Chapter 1: Brain Basics Flashcards
What is the brain referred to?
The ‘Nerve Center” of the body
Why can your brain multitask?
It is split into many distinct regions specialized for specific tasks and abilities.
What’s the largest part of the human brain?
The Cerebrum
How is the cerebrum divided?
Into two large, seperate hemispheres with one on the left and one on the right
How are the sides of the cerebrum connected?
Bundles of nerve fibers that carry information from one side of the brain to the other.
What is the largest group of things that connects the sides of the cerebrum called?
The largest of these bundles forms a bridge between the cerebral hemispheres and is called the corpus callosum
What is the surface of the cerebrum and what is it called?
The surface of the cerebrum is a deeply folded layer of nerve tissue called the cerebral cortex
What does the surface of the cerebral cortex have that creates space for more neurons? What does that do?
Deep folds that increase the area of the cerebral cortex; Increase the brain’s processing power
What are the 4 lobes?
The frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes
Where are the frontal lobes?
In the front of the brain, immediately above the eyes
What are all the things the frontal lobe is responsible for?
Voluntary movements, speech, memory, emotion, planning, problem-solving, decision making, attention, and many aspects of personality
Where are the parietal lobes located?
They are located at the top of the brain immediately behind the frontal lobes
What are all the things the parietal lobe is responsible for?
Integrate sensory signals from the skin, process taste, and process some types of visual information
Where are the occipital lobes located?
The back of the brain
What are all the things the occibital lobe is responsible for?
Process visual information, recognizing colors and shapes and integrating them into complex visual understanding
Where are the temporal lobes located?
On the sides of the brain, at and below the levels of the eye
What are all the things the temporal lobe is responsible for?
Some visual processing, interpret auditory information, and is associated with language, memory, and emotion
What consists of curved structures beneath the cerebral cortex? Where is it? What does it encode?
The hippocampus, region of the temporal lobes; encodes new memories
What’s another deep structure within the temporal lobes? What does it do?
The amygdala; integrates memory and emotion
What are the hippocampus and amygdala a part of? What is it?
The limbic system: a group of structures deep within the brain that help regulate our emotion and motivation
What are other parts of the limbic system?
Thalamus and Hypothalamus
What does the thalamus do?
Integrates sensory information and relays it to other parts of the brain
What does the hypothalamus do?
Sends hormonal signals to the rest of the body through the pituitary gland
What do these structures plus the cerebral cortex make up?
The forebrain
Where is the midbrain located?
Beneath the thalamus
What are the functions of the midbrain?
Includes distinct groups of neurons that coordinate eye movements like blinking and focusing, trigger reflexes to sounds, inhibit unwanted body movements, coordinate sensory input and motor output to manage fine motor control
What is a collection of structures that helps regulate complex body movements called?
Basal Ganglia
What does the hindbrain play roles in?
Glucose regulation, sleep, and includes several regions that help control movement
Where is the cerebellum?
Underneath the occipital lobe at the very back of the brain
What distinct characteristics does the cerebellum have?
Second largest part of the brain in volume and houses over half the brains neurons
How is the cerebellum similar to the cerebrum?
Deeply folded and divided into two hemispheres
What functions does the cerebellum have?
coordinates voluntary movements, helps the brain learn new motor skills, has roles in spatial and temporal perception
What conditions might a person with cerebellar damage have?
A jerky, arrhythmic gait( or might
be unable to accurately touch his
finger to his nose
What’s below the cerebellum? What does it do?
The pons; Influences breathing and posture
What is another part of the hindbrain? What does it do?
Medulla; Carries nerve pathways connecting the brain to the spinal cord, contains neural networks that help control basic functions like swallowing, heart rate, and breathing
What did our complex human brain evolve from?
A simple tube
What did early vertebrate have brains a lot like? What did it look like?
The modern lancelet: Amphioxus; little more than a wide spot in the hollow nerve cord running down its back
What did the human brain start as in early development?
A simple tube
What did the brain end of the nerve cord develop in early vertebrates? What did the become?
Three bulges were formed as neurons were added which became the forebrain, the midbrain, and the hindbrain
What region expanded in the forebrain of early vertebrates? What did it do?
The region able to detect chemicals expanded to form olfactory bulbs
What allowed light sensing regions to expand and begin processing more complex visual signals?
Image producing eyes
What appeared as the hindbrain? What did it expand?
The cerebellum; the regions that control escape movements and orient the body in space
How did the cerebral hemisphere form?
New types of neurons the processed a variety of information caused the forebrain to balloon out
What tissue expanded even further to pack new neurons into layers and folds for more processing power? Where?
Cortical tissue in the cerebrum and cerebellum
How does information move from one region of your brain to another?
Chains of neurons that can transmit signals over long distances.
