Key Terms for Program 3: The Behaving Brain

Brain Stem: The main structure of the nervous system that connects the brain to the spinal cord.

Nerve Impulse: An electrical discharge passed along a neuron's internal fiber.

Neuron: The basic element of the nervous system; a cell which allows rapid communication between adjacent cells, including receiving, processing, and transmitting information.

Neurotransmitter: A chemical messenger, released from neurons, that crosses the synapse and interacts with receptors.

Soma: The cell body of a neuron, containing the nucleus and cytoplasm of the cell.

Synapse: The junction between one neuron and the membrane of the next neuron.

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