| Question | Answer |
| A brain area associated with movement, the sense of smell, and higher mental functions | Front Lobes |
| The neurotransmitter released by neurons to activate muscles | Acetylcholine |
| Positron emission tomography; a computer-generated image of brain activity based on glucose consumption in the brain | PET scan |
| A branch of the autonomic system responsible for arousing and activating the body at times of stress | Sympathetic branch |
| A hormone produced by the pineal gland in response to cycles of light and dark | Melatonin |
| Brain chemicals that regulate the activity of neurons, thereby influencing memory, emotion, pain, hunger, and other behavior | Neuropeptides |
| An adrenal hormone that tends to arouse the body; associated with fear; also known as adrenaline | Epinephrine |
| An area on the brainstem that acts as a bridge between the medulla and other structures | Pons |
| Branching fibers at the ends of axons | Axon terminals |
| Glands whose secretions pass directly into the blood stream or lymph system | Endocrine system |
| The layer of tissue that forms the outer layer and surface of the cerebrum; responsible for basic sensory and motor functions as well as higher mental processes in humans | Cerebral cortex |
| The two large hemispheres that cover the upper part of the brain | Cerebrum |
| A device designed to detect, amplify, and record electrical activity in the brain | Electroencephalograph (EEG) |
| Use of an electrode to destroy small areas deep within the brain | Deep lesioning |
| All parts of the nervous system outside of the brain and spinal cord | Peripheral nervous system (PNS) |
| The point at which a nerve impulse is triggered | Threshold |
| Computed tomography scan; a computer enhanced X-ray image of the brain or body | CT scan |
| Magnetic resonance imaging that records brain activity | fMRI scan |
| A hormone, secreted by the pituitary gland, that promotes bodily growth | Growth hormone |
| Major nerves that leave the brain without passing through the spinal cord | Cranial nerves |
| An inability to grasp the meaning of stimuli, such as words, objects, or pictures; an inability to recognize familiar faces | Agnosia (facial agnosia) |
| A speech disturbance resulting from brain damage | Aphasia |
| All areas of the cerebral cortex that are not primarily sensory or motor in function | Association cortex |
| The system of nerves carrying information to and from the internal organs and glands | Autonomic system |
| Fiber that carries information away from the cell body of a neuron | Axon |
| The brain and spinal cord | Central nervous system (CNS) |
| The bundle of fibers connecting the cerebral hemispheres | Corpus callosum |
| A branch of the autonomic nervous system that quiets the body | Parasympathetic branch |
| The nerve impulse, which is a rapid change in electrical charge across the cell membrane | Action potential |
| All brain structures below the cerebral cortex | Subcortex |
| A layer of living cells that encases the axons of some neurons | Neurilemma |
| The simplest behavior pattern; involving only three neurons, leads from a stimulus to an autonomic response, such as an eye blink or knee jerk | Reflex arc |
| The electrical charge that exists between the inside and outside of a neuron at rest | Resting potential |
| A part of the reticular formation that activates the cerebral cortex | Reticular activating system |
| Sensory - A nerve cell that carries information from the senses toward the central nervous system | Sensory neuron |
| The system of nerves linking the spinal cord with the body and sense organs | Somatic system |
| The part of the parietal lobes that serves as a receiving area for bodily sensations | Somatosensory area |
| The main body of a neuron or other cell | Soma |
| One of 62 major nerves that channel sensory and motor information in and out of the spinal cord | Spinal nerves |
| Cutting the corpus callosum | Split brain |
| The lowest portions of the brain, including the cerebellum, medulla, and reticular formation | Brainstem |
| Channels through the axon membrane | Ion channels |
| A system of interconnected structures in the forebrain that are closely associated with emotional response | Limbic system |
| The right and left (hemispheres) halves of the cerebrum | Cerebral hemispheres |
| The microscopic space between an axon terminal and another neuron, over which neurotransmitters pass | Synapse |
| Opiate-like brain chemicals that regulate reactions to pain and stress | Enkephalins |
| A nerve cell that serves as a link between two others | Connector neuron |
| Fibers projecting from nerve cells that receive information from other neurons and carry it to the cell body | Dendrites |
| A class of chemicals produced by the pituitary gland that are similar in structure and painkilling effect to opiate drugs such as morphine | Endorphins |
| Any of a number of chemical substances secreted by neurons that alter activity in other neurons | Neurotransmitter |
| Areas on the surface of neurons and other cells that are sensitive to neurotransmitters or hormones | Receptor sites |
| Individual nerve cells | Neuron |
| A bundle of neuron fibers | Nerve |
| Endocrine glands whose hormones arouse the body, regulate salt balance, adjust the body to stress, and affect sexual functioning | Adrenal glands |
| Endocrine gland whose hormones help regulate metabolism (the production and expenditure of energy within the body) | Thyroid gland |
| A small area at the base of the brain that regulates many aspects of motivation and emotion; especially hunger, thirst and sexual behavior | Hypothalamus |
| A structure at the center of the brain that relays sensory information to the cerebral cortex | Thalamus |
| A network of fibers within the medulla associated with attention, alertness, and activation of higher mental processes | Reticular formation |
| The outer layer of the adrenal glands; produce hormones that affect salt intake, reactions to stress, and sexual development | Adrenal cortex |
| The inner core of the adrenal glands; a source of epinephrine and norepinephrine | Adrenal medulla |
| Cells and muscles and glands specialized for the production of responses | Effector cells |
| Area at the top of the brain that includes sites where bodily sensations register in the brain | Parietal lobes |
| The master gland at the base of the brain whose hormones influence the output of other endocrine glands | Pituitary gland |
| A nerve cell that carries motor commands from the CNS to muscles and glands | Motor neuron |
| Magnetic resonance imaging; a computer-enhanced three-dimensional representation of the brain or body based on the body's response to a magnetic field | MRI scan |
| A fatty layer coating some axons | Myelin |
| A drop in electrical charge below the resting potential | Negative after-potential |
| A glandular secretion that affects bodily functions or behavior | Hormone |
