Brain structure Flashcards
What part of the brain is the spinal cord continuous with?
Hindbrain, medulla.
What does the hindbrain (medulla) control?
Basic functions of life, respiration, alertness and motor skills.
What is the reticular formation?
Small cluster of neurons in the medulla that regulates sleep, wakefulness and arousal.
What is the cerebellum?
Structure in the hindbrain that controls fine motor skills. e.g riding a bike or playing an instrument.
What are the Purkinje cells?
Largest neurons in the brain that are the sole output for motor coordination in the cerebellum.
What does damage to the cerebellum cause?
Impairment of coordination and balance, not paralysis.
What is the pons?
A structure in the hindbrain that relays information from the cerebellum to the rest of the brain.
What is the midbrain made up of?
tectum and tegmenum
What is the tectum?
Receives information from stimuli from the eyes ears and skin and moves the organism in a coordinated way.
What is the tegmentum?
It is involved in pleasure seeking and arousal in addition to orient an organism towards a sensory stimuli.
What is the forebreain?
The highest level of the brain literally and figuratively, controlling complex, cognitive, emotional, sensory and motor functions.
Which are the two sections of the forebrain?
Cerebral and subcortical cortex.
What does the thalamus do?
filters information from the senses and transmits to the cerebral cortex. (apart from smell)
What does the hypothalamus do?
Regulates unconscious bodily functions such as temperature, hunger and thirst.
What can lesions in the hypothalamus cause?
Either extreme hunger or no desire for food at all depending on the location of the damage.
