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- Glossary
Self-fulfilling prophecy
Term for the phenomenon whereby certain expectations influence behavior in such a way that these expectations are fulfilled. For example, if a teacher considers individual students to be particularly high achievers, this attitude on the part of the authority figure can lead to the students in question developing a high level of self-confidence and, as a result, actually performing exceptionally well.
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- Glossary
Self-fulfilling prophecy
Term for the phenomenon whereby people change their behavior based on certain expectations regarding a future event in such a way that the event does not occur. For example, a warning of a bomb attack may prompt the hiring of additional security personnel, who ultimately prevent the attack.
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- Glossary
Semantic memory
Semantic memory is a form of declarative long-term memory. It stores knowledge about the world, i.e., facts, formulas, geography, recipes, etc.
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- Glossary
Sensitization
If a stimulus – a touch, a sound – proves to be important on multiple occasions, the nervous system will respond more intensely to this stimulus in the future. This sensitization is a learning process that also takes place at the cellular level. The opposite is habituation.
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- Glossary
Sensory transduction
In the process of transduction, a sensory stimulus – such as light or touch – is converted into a nerve impulse.
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- Glossary
Sensory neuron
A sensory neuron is a specialized nerve cell that perceives stimuli – for example, chemical (sweet), visual (bright), or acoustic (loud) – and transmits the information to the central nervous system.
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- Glossary
Septum
The septal nuclei are located medially in the basal forebrain, near the anterior tip of the cingulate gyrus. They are connected to the olfactory cortex and linked to other limbic structures via the fornix. Functionally, they play a role in emotional processes and reward processing.
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- Glossary
Serotonin
A neurotransmitter that acts as a messenger in the transmission of information between neurons at their synapses. It is primarily produced in the raphe nuclei of the brain stem and plays a key role in sleep and alertness, as well as emotional well-being.
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- Glossary
SNP
SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) are locations in the genome where the DNA sequence differs between individuals of the same species. Researchers have identified around 200 million SNPs in the human genome. They occur both in coding DNA regions, which are responsible for proteins, and in regulatory or as not yet understood sections. SNPs provide valuable information about the development of populations and are particularly interesting in medicine when they are associated with certain diseases.
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- Glossary
Soma
The cell body, also known as the soma, is the metabolic center of the cell. In addition to the cell organelles – such as the mitochondria – it also contains the cell nucleus with the genetic material. The dendrites and axon (long, fiber-like extension of nerve cells) extend from the cell body.
