Brain Facts Flashcards
Our brain can pull off these feats of … because it is split into many distinct regions specialized for specific tasks and abilities
multitasking
The largest part of the human brain is the (A) which is divided into 2 large, separate (B), one on the left and the other on the right
A: Cerebrum
B: hemispheres
The largest of these bundles that form a bridge between the cerebral hemispheres is called…
Corpus callosum
The surface of the cerebrum is a deeply folded layer of nerve tissue called the
Cerebral cortex
Hippocampus and amygdala are part of the … system which is deep within the brain that help regulate our emotion and motivation
Limbic
Hippocampus, Amygdala, Diencephalon (thalamus and hypothalamus) And the Pituitary gland make up the …
Forebrain
Where does the midbrain sit beneath?
The thalamus
What group of neurons does the midbrain include?
Eye movement coordination neurons
What does the basal ganglia help to regulate?
complex body movements
Which 2 major roles does the hindbrain play?
- Glucose regulation
- Sleep (along with motor control)
What is the second-largest part of the brain in volume that is tucked underneath the occipital lobe and contains over HALF of the brain’s neurons? How many hemispheres does it have?
The cerebellum
- two deeply folded hemispheres
Which region below the cerebellum influences breathing and posture?
Pons
Which region of the HINDBRAIN carries NERVE PATHWAYS connecting the brain to the spinal cord and contains neural networks that help control BASIC functions?
Medulla
The Brainstem consists of … (2)
- Midbrain
- Hindbrain
The 3 distinct bulges that improved sensory and motor reflex region in early vertebrates are…
- Forebrain
- Midbrain
- Hindbrain
In the forebrain, the region able to detect chemicals expanded to form the … bulbs
olfactory
When the nerve fibers of region-spanning neurons form distinct bundles, these are called…
Nerve tracts
What is an example of a major nerve tract?
Corpus callosum
What is a group of nerve tracts connecting a series of regions in the brain?
Neural network
What are photoreceptors? (3)
Cells in the RETINA that trigger ELECTRICAL signals in response to specific wavelengths of LIGHT
Electrical signals travel from the OPTIC NERVE to the (A) where neurons respond to the shape, color or movement of objects than passed on to (B) in the occipital lobe
A: thalamus
B: primary visual cortex (V1)
Neurons in V1 detect the edges of objects and integrate signals to create a … representation of the outside world
3 dimensional
Neurons in the (A) lobe recognize and identity objects and those in the (B) lobe detect the spatial location of the objects.
A: Temporal (what-ventral stream)
B: Parietal (where and how - dorsal stream)
What is a THALAmoCORTICAL loop?
It is when the visual cortex sends back signals to the thalamus (to become integrated with other sensory information)
As neuronal signals loop through the thalamus and cortex. they produce rhythmic, oscillating, electrical patterns called BRAIN WAVES that can be detected with …
ElectroEncephaloGraph (EEG)
Chains of neurons that pass signals through the BRAINSTEM and the SPINAL CORD is called
Spinal tracts
Circuits eliciting action well before thoughts is called
Reflex loops
Reflex loops’ actions are controlled locally by information going in and out of the spinal cord or subcortical regions, but never reach the …
cortex
Interconnected neurons that turn entering signals into output patterns that can be sent to other parts of the brain is called…
Local neural circuits
Circuits are arranged in … as each neuron forms connections with cells in the layers above and below
columns
The dynamic organization of the … of signals from … circuits being able to dynamically shirt a …’s response
may help the brain to react flexibly to different situations
strength - neural - neurons
A column’s final output can be influenced by the acitivity of … circuits
nearby
The 80% of neurons are … that send signals to push their neighbors toward firing action potential
EXCITATORY
What type of neuron is the pyramidal cell which has two sets of branched dendrites?
Excitatory neuron
What makes 20% of our brain’s neurons that has a role of suppressing the activity of neighboring neurons?
Inhibitory
Neurons that pass signals forward through a circuit and eventually send OUPUTS to other parts of the brain tend to be (A), while (B) neurons are typically LOCAL and loop their responses back to earlier segments of the circuit
A: excitatory
B: inhibitory
Seizure disorders like epilepsy could be caused by … in the activity of excitatory and inhibitory neurons
imbalances
In which neurons inside interconnected circuits send feedback signals to one another is called…
Recurrent neural network
In a … inhibitory circuit, inhibitory interneurons connect neighboring neural circuits in such a way that excitatory signals in one column simultaneously send inhibitory signals to adjacent columns which reduces their activity
feed-forward
Neuroscientists have long believed that glia outnumber neurons by 10:1. However, recent studies suggest that in some regions, the ratio is closer to 1:1
Just to get the info stuck in my head
Which glial cells form a network inside the brain that regulates ion concentrations, provides nutrients, regulate the formation of new connections between neurons?
