Brain Flashcards
What are the general functions of the brain
Receives Sensory impulses
Sends Motor impulses
Cognition – acquiring knowledge and understanding
through thought, experience and senses
Emotional responses and stores memory
Our sense of Reality
Big hole at base of skull where brain stem exits
Foramen Magnum, when brainstem passes through foramen magnum transitions to the spinal cord
• Central sulcus
valley that divides the frontal lobe from the parietal lobe
• Which also divides motor (front) and sensory (back)
– Primary motor cortex
Part of frontal lobe, just anterior to the central sulcus
• Initiates voluntary motor movements
(precentral gyrus)
– Premotor cortex
refine motor movements, helps make movement more precise, one section more anterior to primary motor cortex
Wernicke’s area
- Temporal and parietal lobes
- Understanding language
- Access complex visual and auditory memories
Broca’s area
- Frontal lobe
- signals facial muscles to contract
- Helps with forming words correctly
thalamus
contains relay and processing centers for sensory information. Acts as a filter for incoming sensory information,
Diencephalon
the structural and functional link between the cerebral hemispheres and the rest of the CNS.
Consists of Thalamus, hypothalamus, and epithalamus
cerebellum
Partially hidden by the cerebral hemispheres, second larges structure in the brain. Located low on the posterior side of brain. Functions: coordinating and modulating motor commands from cerebral cortex.
Hypothalamus
- Negative feedback loop center
- Thermoregulation
- Water balance
- Drink more water
- Hunger control
- Autonomic nervous system
- Help control Endocrine system and hormones
- Limbic area- pleasure, fear, rage
- Controls circadian rhythms
pituitary gland
- Part of endocrine system
- Releases hormones
- Located off the end of the hypothalamus
corpus callosum
thick tract of white matter that interconnects the two cerebral hemispheres
Structures of the brainstem
Midbrain
Pons
Medulla oblongata
decussation
nerve fibers cross to the opposite side of the brain in the medulla oblongata
Medulla oblongata
all sensory information to the brain from the spinal cord happen through the medulla oblongata.
• contains major centers that regulate autonomic function such as heart rate and blood pressure
Pons
- Respiratory center
- Breathing rate and depth
- Relay between sensory input and cerebellum
- Motor cortex
mid brain
- Reflex centers
- Visual and audioty
- Substantia nigra-Dark grey matter, highly vascular
- Produces dopamine
- Sends to basal nuclei to decrease activity
- Dopamine is an inhibitory NT in this area
- When Substantia nigra is diminished, it cannot send as much dopamine to the basal nuclei, and basal nuclei becomes more active
- Which increases muscle tone
dystonia
a movement disorder ie can’t coordinate the muscles to swallow or use a pen for writing, but can play the piano
basal nuclei
– Group of nuclei, help us move in addition to primary motor cortex, and motor association area
– General pattern and rhythm (swinging arms while walking)
– Starting and stopping
– Dopamine from the midbrain neurons inhibits this area
• Which helps smooth movements and transitions
limbic system
Establishes emotional states.
Links the conscious, intellectual functions of the cerebral cortex with the unconscious and autonomic functions of the brain stem.
Facilitates memory storage and retrieval.
Affects motivation.
Includes: hypothalamus, hippocampus, amygdala
gyros
Fold in cerebral cortex, hill
Sulcus
Crevasse between two gyri, there is the central sulcus and the pre and post central gyrus
what maintains the blood brain barrier
astrocytes
what gets through the blood brain barrier easy, what is regulated, and what is kept out
freely: Gasses, H2O, glucose, amino acids, lipid soluble drugs, alcohol, anesthetics
Regulated: Ion’s and NT’s
Doesn’t pass: Large proteins, most pathogens like bacterial viruses
• Hydrocephalus-
when there is a blockage of the drainage of CSF (due to tumor, inflammation, meningitis, injury) and due to continued production of CSF there is increased pressure and damage to the brain
Hippocampus
Shape similar to sea horse. Part of limbic system Functions: Learning, especially in storage and retrieval of long term memories
Amygdala
acts as interface among the limbic system.
Functions: Plays a role in regulation of heart rate, controls fight or flight response, links emotions with specific memories
