Brain Anatomy Flashcards
What does the midbrain connect?
Connects:
- Pons to cerebrum
- Superior peduncles connect midbrain to cerebellum
What does the Motor Loop (putamen loop) do?
Location:
- Originates in precentral motor & postcentral somatosensory areas
- Projects to and excites putamen neurons
Functions:
- Reinforce selected movement patterns
- Anticipatory movements
What lobe is Broca’s Area located in?
Frontal Lobe (typically LEFT hemisphere)
What does the Epithalamus do?
- Habenular Nuceli: integrate olfactory, visceral & somatic afferent pathways
- Pineal Gland:
- Secretes hormones that influence the pituitary gland and several other organs
- influences circadian rhythm
What do Association Fibers do?
Connect different portions of the cerebral hemispheres, allowing cortex to function as an integrated whole
What do Projection Fibers do?
Connect cerebral hemispheres with other portions of the brain and spinal cord
What does the Visual Association Cortex do?
Process visual stimuli
What are the basic functions of the Limbic System?
Instincts and emotions to preserve the individual:
- Feeding
- Aggression
- Endocrine aspects of sexual response
What important structure is located in the Parietal Lobe?
Postcentral gyrus
What are the 3 types of white matter?
- Transverse (commissural) fibers
- Projection fibers
- Association fibers
What 4 structures make up the Diencephalon?
- Thalamus
- Subthalamus
- Hypothalamus
- Epithalamus
What are the 3 components of the Brainstem?
- Midbrain
- Pons
- Medulla Oblongata
What does the Primary Visual Cortex do?
Receives/processes visual stimuli
Where is the Postcentral Gyrus located?
Parietal Lobes
What do the Superior and Inferior Colliculus do?
- Superior Colliculus: relay station for vision and visual reflexes
- Inferior Colliculus: relay station for hearing and auditory reflexes
What lobe is the Primary Auditory Cortex located in?
Temporal Lobe
What does the Medulla Oblongata do?
- Connects spinal cord with pons
- Corticospinal tracts cross in pyramids
- Cranial nerve nuclei: hypoglossal, dorsal nucleus or vagus & vestibulocochlear
- Important centers for: cardiac, respiratory, and vasomotor centers
What does the Subthalamus do?
Involved in control of several functional pathways for sensory, motor, & reticular function
The Temporal Lobe is made up of these three main structures/areas
- Primary Auditory Cortex
- Associative Auditory Cortex
- Wernicke’s Area
What does the Primary Auditory Cortex do?
Receives/processes auditory stimuli
What is white matter?
myelinated nerve fibers located centrally
What main structures are in the Midbrain?
- Cerebral Peduncles
- anterior: substania nigra
- posterior: tegmentum
- Superior & Inferior Colliculus
- Periaqueductal Gray