Astrocytes
Which glial cells are the main “immune cells” that function as phagocytes and regulate formation of new neuronal connections?
Microglia
Which glia cells make the cerebrospinal FLUID that cushions the brain inside the skull?
Ependymal Cells
Which glial cells improve neuron function by wrapping axons in a fatty sheath called myelin?
Oligodendrocytes
Membrane potential is affected by signals arriving from other neurons in its circuits, which can make the membrane potential less negative (A) or more negative (B)
A: depolarized (AP fires due to reaching the threshold)
B: hyperpolarized
The … is wide enough that electrical signals can’t directly impact the next neuron. This separation between neurons was only verified in the 1950s!
Synaptic cleft
When an AP arrives at the axon terminal, the voltage change triggers (A) channels to open, which lets (B) flow into the cell.
A: ion
B: calcium ions
What are some examples of substances that act as neurotransmitters?
Amino acids, gases, small organic chemicals, short peptides, non-peptides (Dopamine, acetylcholine)
Many different molecules act as neurotransmitters, and each one fits into … receptors like a key fits a lock
specific
Metabotropic receptors are different from typical receptors in a way that…
- The (A) and the ion channel are not (B)
- they are different (C) located at a distance from one another
- cascade of (D) steps is triggered
Thus, this response is less rapid and activates a series of events INSIDE the postsynaptic cell.
- The receptor and the ion channel are not linked
- they are different proteins located at a distance from one another
- cascade of biochemical steps is triggered
Process of neurotransmitters being broken down or reabsorbed by the axon terminal is …
Reuptake
The brain’s most common (A) NT is GLUTAMATE (half of the synapses in the brain) and most common (B) NT is GABA
A: excitatory
B: inhibitory
Glutamate is an aa that can bind to several types of IONOtropic receptors such as AMPA (fast and brief) and NMDA (more slowly).
Interactions between these receptors appear to be important in (A) AND (B)
Glutamate - learning and memory
Ionotropic GABA receptors have (A) that let Cl- to enter the cell. Metabotropic GABA receptors open (A) that release K+. This movement of ion pushes the membrane potential downwards and (B) a neuron from firing.
A: ion channels
B: inhibit
What are molecules that send the brain specific cues about the condition and activity of distant tissues in the body?
Hormones
What molecules such as the endocannabinoids (cannabis like chemicals) that seem to suppress neurotransmitter release?
neuroMODULATORS (suppress)
What are small lipids that change the brain’s response (increasing pain sensitivity) to pain and inflammation?
Prostaglandins
If the receptor is on the surface of the cell, the bound molecule changes the receptor’s … to start a chain of intracellular reactions
shape
If a molecule can diffuse through the cell membrane, as occurs with steroid hormones (estradiol or CORTISOL), a receptor might be a protein inside the neuron’s …
soma
What is the complex of protein and DNA that compactly packages the long DNA molecule inside the nucleus?
Chromatin
Tay-Sachs disease is a fatal generative neurological condition that is caused by mutations in a gene that codes for part of a fat-metabolizing enzyme. Because the variant enzyme is poor at breaking down specific fats, these build up in … and become toxic
neurons
Visual system involves about … of humans’ cerebral cortex
30%
Retina is home to 3 types of neurons which are organized into several layers
- Photoreceptors
- Interneurons
- Ganglion cells
The 2 light-sensitive photoreceptors of the retina are … which are located in the most PERIPHERAL layer of the retina
- Rods: brightness, motion, contrast
- Cones: color, sharpness, central
There are approximately 125 miilion … in each human eye which turn light into electrical signals
Photoreceptors
Transduction is a process of…
Converting one form of energy into another
The photoreceptors that make up 95% of all, extremely sensitive, allow you to see in DIM light is
Rods
The photoreceptors that pick up fine detail and color are
Cones
Human eye contains 3 types of cones which are sensitive to what range of colors?
- Red
- Blue
- Green
Is this true: the CENTER of the retina contains many more CONES than other retinal areas which allows a sharper vision
Yes.
What is the very center of the retina called?
Fovea
Macular degeneration is a leading cause of blindness in people older than 55.
Macula is located right around the … which makes up the visual system
Fovea
The Basal Ganglia, Thalamus and Hypothalamus are major structures within which brain region?
the Forebrain
Hindbrain consists of …(3)
- Pons
- Medulla
- CEREBELLUM
