Biology And Behaviour Flashcards
What are the three major parts of the brain and their embryonic brain subdivisions
Hindbrain (rhombencephalon) - divides into metencephalon (pons and cerebelllum ) and myelencephalon (medullla oblongata )
Midbrain (mesencephalon ) - contains superior and inferior colliculus
Forebrain (prosencephalon) - telencephalon (cerebral cortex, basal ganglia, lambic system) and diencephalon (thalamus, hypothalamus, posterior pituitary and pineal glands)
Superior collliculus
Receives visual sensory input
Inferior collliculus
Receives auditory sensory input
What are two non invasive ways to study brain activity and how do they work?
EEG (electroencephalogram)- places electrodes on scalp and measures patters on electrical activity
Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) - inhale harmless radioactive gas and then look at regions where we have increased blood flow
Thalamus
Part of the forebrain that acts as relay station for incoming sensory information for all senses but smell and send them to the cerebral cortex
Hypothalamus
Subdivided into the lateral hypothalamus, ventromedial hypothalamus, and anterior hypothalamus
Important for homeostasis, emotional experience, high arousal states, aggressive behaviour, sexual behaviour, hunger and thirst
Lateral hypothalamus
Hunger center - has receptors that detect when the body needs more food or fluids
If this part of the brain does not work you lack hunger - would not eat or drink
Ventromedial hypothalamus
Satiety centre - provide signals to stop eating - if this is part of the brain is not working you are “VMH - very much hungry - would lead to obesity
Anterior hypothalamus
Controls sexual behaviour - damage would cease sexual activity
Also regulates sleep and body temperature
Basal ganglia
In middle of brain - coordinate movement and received information from cortex and relays to spinal cord via extrapyramidal motor system
Makes our movements smooth and posture steady
Parkinson’s disease has destruction of basal ganglia
Limbic system
Interconnected structures looping around central portion of the brain - controls emotion and memory - includes septal nuclei, amygdala and hippocampus
Septal nuclei
Primary pleasure centres in the brain - can cause addictive behaviour
Amygdala
Defensive and aggressive behaviour, fear and rage - aggression and fear greatly reduced when amygdala not functioning
Hippocampus
Learning and memory, consolidate information to form long term memory, redistributes memory to cerebral cortex
Communicates w/ limbic system through fornix
Anterograde amnesia
Not being able to establish new memories
Retrograde amnesia
Memory loss of events that transpired before brain injury
Cerebral cortex
Aka neocortex - outer surface of brain - most recent to evolve - has many gyri (bumps) and sulci (folds)
Four lobes - frontal, temporal, parietal , occipital
Prefrontal cortex
Manages executive function by supervising and directing operations of processes for perception, memory (does not store memories itself but let us know we have them), emotion, impulse control and long term planning
Communicates with reticular formation in the brain stem controlling alertness or attention - wake up or relax
Association area
Integrates input from diverse brain regions
Eg. Many different inputs needed to solve a puzzle
Projection area
Perform more rudimentary or simple perceptual motor tasks
Eg. Visual cortex