Brain Structures & Functions Flashcards
Name 3 areas of the brain
- Hindbrain
- Midbrain
- Forebrain
What is the hindbrain made up of?
- The cerebellum
- the pons
- the medulla
Where are the cranial nerves found?
Brain stem
What is the medulla oblangata?
Lowest part of the brain & lowest portion of brainstem
What does the medulla contain?
Cardiac, respiratory & vasomotor centers
List functions of the medulla
- Breathing
- Maintaining a steady heart rate & blood pressure
- Swallowing
- Inciting regurgitation
- Urination & defecation
- Coordinating lifesaving reflexes
What does the pons connect?
Cerebral cortex with the medulla oblangata
List functions of the pons
- Helps transfer messages between brain & spinal cord
- Involved in motor control & sensory analysis, acting as sensory/motor relay center
- Helps regulate resp system by assisting medulla oblangata in controlling breathing rate
What cranial nerve nuclei does the pons contain?
- Trigeminal nerve sensory nucleus (V)
- Abducens nucleus (VI)
- Facial nerve nucleus (VII)
- Vestibulcochlear nuclei (VIII)
What are located in the pons?
raphe nuclei
What is the raphe nuclei?
Site of synthesis of serotonin
What do chemicals produced in pons help maintain?
Sleep-wake cycle
What is the cerebellum divided into?
two hemispheres
What is the cerebellum responsible for?
Sensorimotor function
What does damage to the cerebellum result in?
Cerebral palsy (neurological conditions that affect movement & co-ordination)
What does the midbrain nuclei consist of?
- Substantia nigra (DA>parkinson’s)
- Ventral tegmental area (DA > reward & addiction)
- Periaqueductal gray (opioid: GABA > pain)
- Raphe nuclei (5-HT> antidepressants)
The _____ _____ is located in the _____ > NA > arousal
locus coeruleus
pons
What does the midbrain control?
Visual & auditory system
Eye movement, crucial for hearing & sight
The _____ nucleus & ______ _____ control body movement
red
substantia niagra
List the 2 sections of the forebrain
- Telencephalon
- Diencephalon
What does the telencephalon consist of?
Two cerebral hemispheres of cerebrum & their interconnections
What does the diencephalon contain?
Thalamus & hypothalamus
What is the gray matter of the brain?
Cerebral cortex
What are gyri (gyrus)?
bumps/bulges on the cortex
List the 4 lobes in the cerebral cortex
- Frontal lobe
- Parietal lobe
- Occipital lobe
- Temporal lobe
List where the 4 lobes are located & what each are concerned with
- Frontal: front of central sulcus, parts of speech & movement
- Parietal: behind central sulcus, stimuli to touch, pressure
- Occipital: back of brain, aspects of vision
- Temporal: below lateral fissure, auditory stimuli & memory
What is the limbic system?
Parts of brain that control emotion, motivation & memory
What is the hippocampus & where is it located?
Part of the forebrain
Located in medial temporal lobe
What does the hippocampus consist of?
Grey matter
What disease is the hippocampus affected by?
Alzheimer’s Disease
What does the basal forebrain nuclei (BFN) include?
- nucleus basalis of meynert
- medial septal nucleus
- diagonal band nuclei
What does the BFN neurons project cholinergic neurons to?
- Cerebral cortex
- Hippocampal formation
- Alzheimer disease
What is the cingulate cortex?
Curved fold covering the corpus callosum
What is the cingulate cortex divided into?
Anterior: processing emotions & behaviour regulation
Posterior: movement, navigation & spatial orientation
Where is the amygdala located?
Anterior to the hippocampus
List functions of the olfactory bulb
- Transmits smell information from nose to brain
- Sends olfactory info to be processed in amygdala, olfactory cortex & hippocampus
List what the thalamus is involved in
- Relaying of sensory & motor signals to cerebral cortex
- Control of muscular movements
- Regulation of consciousness, sleep & alertness
List functions of the thalamus
- Motor control
- Pain perception
- Relays sensory signals
- Controls sleep & awake states
What is thalamic pain (central pain syndrome)?
Damage to spinal tracts
What can damage to the thalamus lead to?
Permanent coma
List functions of the hypothalamus
- Regulates release of hormones from pituitary gland
- Maintains homeostasis
- Regulates sensations e.g. hunger, thirst
- Controls behaviour
What does the anterior pituitary gland release?
- GH, THS, FSH, LH, Prolactin, ACTH
What does the posterior pituitary gland release?
- ADH
- Oxytocin
Is the pineal gland endocrine/exocrine?
endocrine
Where is the pineal gland located and what does is produce?
Epithalamus between two cerebral hemispheres
- Melatonin produced
What does melatonin affect?
- Wake/sleep patterns
- Seasonal functions
- Influences sexual development
