Download Vocabulary Terms

Episode Four Briefing: Vocabulary Terms
All of the words below are ones that students will encounter while playing
Episode Four: Mystery of Morpheus. Their definitions are contained within the
adventure in either the InfoArchives or the Glossary. Teachers should alert
the students to the ability to click on the hot-linked words in the game.
After the game, teachers may want to review the new vocabulary words.
Axon: a long, fiber-like extension of a neuron that transmits signals from the cell
body to the synapse.
Brain: located in the skull, it is the organ that controls all body activities through
the spinal cord and peripheral nerves of the nervous system.
Codeine: a naturally occurring component (alkaloid) of opium. It is capable of
inducing sleep, relieving pain, and causing addiction, but it is weaker than the
opiates morphine and heroin in producing these effects.
Dendrite: a fiber-like extension of a neuron that receives signals from other cells.
Endogenous opioid: also known as an endorphin. It is a substance which is
produced by the body and which affects the brain much like morphine does.
Endorphin: a brain chemical that acts like morphine. The word endorphin is a
combination of two words-- endogenous, meaning made by the body, and
morphine.
Heroin: an illegal, highly addictive drug. It is both the most abused and the most
rapidly acting of the opiates. It is made from morphine, a naturally occurring
substance extracted from the fruit of certain varieties of poppy plant.
Morphine: a naturally occurring component (alkaloid) of opium. It is the principal
analgesic found in opium and is capable of inducing sleep and causing addiction.
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Mystery of Morpheus
Episode Four Briefing: Vocabulary Terms
Nervous system: a network composed of the brain, spinal cord, and the
peripheral nerves.
The network receives, interprets, and transmits signals in
order to coordinate bodily activities.
Neuron: a nerve cell. It is specialized to transmit and receive signals.
Neurotransmission: the transfer of a signal from the axon of one neuron to the
dendrite of another.
Neurotransmitter: a chemical used by neurons to transmit signals to neurons
and to other cells.
Opiate: Opium, or a drug made from opium.
Opium: the juice from the fruit of the opium poppy. Opium is capable of relieving
pain, inducing sleep, and causing addiction. It has a milky-white appearance and
turns brown and gummy upon exposure to air.
Peripheral nerves: nerves that carry signals between the body and the spinal
cord.
Receptor: a structure on the surface of a neuron where neurotransmitters attach
in order to transmit a signal.
Reward Pathway: the part of the brain where feelings of pleasure are produced.
Spinal cord: a bundle of nerves coming from the base of the brain. The spinal
cord carries signals from the brain to the body, relays information from the body
to the brain, and coordinates many reflexes.
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Mystery of Morpheus
Episode Four Briefing: Vocabulary Terms
Synapse: a gap between two neurons.
It is the site where signals are
transferred from one neuron to another.
Vagus nerve: one of the peripheral nerves. One of its most important functions
is to regulate heart rate.
Vesicle: in cells, a spherical structure in which chemicals are stored.
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Mystery of Morpheus