Brain

Brain

That part of the central nervous system inside our heads that controls all our perceptions, thoughts, feelings and voluntary movements.

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Brain

white matter

Anatomy; Brain

The part of the brain beneath the cortex that consists mostly of brain cell axons sheathed in myelin.

endorphin

Anatomy; Brain

A natural opiate, this neurotransmitter is similar to morphine. It is produced in the pituitary gland. It protects against excessive pain, and is released with ACTH into the brain.

smell

Anatomy; Brain

Odors drift into the nose and cause the smell receptors to send messages to the brain. The smell part of the brain is in the limbic region, and is connected to feeling and memory.

pseudounipolar cells

Anatomy; Brain

A type of neuron that has two axons (instead of one axon and one dendrite). One axon is oriented towards the spinal cord, the other axon is oriented toward either skin or muscle.

midbrain

Anatomy; Brain

A middle area of the brainstem that contains many important nerves (including the origins of the third and fourth cranial nerves which control eye movement and eyelid opening).

mesencephalon

Anatomy; Brain

A middle area of the brainstem that contains many important nerves (including the origins of the third and fourth cranial nerves which control eye movement and eyelid opening).

purkinje cell

Anatomy; Brain

A special kind of neuron. They look like big oak trees, with more branches than any kind of nerve cell. The Cerebellum uses lots of Purkinje cells to coordinate movements.