Neuron the neural cell the basic unit of the nervous system Hormone a biochemical that typically is released into the bloodstream to perform its function at locations distant from the brain but that can also affect brain functioning itself Glia cells that perform a wide array of functions such as regulating the biochemical environment of the brain helping sustain neurons modulating neural transmission and aiding in the repair of neurons in case of injury They are also important in early brain development and maturation Dendrites the primary receiving parts of a neuron Cell Body the part of the neuron that converts oxygen sugars and other Nucleus the core of the cell body of a neuron or other cell containing nutrients into energy the genes Receptor sites spots on a cell body of a neuron that like the dendrites can be stimulated by other neurons Axon the fibrous body of a neuron that carrier the neural impulse to the terminal branches Terminal branches the parts of a neuron that send messages to other neurons or to muscles or glands Myelin sheath a whitish coating of fatty protective tissue that insulates the axons of neurons Nodes constrictions of the myelin sheath of an axon that act as booster stations for neural impulses All or none principle the general rule that a neuron either fires or doesn t Synapse the connecting point where a terminal branch of one neuron is only a microscopic distance from a dendrite or receptor site of another neuron Neurotransmitters biochemical s released at neuron synapse that aid or inhibit neural transmission Spinal cord the thick cable of neurons that mostly connect PNS neurons to the brain Central nervous system the brain and the spinal cord Peripheral nervous system the network of neurons outside of the CNS Interneuron a CNS neuron that carries messages between neurons Cerebral cortex among its many other functions the part of the brain responsible for thinking remembering and planning Cerebrum the large brain mass that is covered by the cerebral cortex
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