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Inhibitory neurotransmitter—chemical secreted at terminal button that reduces or prevents neural impulses in the postsynaptic dendrites.

Reflex—the simplest form of behavior.

• Reflex arc—the path over which the reflex travels, which typically includes a receptor, sensory or afferent neuron, interneuron, motor or efferent neuron, and effector.

• Sensory receptor—cell typically in sense organs that initiates action potentials, which then travel along sensory/afferent neurons to the CNS.

• Afferent neuron—also called sensory neuron; nerve cell in your PNS that transmits impulses from receptors to the brain or spinal cord.

• Interneuron—nerve cell in the CNS that transmits impulses between sensory and motor neurons. Neural impulses travel one way along the neuron from dendrites to axons to terminal buttons, and among neurons from the receptor to the effector.

• Efferent neuron—also called motor neuron, nerve cell in your PNS that transmits impulses from sensory or interneurons to muscle cells that contract or gland cells that secrete.

• Effector—muscle cell that contracts or gland cell that secretes.

Endocrine system—ductless glands that typically secrete hormones directly into the blood, which help regulate body and behavioral processes.

• Hormone—chemical messenger that travels through the blood to a receptor site on a target organ.

• Pineal gland—endocrine gland in brain that produces melatonin that helps regulate circadian rhythms and is associated with seasonal affective disorder.

• Hypothalamus—portion of brain part that acts as endocrine gland and produces hormones that stimulate (releasing factors) or inhibit secretion of hormones by the pituitary.

• Pituitary gland (sometimes called “master gland”)—endocrine gland in brain that produces stimulating hormones, which promote secretion by other glands including TSH–thyroid-stimulating hormone; ACTH–adrenocorticotropic hormone, which stimulates the adrenal glands; FSH, which stimulates egg or sperm production; ADH (antidiuretic hormone) to help retain water in your body; and HGH (human growth hormone).

• Thyroid gland—endocrine gland in neck that produces thyroxine, which stimulates and maintains metabolic activities.

• Parathyroids—endocrine glands in neck that produce parathyroid hormone, which helps maintain calcium ion level in blood necessary for normal functioning of neurons.

• Adrenal glands—endocrine glands atop kidneys. Adrenal cortex—the outer layer—produces steroid hormones such as cortisol, which is a stress hormone. Adrenal medulla—the core—secretes adrenaline (epinephrine) and noradrenaline (norepinephrine), which prepare the body for “fight or flight” like the sympathetic nervous system.

• Pancreas—gland near stomach that secretes the hormones insulin and glucagon, which regulate blood sugar that fuels all behavioral processes. Imbalances result in diabetes and hypoglycemia.

• Ovaries and testes—gonads in females and males respectively that produce hormones necessary for reproduction and development of secondary sex characteristics.

Nature-nurture controversy—deals with the extent to which heredity and the environment each influence behavior.

Evolutionary psychologists—study how Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection favored behaviors that contributed to survival and spread of our ancestors’ genes; evolutionary psychologists look at universal behaviors shared by all people.

Behavioral geneticists—study the role played by our genes and our environment in mental ability, emotional stability, temperament, personality, interests, etc.; they look at the causes of our individual differences.

Zygote—fertilized egg.

Studies of twins help separate the contributions of heredity and environment.

Identical twins—also called monozygotic twins; two individuals who share all of the same genes/heredity because they develop from the same zygote.

Fraternal twins—also called dizygotic twins; siblings that share about half of the same genes because they develop from two different zygotes.

Heritability—the proportion of variation among individuals