The following terms will help while exploring this website.

Anterior inferotemporal cortex (AIT)

The area of the brain's temporal lobe thought to convey neuronal object representations.

Axon

The long, thin branch of a neuron that carries electrical signals away from the cell.

Basal ganglia

Three subcortical nuclei of the vertebrate brain, comprising the putamen, caudate nucleus, and the globus pallidus. The basal nuclei regulate body movements. Illnesses associated with disorders in this region include Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease.

Caenorhabditis elegans

A nematode that is used extensively to model nervous system processes because of its very simple, well-characterized nervous system.

Cerebral cortex

Part of the forebrain's cerebrum, it is responsible for most of the brain's higher functions.

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome

A disorder affecting connective and vascular tissue. Symptoms include poor wound healing, hyperelasticity of skin, aneurisms, and tissue fragility.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

A noninvasive technology that enables observation of brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow or chemical composition.

Gene

A unit of inheritance composed of DNA and found on a specific location on a chromosome. Genes contain the basic patterns of information for the development, repair, and reproduction of living beings.

Genotype

The genetic makeup of a cell or organism.

Glutamate receptor

An amino acid receptor implicated in many important brain functions, including learning and memory storage.

Huntington's disease

An inherited degenerative disorder involving atrophy of the cerebral cortex, most notably the caudate nucleus and putamen. The disease eventually leads to dementia and death.

Magnetoencephalography (MEG)

A noninvasive technology for providing information about brain activity by measuring magnetic fields that accompany the brain's electrical activity.

Mucolipidosis type IV

A degenerative genetic disease known to afflict Jewish populations that can lead to developmental delays, motor and mental retardation, and early death.

Neuron

A cell specialized to convey electrical signals across relatively long distances when excited.

Neurotransmitter

A chemical substance released from neuronal axons into the synaptic space between neighboring neurons, leading to excitation or inhibition of those neurons.

Parkinson's disease

A progressive neurological disease that has been associated with changes in nerve cells in the brainstem, as well as abnormal levels of dopamine in the basal ganglia.

Positron emission tomography (PET)

A noninvasive technology that creates images of organs or tissues by computing rates of glucose metabolism. It has proven especially useful in brain research.

Reporter molecules

Molecules that bind to other molecules involved in genetic and cellular processes of interest, sending out signals that reveal locations and activities of their binding partners.

Serotonin

A multipurpose neurotransmitter involved in arousal, learning, and memory.

Synapse

The gap between adjacent neuronal connections.