Brains, Bodies, and Behavior

How many billion cells, known as neurons, is the nervous system composed of?

Which part of the neuron is described as a branching treelike fiber responsible for collecting information from other cells and sending it to the soma?

What are the dual functions of the myelin sheath surrounding the axon of a neuron?

What is the term for the change in electrical charge that occurs in a neuron when a nerve impulse is transmitted?

The principle that a neuron either fires completely, such that the action potential moves all the way down the axon, or it does not fire at all, is known as what?

What is the role of a neurotransmitter in the nervous system?

What is an agonist in the context of drug effects on neurotransmitters?

What is an antagonist in the context of drug effects on neurotransmitters?

Which neurotransmitter is commonly used in the spinal cord and by motor neurons to stimulate muscle contractions and is also involved in regulating memory, sleeping, and dreaming?

An increase in which neurotransmitter is linked to schizophrenia, while a reduction is linked to Parkinson's disease?

Which neurotransmitters are described as natural pain relievers and are related to the compounds found in drugs such as opium, morphine, and heroin?

A lack of which major inhibitory neurotransmitter can lead to involuntary motor actions like tremors and seizures?

Which neurotransmitter is the most common in the brain, is released in more than 90 percent of the brain's synapses, and can cause overstimulation if present in excess?

Low levels of which neurotransmitter are associated with depression?

Which area of the brain stem is responsible for controlling heart rate and breathing and is often sufficient to maintain life on its own?

What is the primary role of the pons, a structure located in the brain stem?

Which long, narrow network of neurons runs through the medulla and the pons and is responsible for filtering stimuli and playing a role in walking, eating, sexual activity, and sleeping?

Which egg-shaped structure above the brain stem filters sensory information coming from the spinal cord and relays signals to higher brain levels?

Which part of the brain, literally meaning 'little brain', consists of two wrinkled ovals behind the brain stem and functions to coordinate voluntary movement?

Which three structures comprise the limbic system, the brain area that governs emotion and memory?

The amygdala, consisting of two 'almond-shaped' clusters, is primarily responsible for what function?

Which brain structure, located just under the thalamus, helps regulate body temperature, hunger, thirst, and sex by linking the nervous system to the endocrine system?

Damage to which part of the limbic system can prevent a person from building new memories, while leaving older memories untouched?

The cerebral cortex contains approximately how many nerve cells and how many synaptic connections?

What is the function of glial cells (glia) in the brain?

Which lobe of the cerebral cortex is located behind the forehead and is primarily responsible for thinking, planning, memory, and judgment?

Which lobe of the cerebral cortex extends from the middle to the back of the skull and is primarily responsible for processing information about touch?

The occipital lobe, located at the very back of the skull, is responsible for processing what type of information?

Which lobe of the cerebral cortex is located roughly between the ears and is primarily responsible for hearing and language?

What is the general principle of brain structure, discovered by Fritsch and Hitzig, where the left hemisphere receives sensations from and controls the right side of the body, and vice versa?

What is the term for the brain's ability to change its structure and function in response to experience or damage, enabling us to learn and remember new things?

What is the term for the forming of new neurons, which originate deep in the brain and may migrate to other areas to form new connections?

The idea that the left and right hemispheres of the brain are specialized to perform different functions is known as what?

In most people, the ability to speak, write, and understand language is located in which hemisphere of the brain?

In what types of skills does the right hemisphere of the brain typically excel?

Across cultures and ethnic groups, approximately what percentage of people are mainly right-handed?

What is an advantage of the cadaver approach to studying the brain?

Damages to the brains of living human beings, resulting from strokes, falls, accidents, or tumors, are called what?

What is electroencephalography (EEG)?

What does a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan detect to produce an image of brain activity?

What is the primary advantage of using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) in brain research?

The central nervous system (CNS) is made up of which two components?

What is the function of a sensory (or afferent) neuron?

What is a reflex, as described in the context of the spinal cord?

Which division of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) governs the internal activities of the human body, such as heart rate, breathing, and digestion?

Which division of the autonomic nervous system is involved in preparing the body for behavior, particularly in response to stress, by activating organs and glands?

What is the primary function of the parasympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system?

Which small, pea-sized gland located near the center of the brain is known as the 'master gland' because it controls the body's growth and influences other glands?

When we are excited, threatened, or stressed, the adrenal glands secrete which two hormones that stimulate the sympathetic division of the ANS?

What is the most important hormone secreted by the testes, which regulates body changes associated with male sexual development?