Brain structures and functions Flashcards
Cerebral cortex
The outer layer of the brain. Responsible for decision making, and perceiving higher level cognitive function
Lobes of the brain
Refers to the four major regions or sections of the brain. It divided the outer part of your brain
Association areas
Take information like smell, hear, touch, and puts it all together to make sense of it
Frontal lobes
Located at the front of the brain, deals with planning, personality, and decision making. Acts as if they are the head chef in a kitchen
Heredity
Transmission of genetic info from biological parents to offspring.
Genetic predisposition
Inharrited likleyhood of developing specific traits or conditions due to genetic factors from biological parents. Ex: you are more likely to be smart if your parents are
Eugenics
Improving the generic quality of a human population by controlling reproduction to increase desirable traits and increase desirable traits and increase desirable traits and increase undesirable ones. (Difference between people in your family tree)
Prefrontal cortex
Deals with problem solving and critical thinking. Higher level executive function and problem solving
Motor cortex
Helps with planning, organizing, strategy, focus attention, regulates emotion, and manages time
parietal lobes
Making decisions about your body movements such as walking talking running jumping etc.
Somatosensory cortex
Located at the top of the brain. Processes sensory information such as touch and sight (perception or the word) includs skin muscles and joints
Occipital loves
Vision. Processing what you see
Temporal lobes
What you hear. Language comprehension and memory function
Corpus Callosum
Connect left and right hemisphere of the brain. Facilitating communication and information sharing between the two hemispheres
Brain stem
The oldest part of your brain. Responsible for basic life sustaining functions such and breathing, sleeping, heart rate, etc.
Medulla
Located at the base of the brain stem. Essential for your automatic functions such and breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, etc. Crucial for survival
Reticular Activating System
Neurons located in the brain stem. Deals with alertness, attention, and consciousness
Cerebellum
Located at the back of the brain below cerebral hemisphere. Responsible for coordinating movement, balance, and posture
Cerebellum
Located at the back of the brain below cerebral hemisphere. Responsible for coordinating movement, balance, and posture
Limbic system
Located beneath the cerebral cortex. A set of brain structures involved in emotions, memory and motivation
Reward center
Located in limbic system. Processed pleasurable experiences and reinforces behaviors associated with them
Thalamus
Relays sensory information. Sight, sound, touch, and taste to the cerebral cortex
Hypothalamus
A small but powerful structure located below the thalamus. Responsible for regulating various essential bodily functions. Such as hunger, thirst, tiredness, and body temperature
Pituitary gland
A pea sized gland located at the base of the brain. Central role in regulating human production and segregation though out the body
Hippocampus
Located in the temporal lobes. Primarily responsible for forming and consolidating new memories
Amygdala
Almond shaped structures located deep within the brains temporal lobes. Controls your emotion, triggers flight or fight, deals with fear and or aggression. Not based off of trauma
