Brain and Nervous System (Specifics) Flashcards
Brain Stem
Location and Content
Top of the spinal cord.
Consists of Medulla and Pons.
Medulla
Location and Function
(bottom) Part of the brain stem, right above the spinal cord.
Function: Regulates automatic bodily functions like breathing and heart rate.
Pons
Location and Function
(middle) Part of the brain stem. Right above the medulla.
Function: Involved in sleeping, waking, and dreaming (as well as other things)
Reticular Activiating System (RAS)
What it is, Location, and Function
A dense network of neurons in the core of the brain stem, extending to higher areas.
Function: Screens incoming information and arouses the higher centers when attention is needed. Makes us alert and conscious.
Cerebellum
Location, Alternate Name, Size, Function
Location: Base of the brain behind the pons
Size: A small fist
Alternate name: “lesser brain”
Function: A sense of balance, coordinates muscles for precise movement. Involved in classical conditioning and remembering simple skills. Also involved in perceptual processes, emotion, and speech and language
Thalamus
Location, Function
A brain structure that is deep in the brain’s interior.
Function: sensory relay station. Relays sensory messages to higher areas in charge of the specific sense.
Which is the only sense that completely bypasses the Thalamus?
Sense of smell. The olfactory bulb is its own switching station.
Why might odors sometimes elicit vivid memories?
The olfactory bulb lies near areas involved in emotion.
Hypothalamus
Location, Function
A brain structure under (“hypo”) the thalamus.
Function: Maintain homeostasis, monitor body’s state and issue instructions. Regulates the ANS and body temp. Involved in survival drives (eating, fighting/fleeing, sex). Biological Clock.
Pituitary Gland
Location, Function
A small endocrine gland that hangs from the hypothalamus at base of the brain.
Function: Releases hormones and regulates other endocrine glands. Hypothalamus tells it to ‘talk’.
Limbic System
Contents, Function, and Current State in Scientific World
The hypothalamus and other interconnected structures.
Function: heavily involved in ‘emotions’ that other animals share (eg. anger/fear).
But currently the term is going out of favor, because other parts of brain are involved in emotion too.
Amygdala
Location, Function
Located deep within the temporal lobe, under the temple. One in each side of the brain.
Function: Evaluate sensory information, determine its biological impact, and contribute to initial decision to approach/withdraw from situation. ‘fear center’ (but more than just that.) Mediates anxiety and depression, forms and retrieves emotional memories.
What’s the ancient Greek of amygdala mean?
‘almond’
Hippocampus
Location, Function
Located behind the amygdala (one on each side)
Function: Formation of new memories. Allows for combining components of experiences (sights, sounds, feelings) and binding into one memory. Helps retrieval of information in recall.
What famous case teachers us a lot about the role of hippocampus? What were his symptoms?
Henry Molaison. He had a collision with cyclist, then had seizures. When adult, he removed hippocampi due to blackouts and convlusions. Epilepsy problem was solved, but he couldn’t form new memories. If he met you today, he would not remember you tomorrow. Can learn new skills and has memory of childhood.
Cerebrum
The upper part of the brain above the pons and cerebellum. Separated into cerebral hemispheres (halves) and connected by corpus callosum (fibers).
Hemispheric Lateralization
The phenomenon where the two hemispheres have different tasks and talents.
Cerebral Cortex
Thin layers of densely packed cells that covers the cerebrum. Cell bodies appear gray (but white in other parts of nervous system).
How thick is the cerebral cortex? How many cells of the brain does it contain?
3mm thick, but has 3/4 of all cells in the human brain.
What do the crevices and wrinkles in the cortex allow the brain to do?
To have billions of neurons in its compact space
What are the 4 lobes of the cortex?
Occipital, Parietal, Temporal, and Frontal
Occipital Lobes
Location, Function
The lower back part of the brain. Contains visual cortex.
Function: Process visual signals, which are traveled through the Thalamus.
What does damage to primary visual cortex cause? What about secondary/tertiary or higher levels?
Damage to primary can cause blind spots. Damage to secondary/tertiary can cause impaired recognition of people/objects.
Parietal Lobes
Location, Function
The upper back part of the brain. Contains somatosensory cortex.
Function: Receive information about pressure, pain, touch, temperature, etc.
What’s cool about the structure of the somatosensory cotex?
It can form a ‘little man’. Different parts of the somatosensory cortex correspond to different body parts.
Which lobe has to do with spatial relationships?
Interestingly, parts of the parietal lobes. Hemispatial neglect can happen for those with these damaged parts (eg. can see, but don’t regard the left side of something)
Temporal Lobes
Location, Function
At the sides of the brain just above the ears. Contains auditory cortex
Function: Process sound information from ears. Processing of visual features, like faces. Wernicke’s area is langauge comprehension.
Frontal Lobes
Location, Function
Located toward the front of the brain. Under the skull in forehead area. Contains primary motor cortex, which produces voluntary movement.
Function: Broca’s area does speech production. Working memory tasks, emotions, impulses, planning, creative thinking, and empathy
Association cortex
Do not have obvious response or sensation when directly stimulated. Involved in higher mental processes.
The prefrontal cortex accounts for how much of the cortex in human beings?
Compare that to dogs and cats.
Humans: 1/3
Cats: 3.5%
Dogs: 7%
