Brain Vocabulary Flashcards
Paired clusters of gray matter deep in each cerebral hemisphere including the globus pallidus, putamen, and caudate nucleus.
Basal ganglia
A barrier consisting of specialized brain capillaries and astrocytes that prevents the passage of materials from the blood to the cerebrospinal fluid and brain.
Blood brain barrier
The portion of the brain immediately superior to the spinal cord, made up of the medulla oblongata, pons, and midbrain
Brain stem
A network of small groups of neuronal cell bodies scattered among bundles of axons (mixed gray and white matter) beginning in the medulla oblongata and extending superiorly through the central part of the brain stem.
Reticular formation
A portion of the reticular formation that has many ascending connections with the cerebral cortex; when this area of the brain stem is active, nerve impulses pass to the thalamus and widespread areas of the cerebral cortex, resulting in generalized alertness or arousal from sleep.
Reticular activating system
The part of the brain lying posterior to the medulla oblongata and pons; governs balance and coordinates skilled movements.
Cerebellum
The surface of the cerebral hemispheres, 2–4 mm thick, consisting of gray matter; arranged in six layers of neuronal cell bodies in most areas.
Cerebral cortex
A fluid produced by ependymal cells that cover choroid plexuses in the ventricles of the brain; the fluid circulates in the ventricles, the central canal, and the subarachnoid space around the brain and spinal cord.
Cerebrospinal fluid
The two hemispheres of the forebrain (derived from the telencephalon), making up the largest part of the brain.
Cerebrum
A part of the brain consisting of the thalamus, hypothalamus, and epithalamus.
Diencephalon
A portion of the diencephalon, lying beneath the thalamus and forming the floor and part of the wall of the third ventricle.
Hypothalamus
A part of the forebrain, sometimes termed the visceral brain, concerned with various aspects of emotion and behavior; includes the limbic lobe, dentate gyrus, amygdala, septal nuclei, mammillary bodies, anterior thalamic nucleus, olfactory bulbs, and bundles of myelinated axons.
Limbic system
The most inferior part of the brain stem.
Medulla oblongata
The part of the brain stem that forms a “bridge” between the medulla oblongata and the midbrain, anterior to the cerebellum
Pons
The part of the brain between the pons and the diencephalon. Also called the mesencephalon (mesī-en-SEF-a-lon).
Midbrain
