Behavioral Neuroscience Vocab 1.1, 1.4, 2.1

the basic unit of the nervous system, each composed of a cell body, receptive extension(s) (dendrites), and a transmitting extension (axon)

a point where a neuron contacts many other cells

a specialized extension of neurons that is microscopically slender, yet may be several feet long

the field that relates behavior to bodily processes

the study of the nervous system

the study of the neural bases of behavior and mental processes; also called biological psychology

the process by which an individual changes in the course of its lifetime—that is, grows up and grows old

in the context of evolution, referring to a trait that is passed on from a common ancestor to two or more descendant species

within the concept of separation of soul and body, the motion promoted by Rene Descartes that the mind is subject only to spiritual interactions while the body is subject only to material interactions

the disproved theory that bumps on the skull reflect enlargements of brain regions responsible for certain behavioral faculties

the state of awareness of one’s own existence and experience

describes how brain cells that are initially connected in a somewhat random fashion can become organized into circuits as a consequence of activation

describes how synaptic connections can become strengthened through use

nonneuronal brain cells that provide structural, nutritional, and other types of support to the brain

the scientific study of the composition of tissues

a cell stain that reveals all cell bodies by staining RNA

a cell stain that fills a small proportion of neurons with a dense dark product

a histological technique that shows the distribution of radioactive chemicals in tissues

a technique in which labeled antibodies are used to visualize the histological distribution of specific proteins

an immediate early gene (IEG) that is expressed in cells that have been recently active

a method for detecting particular RNA transcripts in tissue sections by providing a nucleotide probe that is complementary to, and will therefore hybridize with, the transcript of interest

a compound used to identify the routes and interconnections of neuronal projections

the tract tracer is injected near the dendrites and cell bodies of a region of interest, where it is taken up and transported to the tips of the axons, thus revealing the targets of the neurons in the region under study

when a different kind of tract tracer is injected into a region of interest, it is taken up by axon terminals and then transported back to their originating cell bodies, thus revealing the sources of innervation of the region

tract tracers that jump backward across synapses and work their way “upstream,” back toward higher levels of the nervous system, leaving visible molecules of label all along the way

the hypothesis that the brain is composed of cells that are distinct structurally, metabolically, and functionally and information is transmitted from one neuron to the next across tiny gaps

the tiny gap between neurons where information is passed from one to the other

the region of a neuron that is defined by the presence of the cell nucleus; also called soma

a cellular organelle that provides metabolic energy for the cell’s processes

the spherical central structure of a cell that contains the chromosomes

structures in the cell body where genetic information is translated to produce proteins

the part of a neuron that receives information from other neurons or from specialized sensory structures; usually corresponds to the cell’s dendrites

one of the extensions of the cell body through which synaptic inputs are received

the part of the neuron that initiates nerve electrical activity; it usually corresponds to the neuron’s axon hillock

the part of the neuron over which the nerve’s electrical signal may be actively propagated; it usually corresponds to the cell’s axon

a single extension from the nerve cell that carries action potentials from the cell body to other neurons

a branch of an axon from a single neuron

the part of a neuron, usually corresponding to the axon terminals, at which the cell sends information to another cell

the end of an axon or axon collateral, which forms a synapse on a neuron or other target cell; also called synaptic bouton

a nerve cell that has many dendrites and a single axon

a nerve cell that has a single dendrite at one end and a single axon at the other end

a nerve cell with a single branch that leaves the cell body and then extends in two directions; one end is the receptive pole, the other end the output zone

a neuron that is neither a sensory neuron nor a motor neuron; it receives input from and sends outputs to other neurons

a nerve cell in the brain or spinal cord that transmits motor messages, stimulating a muscle or gland

a neuron that is directly affected by changes in the environment, such as light, odor, or touch

the elaborate branching of the dendrites of some neurons

referring to the region of a synapse that releases neurotransmitters

referring to the region of a synapse that receives and responds to neurotransmitters

the specialized membrane of the axon terminal of the neuron that transmits information by releasing neurotransmitters

the space between the presynaptic and postsynaptic membranes

the specialized membrane on the surface of the cell that receives information by responding to neurotransmitters from a presynaptic neuron

a small, spherical structure that contains molecules of neurotransmitter

the chemical released from the presynaptic axon terminal that serves as the basis of communication between neurons

a protein that binds and reacts to molecules of a neurotransmitter or hormone

the ability of the nervous system to change in response to experience or the environment

a cone-shaped area from which the axon originates out of the cell body; functionally, it is the integration zone of the neuron

to provide neural input

a specialized kinetic protein molecule that conveys a load, such as a vesicle, from one location to another within a cell

the transportation of materials between the neuronal cell body and axon terminals

a type of axonal transport that moves material toward the axon terminals

a type of axonal transport that moves used materials back to the cell body for recycling

a star-shaped glial cell with numerous processes (extensions) that run in all directions

extremely small glial cells that remove cellular debris from injured or dead cells

a type of glial cell that forms myelin in the central nervous system

a glial cell that forms myelin in the peripheral nervous system

the process of ensheathing axons in myelin

the fatty insulation around an axon, formed by glial cells, that speeds the conduction of axon potentials

a gap between successive segments of the myelin sheath where the axon membrane is exposed

the swelling of tissue, such as in the brain, in response to injury

literally, “many scars;” a disorder characterized by widespread degeneration of myelin