chapter 1 vocab

Question 1

ablation

Answer 1

surgical removal of brain tissue

Question 2

basal ganglia

Answer 2

subcortical structures of the cerebral hemispheres involved in voluntary movement

Question 3

brain stem

Answer 3

the “trunk” of the brain comprised of the medulla, midbrain, and diencephalon

Question 4

callosotomy

Answer 4

surgical procedure in which the corpus callosum is severed (used to control severe epilepsy)

Question 5

cerebellum

Answer 5

distinctive structure at the back of the brain, Latin for “small brain”

Question 6

cerebral cortex

Answer 6

the outermost grey matter of the cerebrum; the distinctive convolutions characteristic of the mammalian brain

Question 7

cerebral hemispheres

Answer 7

the cerebral cortex, underlying white matter, and subcortical structures

Question 8

cerebrum

Answer 8

usually refers to the cerebral cortex and associated white matter

Question 9

contralateral

Answer 9

used to refer to the fact that the two hemispheres of the brain process sensory information and motor commands for the opposite side of the body

Question 10

coronal plane

Answer 10

a slice that runs head to foot; brain slices in this plane are similar to slices of a loaf of bread, with the eyes being the front of the loaf

Question 11

diffuse optical imaging (DOI)

Answer 11

a neuroimaging technique that infers brain activity by measuring changes in light as it is passed through the skull and surface of the brain

Question 12

electroencephalography (EEG)

Answer 12

a neuroimaging technique that measures electrical brain activity via multiple electrodes on the scalp

Question 13

frontal lobe

Answer 13

the front most (anterior) part of the cerebrum; anterior to the central sulcus and responsible for motor output and planning, language, judgement, and decision making

Question 14

functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

Answer 14

a neuroimaging technique that infers brain activity by measuring changes in oxygen levels in the blood

Question 15

grey matter

Answer 15

the outer greyish regions of the brain comprised of the neurons’ cell bodies

Question 16

gyri

Answer 16

(plural) folds between the sulci in the cortex

Question 17

horizontal plane

Answer 17

a slice that runs horizontally through a standing person (i.e. parallel to the floor); slices of the brain in this plane divide at the top and bottom parts of the brain; this plane is similar to slicing a hamburger bun

Question 18

lateralized

Answer 18

refers to the fact that specific functions may reside primarily in one hemisphere or the other

Question 19

lesion

Answer 19

a region in the brain that suffered damage through injury, disease, or medical intervention

Question 20

limbic system

Answer 20

includes the subcortical structures of the amygdala and hippocampal formation as well as some cortical structures; responsible for aversion and gratification

Question 21

metabolite

Answer 21

a substance necessary for a living organism to maintain life

Question 22

motor cortex

Answer 22

region of the frontal lobe responsible for voluntary movement; the motor cortex has a contralateral representation of the human body

Question 23

myelin

Answer 23

fatty tissue, produced by glial cells that insulates the axons of the neurons; necessary for normal conduction of electrical impulses among neurons

Question 24

occipital lobe

Answer 24

the back most (posterior) part of the cerebrum; involved in vision

Question 25

parietal lobe

Answer 25

the part of the cerebrum between the frontal and occipital lobes; involved in bodily sensations, visual attention, and integrating the senses

Question 26

phrenology

Answer 26

a now-discredited field of brain study, popular in the first half of the 19th century that correlated bumps and indentations of the skull with specific functions of the brain

Question 27

positron emission tomography (PET)

Answer 27

a neuroimaging technique that measures brain activity by detecting the presence of a radioactive substance in the brain that is initially injected into the bloodstream and then pulled in by active brain tissue

Question 28

sagittal plane

Answer 28

a slice that runs vertically from front to back; slices of the brain in this plane divide the left and right side of the brain; this plane is similar to slicing a baked potato lengthwise

Question 29

somatosensory cortex

Answer 29

the region of the parietal lobe responsible for bodily sensations; the somatosensory cortex has a contralateral representation of the human body

Question 30

spatial resolution

Answer 30

refers to how small the elements of an image are; high spatial resolution means the device or technique can resolve very small elements; in neuroscience it describes how small of a structure in the brain can be imaged

Question 31

split-brain patient

Answer 31

a patient who has had most or all of his or her corpus callosum severed

Question 32

subcortical

Answer 32

structures that lie beneath cerebral cortex, but above the brain stem

Question 33

sulci

Answer 33

(plural) grooves separating folds of the cortex

Question 34

temporal lobe

Answer 34

the part of the cerebrum in front of (anterior to) the occipital lobe and below the lateral fissure; involved in vision, auditory processing, memory, and integrating vision and audition

Question 35

temporal resolution

Answer 35

how small a unit of time can be measured; high temporal resolution means capable of resolving very small units of time; in neuroscience it describes how precisely in time a process can be measured in the brain

Question 36

transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)

Answer 36

a neuroscience technique that passes mild electrical current directly through the brain area by placing small electrodes on the skull

Question 37

transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

Answer 37

a neuroscience technique whereby a brief magnetic pulse is applied to the head that temporarily induces a weak electrical current that interferes with ongoing activity

Question 38

visual hemifield

Answer 38

the half of visual space (what we see) on the side of fixation (where we are looking); the left hemisphere is responsible for the right visual hemifield, and the right hemisphere is responsible for the left visual hemifield

Question 39

white matter

Answer 39

the inner whitish regions of the cerebrum comprised of the myelinated axons of neurons in the cerebral cortex