plasticity - Answers in the nervous system, this refers to change, flexibility, or adaptation, usually in
response to an experience or learning
neurons - Answers nerve cell; the information processing and information transmitting cells of the
nervous system
neruogenesis - Answers production of new neurons through the division of neural stem cells; occurs in
the hippocampus and olfactory bulb and appears to play a role in learning
generalization - Answers a type of scientific explanation; a general conclusion based on many
observations of similar phenomena
reduction - Answers A type of scientific explanation; a phenomenon is described in terms of the more
elementary processes that underlie it
dualism - Answers The belief that the body is physical but the mind (or soul) is not
monism - Answers the belief that the world consists only of matter and energy and that the mind is a
phenomenon produced by the workings of the nervous system
reflex - Answers an automatic, stereotyped movement produced as the direct result of a stimulus
doctrine of specific nerve energies - Answers Muller's conclusion that because all nerve fibers carry the
same type of message, sensory information must be specified by the particular nerve fibers that are
active
epigenetics - Answers changes to gene expression induced by environmental factors
functionalism - Answers The principle that the best way to understand a biological phenomenon (a
behavior or a physiological structure) is to try to understand its useful functions for the organism.
natural selection - Answers the process by inherited traits that confer a selective advantage (increase
animal's likelihood to live and reproduce) become more prevalent in a population
mutation - Answers a change in the genetic information contained in the chromosomes of sperm or
eggs, which can be passed on to an organism's offspring; provides genetic variability
selective advantage - Answers a characteristic of an organism that permits it to produce more than the
average number of offspring of its species
evolution - Answers a gradual change in the structure and physiology of plant and animal species-
generally producing more complex organisms- as a result of natural selection