Brain Terms Flashcards
The part of a nerve cell that carries impulses away from the main part of a cell.
Axons
Connections in the brain.
Brain Wiring
The moment when the sperm and egg unite.
Conception
A time frame during which certain features or conditions become important to a situation.
Critical Period
Multiple branches at the ends of axons in the nervous system that connect to new targets.
Dendrites
Involving or achieved by permanently connected circuits.
Hardwired
A specialized cell that is the main functional unit of nerve tissue.
Neurons
Bombarding the senses with too much information.
Overstimulation
In this instance, the atrophy or dying off of neuron connections that were not reinforced in early brain development.
Pruning
The ability to overcome problems and manage life effectively.
Resiliency
Information received from one or more of the five senses and processed by the brain.
Stimuli
The state of being stimulated or excited.
Stimulation
Connections between neurons that allow the flow of electrical impulses.
Synapses
A part of the brain (and part of the limbus system) that’s used in emotion.
Amygdala
A large bundle of nerve fibres that connect the two cerebral hemispheres.
Corpus Collosum
The outer layer of the cerebrum, composed of six cell layers of deeply folded and rigid gray matter.
Cerebral Cortex
Largest and most complex part of the brain. Controls thought, learning, etc. Divides into left and right cerebral hemispheres.
Cerebrum
A middle area of the brainstem that contains many important nerves (including the origins of the third and fourth cranial nerves which control eye movement and eyelid opening).
Midbrain
The lowest sections of the brainstem (at the top-end of the spinal cord); it controls automatic functions, including heartbeat, breathing, swallowing, etc.
Medulla Oblongata
Part of brainstem that joins the hemispheres of the cerebellum, and connects the cerebrum with the cerebellum. It’s where the four pairs of cranial nerves originate: the 5th (facial sensation); the 6th (eye movement); the 7th (taste, facial expression); the 8th (hearing and balance).
Pons
A gland attached to the base of the brain that secretes hormones.
Pituitary Gland
A small structure at the top of the brainstem that serves as a relay centre for sensory info, pain, attention, and alertness.
Thalamus
A thick bundle of nerve fibres that run from the base of the brain to the hip area, running through the spine (vertebrae).
Spinal Cord
