Brain Anatomy Flashcards
Frontal Lobe
High cognitive processes, personality, voluntary movements, social behaviour, emotional regulation and self awareness
Parietal lobe
Processing sensory information from the body, spatial awareness, perception, attention
Temporal lobe
Memory and auditory processing, language comprehension, aspects of visual perception, recognising faces.
Occipital lobe
Processing visual information, visual perception, object recognition, colour differentiation, depth perception.
Cerebellum
Regulates motor control, balance, coordination, and fine motor skills.
Brain stem
Controls vital life functions like breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure. Includes the medulla oblongata, pons, and midbrain.
Hippocampus
Essential for memory formation, particularly converting short-term memories into long-term memories.
Amygdala
Acts as a relay station for sensory and motor signals to the cerebral corte
Hypothalamus
Regulates body temperature, hunger, thirst, and other autonomic functions, also links the nervous system to the endocrine system.
Thalamus
Acts as a relay station for sensory and motor signals to the cerebral corte
Left Hemisphere
Controls the right side of the body, specializes in logical reasoning, language, analytical thinking, and mathematics.
Right Hemisphere
Controls the left side of the body, focuses on creativity, spatial ability, intuition, and visual and musical skills.
Left Hemisphere: Language Processing
Dominates language processing tasks like speaking, reading, and writing (Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas).
Right Hemisphere: Visual-Spatial Skills
Specializes in recognizing faces, interpreting emotions, and spatial awareness.
Left Hemisphere: Analytical Thinking
Good at tasks involving logic, sequencing, and breaking down information into steps, often linked to problem-solving and science.
Right Hemisphere: Creative Thinking
Excels in creative tasks, such as art, imagination, and daydreaming, and is often linked to holistic thinking.
Left Hemisphere: Linear Thinking
Processes information in a sequential, linear way, analyzing details and focusing on structure.
Right Hemisphere: Holistic Thinking
Processes information as a whole, synthesizing ideas and understanding context and big-picture thinking.
Lateralization Definition
The specialization of each hemisphere of the brain in certain functions, meaning each side has different roles in processing tasks.
Contralateral Control
Each hemisphere controls the opposite side of the body; the left hemisphere controls the right side, and the right hemisphere controls the left side.
Lateralization and Handedness
Handedness (being left- or right-handed) is often associated with lateralization; right-handed people usually have left-hemisphere dominance for motor skills.
Lateralization and Gender Differences
Research suggests slight differences in lateralization between genders, but these differences are not conclusive and vary widely among individuals.
Lateralization and Brain Plasticity
Though each hemisphere specializes in certain functions, the brain can adapt, and other areas can take over if one hemisphere is damaged.
