Anatomy Flashcards
subcortical brain structures that are crucial and planning, organizing and executing movement. Addiction functions with frontal lobes.
Basal Ganglia
anterior end of the brainstem
Midbrain
neocortical regions not involved in primary sensory or motor processing.
Carries out tasks not associated with a single sense.
Association Cortex
Cortical and Subcortical structures concerned with emotions and memory.
Limbic System
a nucleus in the basal ganglia involved in initiating voluntary movement.
substantia nigra
major part of the limbic system that monitors process towards goals
Cingulate gyrus
the cerebellum, the pons and the medulla
the Hind Brain “Reptile Brain”
The brainstem, the medulla and the pons
Brainstem
fissure that separates the frontal and parietal lobes
central sulcus
the region of the neocortex concerned with the processing of sensory information.
somatic sensory cortex
the electrical signal conducted along axons (or muscle fibers) by which info is conveyed from one place to another in the nervous system.
action potential
the visual phenomenon where an individual has the ability to depict visual info although they are not entirely conscious of the experience.
blindsight
“memory, listening”
- includes the hippocampus, critical in forming long term memories.
- primary auditory perception/processing (hearing)
- visual memories
temporal lobe
ridges of the brain
gyrus
part of the temporal lobe involved in consolidation of short term memories into long term memories (cortex)
hippocampus
a nuclear complex in the temporal lobe whose major functions concern autonomic, emotional and sexual behavior. Most often connected with the major emotions such as fear and avoiding situations that induce fear.
amygdala
“sensory information”
-includes somatosensory cortex
parietal lobe
“vision”
- processes visual input
- size indicates importance of vision to humans
occipital lobe
the portion of the CNS that extends from the lower end of the brain stem
spinal cord
relay station (like thalamus) initiates dreams
pons
controls involuntary functions such as breathing
medulla
regulates motor coordination, posture and balance
cerebellum
200+ million axons that connect the two hemispheres of the brain
corpus collosum
dividing brain theories into evolutionary age
- lizard brain: brainstem, cerebellum (fight or flight)
- mammalian brain: limbic system (emotions, memories, habits)
- human brain: neocortex (language, abstract thought, imagination, consciousness.)
Triune Brain Theory
pseudoscience primarily focused on measurements of the skull.
phrenology
frontal lobe are specialized in the production of language
Broca’s Area
temporal lobe area that mediates language comprehension.
Wernicke’s Area
physical representation of the body located within the brain.
homunculus
grooves of the brain
sulcus
“Executive Function”
- all of the neocortex from the front to the central sulcus
- planning, emotional expression, problem solving, memory
- includes primary motor cortex
frontal lobe
a group of neurons with similar properties that represent a functional unit within the neocortex. Basic unit of the neocortex repeated many times.
neocortical or minicolumn
spherical, membrane- bound organelles in presynaptic terminals that store neurotransmitters
synaptic vesicle
a molecule specialized to bind any one of a large number of chemical signals, preeminently neurotransmitters
receptor
referring to the component of a synapse specialize for a transmitter release. UPSTREAM of a synapse
presynaptic
referring to the component of a synapse specialized for a transmitter release. DOWNSTREAM of a synapse.
post synaptic
nerve cells within the nervous system responsible for converting external stimuli from the organism’s environment into internal electrical impulses
sensory neuron
a nerve cell forming part of a pathway along which impulses pass from the brain or spinal cord to a muscle or gland
motor neuron
specialized opposition between a neuron and its target cell for transmission of info by release and reception of a chemical transmitter agent
synapse
describes pat of the CNS that are rich in cell bodies
gray matter
parts of the CNS that are rich in axons. (rich in lipids)
white matter
wrapping around a n axon that provides electrical instulation
-formed by glia cells: Oligodendrocytes or Schwann cells
Myelin
specialized end of a growing axon (or dendrite) that generates the motive force for elongation
growth cone
a neuronal process arising from the cell body that receives synaptic input
dendrite
the neuronal process that carries the action potential from the nerve cell body to a target
axon
a functional entity consisting of interconnected neurons that is able to regulate its own activity
neural circuits
process in which a substance is released by synaptic terminals for the purpose of transmitting info from one nerve cell to another
neurotransmission
cells specialized in the conduction and transmission of electrical signals in the nervous system.
neurons
synapse that decreases the likelihood of the downstream neuron sending an action potential
inhibitory synapse
the axis of symmetry of a bilaterally symmetric organism
midline
the synapse made by a motor neuron on a skeletal muscle fiber
neuromuscular junction
a synapse that increases the likelihood of the downstream neuron sending signal (action potential)
excitatory synapse
extracts and processes info from input neurons
computation neuron
transmit signals between brain areas
communication neuron
a neuron that innervates other neurons
-technically links a primary sensory neuron to a primary effector neuron (reflex arc)
Interneurons
