Central Nervous System Flashcards
cerebrum
- Largest part of the brain (all the lobes)
- responsible for voluntary activity, the senses, and thinking
cerebellum
- The “little brain”
- responsible for coordinated movement, balance, and processing sensory input
medulla oblongata
part of the brain stem that controls all vital, life-sustaining functions. (breathing, heartbeat, etc.)
pons
a brain structure that relays info from the cerebellum to the rest of the brain
hypothalamus
a neural structure lying below the thalamus that maintains homeostasis
mnemonic:
homeo = hypo
thalamus
the brain’s sensory control center; on top of brainstem, the brain messenger!
pineal gland
controls reproduction and circadian rhythm
gyrus (gyri)
ridges in the brain
sulcus (sulci)
deep groove in the cerebrum
fissures
deep divide in the brain (longitudinal, and separating the cerebrum and cerebellum -> transverse)
ventricle
a small hollow within the brain that is filled with cerebrospinal fluid
4 ventricle in the brain!
Lateral ventricle
a complex C-shaped portion within each hemisphere
3rd ventricle
in the middle of the brain; communicates with the lateral ventricles
superior colliculus
receives visual sensory input
inferior colliculus
receives auditory sensory input
corpus callosum
thick band of axons that connects and communicates between the two hemispheres
Fornix
a fiber tract that extends from the hippocampus to the mammillary body
Arbor vitae
“tree of life” white matter of the cerebellum
infundibulum of the brain
a stalk that attaches the pituitary gland to the hypothalamus
oculomotor nerves
(removed during dissection) control smooth muscle of eye, controls eye focusing/movement
olfactory bulb
the brain center for smell (below frontal lobes)
optic chiasma
X-shaped structure under the brain where the two optic nerves cross each other
4th ventricle
floor formed by medulla + pons and the roof formed by the cerebellum
pituitary gland
at the base of the brain; considered the master gland that secretes hormones that regulate the function of other glands
optic nerve
the nerve that carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain
white matter of the brain
myelinated axons
gray matter of the brain
cell bodies
dura mater, arachnoid mater, pia mater
3 layers on meninges (brain covering)
epinephrin effects in Lion-guy’s case
Epinephrin gave him the ability to feel little pain and stay relaxed during the fight