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- Glossary
Medial orbitofrontal cortex
The ventral (in humans, "lower") middle part of the frontal lobe. This part of the cortex influences complex mental processes such as planning, reward evaluation, and decision-making. Patients with lesions in the frontal lobe show personality changes and are often no longer able to control their impulses.
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- Glossary
Medial temporal lobe
The medial part of the temporal lobe contains the hippocampus and a number of other anatomically related structures: the entorhinal, perirhinal, and parahippocampal cortex. Together, they enable us to consciously remember facts and events. This region of the brain is also important for the formation of long-term memory. Deep inside the medial temporal lobe is the amygdala, which is involved in emotion processing, emotional salience, and emotional reinforcement of memories.
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- Glossary
Medulla oblongata
Area of the brain that transitions into the spinal cord. The medulla oblongata comprises nerve pathways between the spinal cord and higher brain regions, as well as numerous core areas with functions that are in some cases vital, such as breathing, heartbeat, and certain reflexes.
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- Glossary
Meissner’s corpuscles
Meissner’s corpuscles are a type of mechanoreceptor found in hairless skin, such as that on the fingertips. Meissner corpuscles respond to vibration, pressure, and touch.
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- Glossary
Melatonin
Melatonin is a hormone released by the pineal gland in the brain when it is dark. Melatonin levels are highest at night and then decrease throughout the day. This makes it an important messenger substance for the "internal clock" and it appears to play a particularly important role in regulating sleep.
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- Glossary
Membrane potential
The membrane potential is a voltage measured between the inside and outside of the cell membrane. It arises from the different distribution of electrically charged particles inside and outside the cell.
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- Glossary
Mental training
Originally a concept from sports psychology: athletes imagine movement sequences and optimize them in their minds. Although comparable methods are now also used in other areas of life, the effectiveness of mental training has been most thoroughly researched in athletes. According to research findings, mental imagery actually changes the brain. This works because imagining movement sequences activates similar areas of the brain as during actual training.
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- Glossary
Merkel cells
Merkel cells are slow-adapting mechanoreceptors in the skin. They respond to continuous pressure and are important for the perception of shape, edges, and fine details.
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- Glossary
Midbrain
The midbrain is the uppermost section of the brain stem. Its regions are located around the aqueduct, a canal filled with cerebrospinal fluid. Prominent structures include the tectum, tegmentum, and substantia nigra.
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- Glossary
Mesolimbic pathway
A system of neurons that use dopamine as a neurotransmitter and play a crucial role in emotion, reward, and substance abuse. The cell bodies are located in the subtegmental area and extend to the amygdala, the hippocampus, and – most importantly – the nucleus accumbens, where they have their terminal buttons.
