Brain Terms

Question 1

The Human Brain

Answer 1

organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals; weighs 3 lbs; consumes 20% of the body’s oxygen supply; it consists of 86 billion neurons and 85 billion glial cells

Question 2

neuron

Answer 2

specialized cell transmitting nerve impulses; a nerve cell

Question 3

glial cells

Answer 3

cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons

Question 4

cerebrum

Answer 4

largest part of the brain; responsible for voluntary muscular activity, vision, speech, taste, hearing, thought, memory

Question 5

cerebral cortex

Answer 5

outer region of the cerebrum, containing sheets of nerve cells; gray matter of the brain

Question 6

right and left cerebral hemispheres

Answer 6

the two sides of the cerebrum joined by the corpus callosum; comprised of four lobes; some functions shared by redundant areas, while others (e. g. speech – Broca’s area) are focused on one side

Question 7

frontal lobe

Answer 7

lobe that includes behavioral traits (personality, decision making), motor control, and makes sense of info about the environment, memories, and emotions

Question 8

prefrontal cortex

Answer 8

part of the frontal lobe that exercises executive functions–the ability to make complex and socially mindful decisions based on memories and predictions

Question 9

motor cortex

Answer 9

part of the frontal lobe that ensures movements are intentional, precise and coordinated with sensory perception

Question 10

broca’s area

Answer 10

part of the left hemisphere of the frontal lobe responsible for production and coordination of speech

Question 11

occipital lobe

Answer 11

lobe that decodes visual signals from the retina via the thalamus

Question 12

parietal lobe

Answer 12

lobe that integrates info from our senses

Question 13

somatosensory cortex

Answer 13

part of the parietal lobe that receives info from touch receptors

Question 14

temporal lobe

Answer 14

lobe that houses memories, emotions, and language comprehension

Question 15

Wernicke’s area

Answer 15

part of the left temporal lobe that allows language comprehension, both written and spoken

Question 16

cingulate cortex

Answer 16

inner part of the cerebral cortex involved in processing the emotional distress of pain; considered to be part of the limbic system

Question 17

meningeal layers

Answer 17

3 membranes that lie underneath the skull; the dura mater (tough mother) arachnoid (spider web-like), and pia mater (tender mother); arteries and veins bring blood to and from brain and heart in this area

Question 18

brain stem

Answer 18

directs heart rate and breathing; involved in sleep-wake cycle, attention, temperature regulation, vision, hearing, and motor control of muscles in the face and neck; divided into 3 structures: midbrain, pons, medulla oblongata, and the reticular formation

Question 19

midbrain

Answer 19

cluster of dopamine-producing cells in the brain stem that help regulate movement

Question 20

pons

Answer 20

part of the brain stem that contains the locus ceruleus, and area important for attention

Question 21

medulla oblongata

Answer 21

part of the brain stem that controls breathing

Question 22

reticular formation

Answer 22

part of the brain stem that has a central role in states of consciousness like alertness and sleep

Question 23

spinal cord

Answer 23

bundle of nerves that run through the backbone from the medulla oblongata to the lower back

Question 24

limbic system

Answer 24

consists of a group of structures responsible for motivation, emotion, learning and memory; includes: the olfactory bulb, hippocampus, amygdala, hypothalamus, basal ganglia, and cingulate gyrus/cortex

Question 25

amygdala

Answer 25

small, almond-shaped part of the limbic system that links fear, aggression, and anxiety to knowledge of people or places; ensures that threats can be recognized and avoided in the future

Question 26

hippocampus

Answer 26

part of the limbic system responsible for short and long-term memory; produces new neurons even when the rest of the brain stops growing early in childhood; creates mental maps of places (spatial memory)

Question 27

hypothalamus

Answer 27

part of the limbic system that links the brain and spinal cord (the CNS or central nervous system) with the endocrine system (glands that release hormones); controls the pituitary gland; regulates body temperature, thirst, hunger, circadian rhythms; promotes bonding between family members; bridges subconscious signals from brain stem with signals from the cerebral cortex

Question 28

thalimus

Answer 28

"grand central station" located in middle of brain; relays info about most of our senses (vision, hearing, touch, proprioception--awareness of body position, and taste) with the rest of the brain

Question 29

ventricles

Answer 29

4 cavities; contain cerebrospinal fluid which protects nourishes and cleans up after brain; supports weight of brain

Question 30

pituitary gland

Answer 30

produces and releases hormones controlling bodily functions and behaviors; relays signals from hypothalamus to glands throughout body

Question 31

basal ganglia

Answer 31

group of structures in the limbic system (including the caudate nucleus which is associated with pursuing rewards) that control voluntary movements, habitual behaviors, and emotions

Question 32

cerebellum

Answer 32

the "little brain" which coordinates muscular activity, maintains equilibrium; important in honing practices, talents; contains 70 billion neurons (5x the cerebral cortex)

Question 33

corpus callosum

Answer 33

thick wide bundle of neural connections linking the left and right hemispheres

Question 34

olfactory bulb

Answer 34

specialized area of the cortex that processes sense of smell; closely tied to emotion and memory due to direct connections with amygdala and hippocampus

Question 35

cranial nerves

Answer 35

group of 12 fiber bundles that transmit impulses of sensation; control muscles in the neck and head; 10 originate in the brain stem, 2 originate in the cerebral cortex

Question 36

optic nerve

Answer 36

cranial nerve that carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain

Question 37

optic chiasm

Answer 37

point at which optic nerve fibers cross in the brain

Question 38

sulci

Answer 38

shallow grooves that separate gyri

Question 39

gyri

Answer 39

ridges of the brain