brain - structure and function Flashcards
hindbrain
A collection of lower level structures which includes pons, medulla and cerebellum.
Control and influence motor functions and vital automatic responses and alertness.
cerebellum
It is a cauliflower shape structure which is located at the base of the brain. It coordinates fine movement and regulation of balance and posture
- limbic system(emotional brain) is found here
- hindbrain
gyri and sulci
Sulci are the ridges and the foldings of the brain. The gyri are the spaces in-between these foldings.
medulla
It controls vital bodily functions such as breathing, sneezing, heart rate. (motor functions)
-hindbrain
pons
Regulates sleep, arousal and some muscle movement.
acts as a bridge between other parts of the brain
-in hindbrain
midbrain
- central part of the brain
- connects the forebrain and the hindbrain
- Involved in movement, processing visual, auditory and tactile information, sleep and arousal.
- contains the reticular formation
reticular formation
- Contains the reticular activation system (RAS) that sends information to different parts of the brain and spinal cord
- Screens incoming information to avoid the brain being overloaded.
- alerts brain of important info
- in midbrain
forebrain
- Largest and most prominent part of the brain
- Sits on top of the midbrain
- Regulates complex cognitive processes (thinking, learning, memory, perception, emotion)
- Contains the hypothalamus, thalamus, cerebrum
hypothalamus
regulating homeostasis
- in forebrain
thalamus
filters information from almost all the sense receptor sites, then passes it to relevant areas of the brain for further processing
-forebrain
Cerebrum
Primarily responsible for cognitive processes such as learning, memory and thinking.
- divided into two hemispheres(connected via the corpus callosum)
Hemispherical specialisation
The idea that both hemispheres of the brain dominate or exert greater control over another
Left- verbal and analytic vs Right recognising emotions
Temporal lobe
Is involved with auditory perception and also plays an important role in memory, aspects of visual perception such as our ability to identify objects and recognise faces, and our emotional responses to sensory information and memories.
-contains wernicks area only on the left hemisphere
primary suditory cortex
receives and processes sounds from both ears so that we can perceive and identify different types
of sounds. (PAC)- temporal lobe
Wernicke’s area
is involved in speech production but more so the COMPREHENSION OF SPEECH and helps you understand words - temporal
bronca’s area
- in frontal lobe
Production of articulate speech
ONLY left hemisphere - frontal lobe
PRIMARY MOTOR CORTEX (PMC)
Strip of neural tissue that initiates voluntary movements through its control of skeletal muscles
frontal lobe
largest of the lobes
Contains the prefrontal cortex (PFC) just behind the forehead
Connects to other brain regions thus is associated with complex functions
parietal lobe
Receives and processes bodily or ‘somatosensory’ information
OCCIPITAL LOBE
Sense of vision and damage to this region can cause serious visual impairments
Primary visual cortex (PVC) located at the back of the Occipital lobe and receives information from the eye via the optic nerve
hipocampus
learning and memory – for converting short term memory to more permanent memory, and acts as our direction finder or navigator. It is found in the inner TEMPORAL LOBE.
amygdala
involved in memory, fear and anger. It plays a key role in our emotional responses. The amygdala is located near the HIPPOCAMPUS in the inner TEMPORAL LOBE.
pre frontal cortex
The PFC plans movement and then sends it to the premotor cortex which prepares appropriate movement sequences and then sends it to the primary motor cortex
