5B - Areas Of The Brain Flashcards
Hindbrain
A region of the brain composed of the cerebellum, medulla oblongata and pons and which is involved in supporting vital bodily processes, such as breathing and
sleep
Cerebellum
Hindbrain
- receives commands from the cerebral cortex
- coordinates voluntary movement, balance, posture and movement associated with speech and vision
- coordinates multiple muscle groups
- involved in learning and memory, e.g. what movements are required to ride a bike
Medulla
Hindbrain
control centre for many autonomic functions e.g. heart rate, breathing, swallowing, vomiting
Pons
Hindbrain
- acts as a bridge connecting the cerebellum and cerebral cortex
- involved in sleep, arousal, facial expression and hearing
Forebrain
The area of the brain that includes the cerebrum, thalamus, hypothalamus,
and which is involved in coordinating
brain activity
Midbrain
An area of the brain at the topmost part of the brainstem, involved in auditory and visual processing, motor control, pain inhibition and reward based learning
patterns
Substantia Nigra
Midbrain
One of the largest collections of dopamine-producing neurons
in the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter involved in movement and coordination
Hypothalamus
Forebrain
– connects the hormone system and the nervous system via the pituitary gland
- regulates the release of hormones that maintain homeostasis through controlling temperature, hunger, thirst and sleep
- part of the limbic system which plays a role in emotions, behaviour control and the formation of long term memories
Cerebrum
Forebrain
- largest part of the forebrain
- divided into two hemispheres that are connected by the corpus callosum
- responsible for directing conscious motor activities, receiving and processing sensory information
Thalamus
Forebrain
- processes and relays sensory information
- major role in regulating arousal
- helps to filter the vast amount of sensory
information to which we are exposed,
allowing us to focus on the information
most required at that time
Cerebral Cortex
Thin layer of neurons covering the outer region of cerebrum
Three Areas-
Motor
Sensory
Association
Cerebal Hemispheres
- Each hemisphere has a number of areas which it is dominant
- hemispheric specialisation: when one hemisphere has a specialised function that is not possessed or is controlled to a lesser extent by the other
- whilst hemispheric specialisation occurs, both hemispheres play at least some role in all functions, acting in a coordinated way
Cerebal Hemisphere What Is Dominant
Left-
- Analytical processing
- Language (verbal)
- Ordered sequencing
- Rational thought
- Logic and planning
Right-
- Spatial and visual
thinking
- Emotional recognition
and thought
- Creativity
- Imagination
Frontal Lobe
Important in planning, sequencing and execution of voluntary motor activity
Prefrontal Cortex (Frontal)
Important association area that is involved in planning the required motor sequence to carry out voluntary movement
(reasoning, problem-solving, emotional regulation, attention, symbolic thinking and initiating and inhibiting behaviours)
Premotor Cortex (Frontal)
Prepares the sequences of movements and sends this to the rear portion of the frontal lobe, the primary motor cortex
Primary Motor Cortex (Frontal)
Sends neural messages to skeletal muscles and initiates and executes voluntary movement.
(different regions of the primary motor cortex are responsible for movements associated with different areas of the body, those that require precision movements (like fingers) are devoted a greater area of the motor cortex)
Broca’s Area
- contributes to clear and fluent speech by coordinating the movements of the muscles involved in this process
- also sends and receives messages from other areas of the brain involved in language
Temporal Lobe
Plays a significant role in receiving and processing sounds from the ears
- memory, emotional responses to sensory information
- some visual perception such as ability to recognise faces and identify objects
Primary Auditory Cortex (Temporal)
Assists us in identifying and responding to sound, with different parts of the cortex responding to different types of sound, such as high or low pitch
Wernicke’s Area
- a specialised area of the left temporal lobe that plays a critical role in understanding the sounds involved in speech
- helps us to understand words we are hearing
Occipital Lobe
Plays a crucial role in vision
Primary Visual Cortex (Occipital)
Receives and processes information from visual sensory receptors in the retina of each eye
Parietal Lobe
Comprises areas involved in spatial awareness, spatial reasoning, attention, receiving and processing somatosensory information
