SMARTER NEXT YEAR
COGNITIVE ABILITY:
the brain's ability to
preform various tasks, such as learning, memory, attention, deduction, and concentration. Knowledge is the end result of these tasks.
NEURON: the primary brain cell associated with intelligence. Humans have one hundred million of these cells and each cell has ten thousand branches connecting it to other brain cells. This makes up our neural network.
NEUROTRANSMITTER:
chemicals which transmit
the electrical signal across the tiny space between neurons. (Neurons never physically touch one another so they rely on neurotransmitters to transmit the electrical signal.)
EXECUTIVE FUNCTION:
an umbrella term for
the neurologically based skills involving mental control and self-Âregulation. It simply refers to a 6
SmarterNextYear_INT.indd 6
8/15/18 3:36 PM