the gene machine

Vocab.
Behaviour: the trick of rapid movement which has been largely exploited by the animal branch of survival machines. (pg 47.)

Neurones: are basically just cells, with a nucleus and chromosomes like other cells. But their cell walls are drawn out in long, thin, wirelike projections. Often a neurone has one particularly long wire called the axon. (pg 49)

Axon: Although the lenght of an axon is microscopic, its length may be many feet: there are single axons which run the whole lenght of a giraffe´s neck. Axons are usually bundled together in thick multi stranded cables called nerves. (pg 49)

Purpose Machine: is the machine or thing that behaves as if it had a conscious purpose, is equipped with some kind of measuring device which measures the discrepancy between the current state of things, and the desired state. (pg 50)

List of things defined as rewarding:
Sweet taste in mouth, orgasm, mild temperature, smiling child.
List of nasty things:
various sortos of pain, nausea, empty stomach, screaming child. (pg 57)