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| Question | Answer |
| neurons | a specialized cell transmitting nerve impulses: a nerve cell |
| sensory ( afferent ) neurons | nerve cells that transmit sensory information( sight, sounding, feeling, etc..,) ; they are activated by sensory input and send projections to other elements of the nervous system, ultimately conveying sensory information to the brain or spinal cord |
| motor neurons ( efferent) | a nerve cell forming part of a pathway along which impulses pass from the brain or spinal cord to a muscle or gland |
| interneurons | a neuron that transmits impulses between other neurons, especially as part of a reflex arc |
| mirror neurons | a neuron that fires both when an animal acts and when the animal observes the same action performed by another, the neuron "mirrors" the behavior of the other, as though the observer were itself acting |
| soma ( cell body) | the portion of a neuron that contains the nucleus but does not incorporate the dendrites or the axon |
| axon | the long threadlike part of a nerve cell along which impulses are conducted from the cell body to other cells |
| dendrites | a short branched extension of a nerve cell, along which impulses received from other cells at synapses are transmitted to the celll body |
| axon terminals ( aka buttons synaptic knobs) | contain neurotransmitters of various kinds, sometimes more than one; the somewhat enlarged, often club shaped endings by which axons make synaptic contacts with other nerve cells or with effector cells ( muscle or gland cells) |
| myelin sheath | the insulated covering that surrounds an axon with multiple spiral layers of myelin, that is discontinuous at the nodes of the Ranvier, and that increases the speed at which a nerve impulse can travel along a neuron - called also medullary sheath |
| action potential | the change in electrical potential associated with the passage of an impulse along the membrane of a muscle cell or nerve cell |
| resting potential | the electrical potential of a neuron of other excitable cell relative to its surroundings when not stimulated or involved in passage of an impulse |
| all or none principle | if a stimulus exceeds the threshold potential, the nerve or muscle fiber will give a complete response, otherwise there is no response |
| threshold | the magnitude or intensity that must be exceeded for a certain reaction |
| synapse ( synaptic gap) | a junction between two nerve cells, consisting of a minute gap across which impulses pass by diffusion of a neurotransmitter |
| neurotransmitters | a chemical substance that is released at the end of a nerve fiber by the arrival of a nerve impulse and by diffusing across the synapse or junction, causes the transfer of the impulse to another nerve fiber, a muscle fiber, or some other structure |
| excitatory transmitters | bind to the receptors located on the post synaptic membrane of the lower neuron, and, in case of excitatory synapse, may lead to depolarization of the post synaptic cell |
| re uptake | the absorption by a presynaptic nerve ending of a neurotransmitter that it has secreted |
| acetylcholine (Ach) | a compound that occurs throughout the nervous system, in which it functions as a neurotransmitter |
| dopamine | a compound present in the body as a neurotransmitter and a precursor of other substances including epinephrin |
| serotonin | a compound present in blood platelets and serum that constricts the blood vessels and acts as a neurotransmitter |
| gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) | an amino acid that acts to inhibit the transmission of nerve impulses in the central nervous system |
| endorphins | any of a group of hormones secreted within the brain and nervous system and having a number of physiological functions; they are peptides that activate the body's opiate receptors, causing an analgesic effect |
| inhibitory neurotransmitter | bind with receptors in the post synaptic neuron |
| biological psychologists | application of the principles of biology to the study of physiological, genetical, and development of mechanisms of behaviors in humans in animals |
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