Brain and neuro 🧠Flashcards
What is the brain?
The organ in the head made up of nerves that processes information controls our behaviour
What is the brain part of?
Central nervous system
How does the brain communicate with the rest of the body?
Via the brainstem which is connected to the spinal cord
What is the function of the brain stem?
Controls are reflexes
What are the bumps on the outer cortex called?
Gyri
How many hemispheres does the brain have?
2
What are the five parts of the brain?
- frontal lobe
- parietal lobe
- occipital lobe
- cerebellum
- temporal lobe
Name the functions of the frontal lobe.
- planning of movements
- recent memories
- decision making and impulse control
- some emotions - aggression
- reasoning and personality
- Broca’s area
- motor cortex
Name the function of the parietal lobe.
- processing information
- helps us with perception and recognises smells and tastes
- helps us too read and write
- sensory cortex
Name the function of the occipital lobe.
- ability to see
- visual cortex is located here
Name the function of the cerebellum.
- automatic skill function - riding a bike, writing
- vital role in movement, co-ordination and balance
- takes ingot from our senses and spinal corn and sorts of the brain
In the function of the temporal lobe.
- helps us with hearing and creating speech
- controls memory function
- language and comprehension
- recognise faces
- auditory cortex
What study supports the role of the frontal lobe?
Phineas gage
What is lateralisation of function?
Each hemisphere of the brain does a different job/role
What is an asymmetrical function?
Both sides of the brain are not a mirror image of each other. Each hemisphere controls different functions, or plays a large or smaller role in particular behaviour-they are not equal in what they do
Name the functions of the left hemisphere.
Controls the right side of the body and functions
- sensory stimulus from the right side of body
- Motor control of right side of body
- speech, language and comprehension
- Analysis and calculations
- Time and sequencing
- Recognition of words, letters and numbers
Name the functions of the right hemisphere.
Controls left side of the body and functions
- sensory stimulus from left side of body
- Motor control of left side of body
- creativity
- spatial ability
- context/perception
- Recognition of faces, places and objects
What is the corpus callosum?
Nerve fibres connecting the two hemispheres of the brain, so they can communicate and the brain can function as one complete organ
What is broca’s area?
This is responsible for converting thought into speech. Located in the frontal lobe in the left hemisphere
What did Harasty find about females in lateralisation?
They had a bigger broca’s area
What did Rilea find about males in lateralisation?
Then we are better at spatial awareness tasks
What does a female brain do differently to males?
They have a stick at corpus callosum to the brain hemispheres communicate more
What does a male brain do differently to a females?
Dominant hemisphere (right)
What happens if the pre-frontal cortex is damaged?
- means people may not be able to function in the normal way
- makes it difficult for some people to control emotions and can lead to personality change
- make some people are more likely to commit crime
What did Raine find?
Found damage/less activity to pre-frontal cortex in murderers, then non-murders
What is agnosia?
Inability to interpret and recognise sensations, can be via touch, smell, sight, etc
What is visual agnosia?
Inability to recognise things you see
What are some symptoms of visual agnosia?
- not able to recognise colour
- unable to name objects or recognise them
- unable to recognise familiar places
Which part of the brain is responsible for perception? (Agnosia)
Parietal lobe
What is prosopagnosia?
Face blindness. It is the inability to recognise faces, even though they can be seen
What are the symptoms of prosopagnosia?
- unable to identify faces
- find all faces look the same
What is the central nervous system?
Release messages from the brain to the body
What is the peripheral nervous system?
Nerves-connect to release messages from the CNS to the rest of the body
What are neurons?
(Nerve cells) release chemicals Codnor are transmitted, which past messages from one cell to another
What is synaptic transmission?
Neurons release neurotransmitters, and then move up the synaptic and are taken up by another neuron
What is the synapse?
The gap between neurons
What is the axon?
The long structure that connects the cell body of the neuron to the terminal button at the end of the cell
What are the vesicles?
Small sacs containing neurotransmitters
What is the terminal button?
The end of the neuron, which has vesicles which hold the neurotransmitters
What are the receptors?
Special sites or neurons that are designed to absorb neurotransmitters
What does dopamine do?
Helps people with attention and learning
What does serotonin do?
Play a role in the mood
What does GABA do?
Plays a role in calming us down to help relax is when we are stressed
