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- Glossary
Corti’s organ
The organ of Corti is part of the cochlea (hearing organ) in the inner ear. Here, sound waves are picked up by hair cells and converted into nerve impulses.
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- Glossary
Cortical cell layers
The cortical cell layers form the structure of the cerebral cortex and cerebellar cortex. In the cerebral cortex, the number of layers varies, reaching a maximum of six in the neocortex. These six layers differ in terms of cell types and interconnections.
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- Glossary
Cortisol
A hormone produced by the adrenal cortex that is primarily an important stress hormone. It belongs to the group of glucocorticoids and influences carbohydrate and protein metabolism in the body, suppresses the immune system, and acts directly on certain neurons in the central nervous system.
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- Glossary
CREB
A transcription factor in the cell nucleus that is activated by cAMP-dependent signaling pathways. CREB influences gene activity and can thus improve communication between two cells. This is a cellular basis for learning processes.
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- Glossary
Declarative memory
Declarative memory is a form of long-term memory. Based on content, two types are distinguished: episodic memory – the stories of our lives – and semantic memory, or factual knowledge. What both have in common is that their respective contents can be put into words, i.e., described.
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- Glossary
Dementia
Dementia is an acquired deficit of cognitive, social, motor, and emotional abilities. The most well-known form is Alzheimer's disease. "De mentia" means "without mind" in English.
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- Glossary
Dendrite
Tree-like branching area of nerve cells whose extensions act as a kind of antenna for receiving electrical impulses from other cells.
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- Glossary
Dendritic spines
Mushroom- or button-shaped protrusions on dendrites, at the tip of which there is usually a synapse, which is the site of communication between two nerve cells. The spines increase the surface area of dendrites, which thus have space for additional synapses. They play an important role in synaptic plasticity. The dendritic spines can swell and shrink depending on activation.
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- Glossary
Depolarization
The decrease in membrane potential (towards 0 mV) from the resting potential, which is measured between the inside of the cell and the outside space and has a difference of -70 mV.
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- Glossary
Depression
A mental illness whose main symptoms are sadness and a loss of joy, motivation, and interest. Current classification systems distinguish between different types of depression.
