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