Chapter 12 Notes Flashcards
Primary Gustatory Cortex
Processes taste information and is responsible for the perception of taste.
Example sentence: The primary gustatory cortex helps distinguish between sweet and salty flavors.
Nucleus of Solitary Tract
Integrates sensory information related to taste, visceral sensations, and cardiovascular function.
Example sentence: The nucleus of solitary tract plays a role in processing signals related to both taste and internal body sensations.
Pre-optic Nucleus
Regulates body temperature and reproductive behaviors.
Example sentence: The pre-optic nucleus helps maintain the body’s temperature stability and influences mating behaviors.
Paraventricular Nucleus
Controls the release of hormones from the pituitary gland and plays a role in stress responses.
Example sentence: The paraventricular nucleus is involved in the body’s hormonal regulation and response to stress.
Dorsomedial Hypothalamic Nucleus
Involved in regulating feeding behavior, circadian rhythms, and body weight.
Example sentence: The dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus plays a key role in controlling appetite and the body’s internal clock.
Posterior Nucleus
Contributes to thermoregulation and maintaining wakefulness.
Example sentence: The posterior nucleus helps the body regulate its temperature and promotes alertness.
Ventromedial Hypothalamic Nucleus
Plays a key role in satiety and the inhibition of hunger.
Example sentence: The ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus signals feelings of fullness and suppresses the urge to eat.
Lateral Hypothalamic Region
Stimulates hunger and regulates feeding behavior.
Example sentence: The lateral hypothalamic region triggers feelings of hunger and controls the eating response.
Medial Forebrain Bundle
A neural pathway associated with reward and pleasure.
Example sentence: The medial forebrain bundle is involved in the brain’s reward system and feelings of pleasure.
Posterior Pituitary
Releases hormones like oxytocin and vasopressin into the bloodstream.
Example sentence: The posterior pituitary gland secretes hormones directly into the bloodstream, including oxytocin.
Anterior Pituitary
Secretes hormones that regulate various physiological processes, including growth and reproduction.
Example sentence: The anterior pituitary gland releases hormones that control growth and reproductive functions.
Releasing Hormones
Hormones that stimulate the anterior pituitary to release specific hormones.
Example sentence: Releasing hormones act as messengers to trigger the release of specific hormones from the anterior pituitary gland.
Tropic Hormones
Hormones that regulate the function of other endocrine glands.
Example sentence: Tropic hormones control the activity of other hormone-secreting glands in the body.
Adrenocorticotrophic Hormone
Stimulates the adrenal cortex to produce cortisol, a stress-related hormone.
Example sentence: Adrenocorticotrophic hormone triggers the release of cortisol from the adrenal glands in response to stress.
Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone
Stimulates the thyroid gland to produce thyroid hormones, which regulate metabolism.
Example sentence: Thyroid-stimulating hormone prompts the thyroid gland to produce hormones that control the body’s metabolism.
Follicle-Stimulating Hormone
Regulates reproductive processes including the growth of ovarian follicles and spermatogenesis.
Example sentence: Follicle-stimulating hormone is essential for the development of egg-containing follicles in the ovaries and sperm production.
Luteinizing Hormone
Triggers ovulation and stimulates the production of sex hormones.
Example sentence: Luteinizing hormone induces the release of an egg during ovulation and influences the production of sex hormones.
Feedback Loop
A regulatory mechanism where the output of a process influences its own activity.
Example sentence: A feedback loop ensures that the body’s temperature remains stable by adjusting responses based on the current temperature.
Neural Regulation
The control of physiological processes by the nervous system.
Example sentence: Neural regulation coordinates the body’s responses to internal and external stimuli through the nervous system.
Experiential Response
The emotional and behavioral reaction to stimuli based on past experiences.
Example sentence: Experiential responses to certain smells can trigger memories and emotions associated with past experiences.
Hypovolemic Thirst
Thirst triggered by a decrease in blood volume, often due to fluid loss.
Example sentence: Hypovolemic thirst is experienced when the body’s blood volume decreases, such as after intense exercise.
Lordosis
A mating posture observed in some female mammals, indicating sexual receptivity.
Example sentence: Lordosis behavior in female animals signals readiness for mating and reproductive activity.
Progesterone
A hormone involved in the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and embryogenesis.
Example sentence: Progesterone levels rise during pregnancy to support the growth and development of the fetus.
Estradiol
A form of estrogen that plays a crucial role in female reproductive health.
Example sentence: Estradiol is essential for the development of female reproductive organs and the menstrual cycle.
Endocrine Disrupting Compounds
Chemicals that interfere with the endocrine system, potentially leading to adverse health effects.
