GABA functions as ________.
an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain
Since Norma is a split-brain patient, we can infer that she likely has a history of ________.
severe epilepsy
The thick band of neurons that connects the right and left cerebral hemispheres is called the ________.
corpus callosum
The branchlike structures that receive messages from other neurons are called ________
dendrites
Pain-controlling chemicals in the body are called ________.
endorphins
The outermost part of the brain that is made up of tightly packed neurons and is only a tenth of an inch thick is called the ________.
cortex
Involuntary muscles are controlled by the ________ nervous system.
autonomic
Curare, a poison, works by ________.
blocking receptor sites and acting as an antagonist for acetylcholine
The charge that a neuron at rest maintains is due to the presence of a high number of ________ charged ions inside the neuron's membrane.
negatively
After a head injury a person reports that she is unable to see, although her eyes are uninjured. A doctor would suspect an injury in the ________ lobe.
occipital
Endocrine glands ________.
secrete hormones directly into the bloodstream
"All or none" is the principle stating that ________.
a neuron either fires or does not fire
The branch of the autonomic nervous system that restores the body to normal functioning after arousal and is responsible for day-to-day functioning of the organs and glands is called the ________.
parasympathetic nervous system
What is the function of myelin?
to speed up the neural impulse
Eating, drinking, sexual behavior, sleeping, and temperature control are most strongly influenced by the ________.
hypothalamus
Neurons that carry information from the senses to the spinal cord are called ________.
sensory neurons
The ________ is a structure in the brain stem responsible for life-sustaining functions, such as breathing and heart rate.
medulla
If you have a problem remembering things that happened a year ago, doctors might check for damage to the ________ area of the brain.
hippocampus
How is acetylcholine removed from the synapse?
It is broken down by an enzyme
