.
3. brain stem – the oldest part of the brain comprised of the mesencephalon, pons, and medulla oblongata, and connecting the spinal cord with the forebrain and cerebellum; also referred to as the reptilian brain.
4. limbic system – a group of subcortical structures (such as the hypothalamus, hippocampus, and amygdale) of the brain that are concerned especially with emotion and motivation.
5. cerebral hemisphere – when looked at from the top, the brain is composed of two interconnected spheres or lobes and is the seat of higher level thinking.
6. synapse – the space between nerve cells; the point at which a nervous impulse passes from one neuron to another.
7. sensory gating – also called the neuron spike point, regulates the transmission of stimuli to the brain.
8. sensory flooding – sensory overload, this happens when too much data is getting through to the brain.
9. axon – long fibers that send electrical impulses and release neurotransmitters.
10. dendrite – any of the usually branching protoplasmic processes that conduct impulses towards the body of a nerve cell.
11. neuron – a grayish or reddish granular cell with specialized processes that is the fundamental functional unit of newcous tissue in the brain.
12. neurotransmitter – a chemical molecule (as norepinephrine or acetylcholine) that transmits nerve impulses across a synapse, within and between brain cells.