Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Synapse: the junction between two neurons, represented by a small physical gap
which is bridged by the flow of neurotransmitter chemicals from the terminals of the
‘sending neuron’.
Nerve impulse: the electrical signal generated when a neuron is active, which
normally passes from the dendrites along the axon, to the terminals.
Central Nervous System (CNS): the brain together with the nerve pathways of
the spinal chord.
Cortex: the pink, somewhat wrinkled outer layer of the brain which controls many
of our higher functions like speech and perception.
Limbic System: a series of subcortical structures which connect the cortex with
other parts of the brain and which are important in many basic functions.
Brain Stem: the region at the top of the spinal chord, composed of three primary
structures; the medulla, the midbrain and the pons.
Endocrine System: glands which secrete chemicals called hormones directly into
the bloodstream.
Cerebal Dominance: the tendency for one hemisphere to be superior for particular
functions, as expressed through behaviours like handedness.
Stress: a term coined by Hans Selye to describe the non-specific response of the
body to any demand on it.
Gene: the basic unit of heredity, made up of sequences of ‘building blocks’ called
amino acids.
Genotype: the genetic code which an individual carries in the DNA of their cells.
Nativism: the philosophical position first attributed to John Locke, that all
knowledge is based on experience.
Empiricism: the philosophical view held by Plato and others, that knowledge and
behaviour are innate in origin.