Brain Anatomy Flashcards
What are the three major sections of the brain
Hindbrain (Rhombencephalon)
Midbrain (Mesencephalon)
Forebrain (Telencephalon, Diencephalon)
What are the three major parts of the Rhombencephalon
Pons, Medulla, Cerebellum
What are the functions of the Pons
- Regulates breathing and sleep/wake cycles
- Axons on each half of the brain cross to other side of spinal cord (ensures contra laterality)
What are the functions of the Medulla
Regulation of involuntary processes
- Breathing rhythm
- Frequency of heart beats
- Vomiting
- Blood pressure
- Cough reflex
Proprioception
- helps determine position of body relative to environment and rest of the body
What are the functions of the Cerebellum
-Movement, balance, coordination, procedural memories, shifts between auditory and visual stimuli
What are some other structures found within the Pons
Fibre tracts
Parts of the Reticular Formation
Nuclei for Cranial nerves
Locus Coeruleus (LC)
What Does the Locus Coeruleus do
Produces norepinephrine
- arousal (Attention)
- Memory
- stress response
What some other structures found within the Medulla
Reticular Formation (caudal region)
Nuclei for several cranial nerves
What is the Reticular Formation
network of interconnected nuclei that extends through the Pons, medulla and midbrain
Contains Raphe Nuclei
What are the functions of the Reticular Formation
Regulates sleep/wake cycles, and circadian rhythm
Coordinates
- heart rate
- Blood pressure
- Respiration
- anticipatory changes in muscle tones
- stabilization of posture during voluntary movement
What are the components of the Brainstem
Medulla Pons Midbrain
What are the functions of Raphe Nuclei
Produces Serotonin
- affects mood, emotion , response to stress
Outputs to spinal cord, thalamus which affects the perception of pain
What are the major components of the Mesencephalon and what are their positions relative to each other
Tegmentum (ventral) and Tectum (dorsal)
What is the function of the Superior Colliculus in the Tectum
Process and integrate sensory info from Auditory + Visual + Somato Sensory systems
- uses info to coordinate head and eye movement for gaze shift
What is the function of the Inferior Colliculus in the Tectum
Processes and integrates information from Auditory + Somato sensory systems
- Determines where sounds is comings from
- Filters sounds
- initiates wakefulness in response to certain sounds
What is the Cerebral Peduncle
Contains white matter Fibre tracts from brain to spinal cord
What are some parts within the Tegmentum
Substantia Nigra
Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA)
Cerebral Peduncle
Parts of the Reticular formation
What is the function of the Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA)
Contains neurons that produce dopamine
Controls behaviours
- Memory
- learning
- Motivation
- reward processing
What are the functions of the Substantia Nigra
Produces Dopamine
- outputs to the Basal Ganglia
- contributes to regulation of initiating movement
- involved with spatial learning and reward processing
What are the main components of the Diencephalon
Thalamus + Hypothalamus + Pineal Gland + Pituitary Gland
What are the main components of the Telencephalon
Cerebral Cortex + Hippocampus + Amygdala + Olfactory Bulbs + Basal Ganglia
What are the functions of the Thalamus
receives sensory/motor inputs (except olfactory) and relays to cerebral cortex
- includes the nuclei Lateral Geniculate Nucleus (LGN)
What is the function of the Lateral Geniculate Nucleus
Receives visual info from retina and goes to primary visual cortex
What are the functions of the Hypothalamus
Maintains homeostasis in body
- Eating, drinking, sexual and motivated behaviour
Contains many nuclei
- Lateral hypothalamus (LH)
- Mammilary nuclei
- Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN)
Function of the Lateral Hypothalamus Nuclei
Stimulate waking state and Appetite
Function of the Mammilary nuclei
Episodic and Spatial memory
Function of the Suprchiasmatic Nucleus
Set circadian rhythm (Can work without environmental signals)
What is the Function of the Pineal Gland
Produces Melatonin
- Photosensitive
Stimulates hibernation and Shedding
What is the function of the Posterior Pituitary Gland
Stores and releases:
- Oxytocin = (manages key aspects of reproduction system)
- Vasopressin (Maintaining homeostasis)
What is the Posterior Pituitary gland composed of
Axons of neurons from the paraventricular and supratic nucleus from the hypothalamus
- releases hormones directly to the blood
What is the function of the Anterior Pituitary Gland
Releases Hormones and regulates the Endocrine system
- Releases hormones into blood through hypophyseal portals
What comprises of the Limbic System
(4 Limbs + 1)
- Hypothalamus
- Hippocampus
- Amygdala
- Olfactory Bulbs
- Cingulate Gyrus
What are the Four Lobes of the Cerebral Cortex
Frontal
Parietal
Occipital
Temporal
What is the function of the Frontal Lobe
Risks, judgment, motor function , impulse control, planning/controlling voluntary movement
What is the function of the Temporal Lobe
-Processing auditory info and visual info for future recognition
-Processing emotions
-Forming long term memories
-Language processing
What is the function of the Parietal Lobe
- Visual Mapping + Spatial navigation
- Process info from somato sensory system
- Coordinating fine motor movements
- Manipulation of objects and bodily sensations
What is the function of the Occipital Lobe
Processing sensory information from the eyes via the thalamus
What is the Function of the amygdala
Fear centre
- processing
- production
- memories
What is the Function of the Olfactory bulbs
Process Olfactory Senses (Smell)
what are the function so the hippocampus
Memory Centre
- Episodic + Spatial + Contextual Memory
- Converts Short-term memories into Long-term Memories
What are the general functions of the Basal Ganglia
Procedural learning + motivation/reward processing
What are the Basal Ganglia and what the structures that make it up
A group of large Nuclei
- Caudate nucleus + Putamen (Dorsal striatum)
- Nucleus accumbens (Ventral Striatum)
- Globus pallidus
What are the functions of the Caudate nucleus
voluntary movement
What are the functions of the Putamen
receives input and sends to globes pallidus
What are the functions of the Global Pallidus
Posture control
What are the functions of the Nucleus Accumbens
reward processing
receives dopaminergenic inputs
