A homogeneous, relatively cell-poor, but fiber-rich layer of the cerebellar cortex consisting mainly of the axons of granule cells (i.e., parallel fibers), which lies directly under the pia mater, and above the granular layer. It also contains some basket and stellate interneurons. The axons bifurcate in a T-junction like wires on a telephone pole, extending …
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Molyneux’s question
In 1688, John Locke (1632-1704)published a question put to him by William Molyneux 1656-1698), which henceforthbecame known as Molyneux’s question. Thisquestion asked whether an adult born blind, if restored to sight might be ableto identify and distinguish, with vision alone, objects that he/she hadpreviously only experienced through touch. Molyneux, Locke, and a little later George Berkeley 1685-1753), were in agreement that …
Molecular biophysics
That branch of biophysics concerned with the configurational and conformational properties of the likes of bioelectrical phenomena and macromolecules. A recent, and significant, development in this area is bioinformatics. See Bioinformatics, Biophysics
Modularity
Sometimes imputed to cortical areas, it is a conception of the mind as composed of an innately-provided set of independently-operating mental computers, each tuned to accept different input and to subject it to different processing. A number module would be tuned to detect how numerous items were, and the occurrence of addition or subtraction could be …
Molecular biology
A combination of genetics and biochemistry, it has become a dominant branch of biology that studies the structure and function of biological macromolecules (e.g., nucleic acids such as DNA, proteins), and the relationships of their functioning to the structure of a cell. In particular, it focuses on the processes of DNA replication, and transcription and …
Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT)
Allows parentsto assess the degree to which their toddler(s), between the ages of 16 and 30months, demonstrate behaviors that may indicate possible early signs of autismspectrum disorder. Scores on this measure may be used to determine whichchildren would benefit from more in-depth follow-up assessments. Items tapcognitive and social indicators of autism spectrum disorders. The measureinvolves …
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Moderate-discrepancy hypothesis
The view that infants prefer stimuli that are moderately discrepant, or different, from what they already know. Originally formulated in the 1970s (Kinney, D.K., & Kagan, J. Infant attention to auditory discrepancy. Child Development, 1976, 47, 156-164), the hypothesis relates stimulus preferences to stimulus representations derived from past experiences. Unlike competing attempts at addressing the nature …
Modern synthesis
The starting point was the rediscovery of Mendelian particulate genetics to account for Darwinian variation, the identification of the egrm plasm of August Weismann (1834-1914) with Mendelian heredity factors and the evolvement of the chromosome theory of the gene by Thomas H. Morgan (1866-1945). Building on Neo-Darwinism, the synthesis itself began in the 1920s. It involved …
Model systems
Simplified representations of more complex systems, often used to isolate and highlight specific properties of organization. In biology, a model system is a particular animal species that is accessible to experimental manipulation in order to supply answers to about biological processes and mechanisms. So, for example, the fruit fly has become the model system par …
Model
A formalized representation of a class of phenomena (e.g., complex systems) that is simplified by ignoring certain details. It derives from a theory and can become a kind of mini-theory when it characterizes a process and serves to guide and develop the theory further. In science, a model can be either descriptive or predictive. A …