Example sentence: Exposure to endocrine disrupting compounds can disrupt hormonal balance and impact various bodily functions.
James-Lange Theory
Suggests that emotions result from physiological reactions to events.
Example sentence: The James-Lange theory proposes that feeling scared occurs after the body responds with physical changes like increased heart rate.
Appraisal Theory
Proposes that emotions are determined by the individual’s interpretation of a situation.
Example sentence: According to appraisal theory, how a person evaluates a situation influences the emotions they experience.
Amygdala
A brain region involved in processing emotions, particularly fear and aggression.
Example sentence: The amygdala plays a key role in recognizing and responding to threats, triggering fear and defensive reactions.
Hippocampus
Essential for the formation and retrieval of memories.
Example sentence: Damage to the hippocampus can impair memory formation and the ability to recall past events.
Parahippocampal Cortex
Plays a role in memory encoding and spatial navigation.
Example sentence: The parahippocampal cortex helps create memories of places and navigate spatial environments.
Mammillary Body
Involved in memory processing and connected to the hippocampus.
Example sentence: The mammillary bodies are linked to the hippocampus and play a role in memory consolidation.
Mammillothalamic Tract
A neural pathway linking the mammillary bodies to the thalamus, important for memory.
Example sentence: The mammillothalamic tract facilitates communication between the mammillary bodies and the thalamus, supporting memory functions.
Anterior Nucleus of Dorsal Thalamus
Involved in memory and emotional regulation.
Example sentence: The anterior nucleus of the dorsal thalamus contributes to memory processing and emotional control.
Fornix
A major output tract of the hippocampus, crucial for memory consolidation.
Example sentence: The fornix carries signals from the hippocampus to other brain regions, aiding in memory storage and retrieval.
Cingulate Gyrus
Involved in emotional regulation and decision-making processes.
Example sentence: The cingulate gyrus helps regulate emotions and plays a role in making complex decisions.
Mammillary Nucleus
Contributes to memory processing and spatial memory.
Example sentence: The mammillary nucleus is involved in memory functions and spatial memory tasks.
Hypothalamus
A central brain structure that regulates homeostasis and drives behaviors like hunger and thirst.
Example sentence: The hypothalamus controls essential bodily functions, including hunger, thirst, and body temperature.
Anterior Thalamus
Participates in memory and emotional processing, linking the thalamus with the limbic system.
Example sentence: The anterior thalamus is involved in memory formation and emotional responses, connecting the thalamus with emotional brain regions.
Cingulate Cortex
Associated with emotional processing, learning, and memory.
Example sentence: The cingulate cortex plays a role in emotional responses, learning new information, and memory formation.
Kluver-Bucy Syndrome
A condition resulting from damage to the amygdala, characterized by behavioral changes such as hyperorality and hypersexuality.
Example sentence: Kluver-Bucy syndrome can lead to unusual behaviors like excessive eating and sexual behaviors due to amygdala damage.
Anterior Cingulate Cortex
Involved in error detection, emotional regulation, and cognitive control.
Example sentence: The anterior cingulate cortex helps monitor errors, regulate emotions, and control cognitive processes.
Orbital Frontal Cortex
Plays a key role in decision-making and evaluating rewards and punishments.
Example sentence: The orbital frontal cortex is crucial for evaluating potential rewards and consequences during decision-making.
Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex
Involved in executive functions such as working memory, cognitive flexibility, and planning.
Example sentence: The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex supports cognitive functions like planning, problem-solving, and working memory.
Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex
Important for emotion regulation, decision-making, and social behavior.
Example sentence: The ventromedial prefrontal cortex plays a key role in controlling emotions, making decisions, and social interactions.
Dorsal Medial Prefrontal Cortex
Involved in self-referential thinking, social cognition, and moral reasoning.
Example sentence: The dorsal medial prefrontal cortex is essential for processing self-related information, understanding social cues, and moral decision-making.
Dorsal Medial Thalamus
Connects with the prefrontal cortex and is involved in memory and executive functions.
Example sentence: The dorsal medial thalamus communicates with the prefrontal cortex to support memory and executive functions.
Ventral Tegmental Area
A key component of the brain’s reward system, involved in the release of dopamine.
Example sentence: The ventral tegmental area is crucial for dopamine release, contributing to the brain’s reward and pleasure responses.
Benzodiazepines
A class of drugs that act as central nervous system depressants, often used to treat anxiety and insomnia.
Example sentence: Benzodiazepines are commonly prescribed to reduce anxiety and improve sleep by depressing the central nervous system.
Lateral Hypothalamus
Stimulates hunger and regulates feeding behavior, also involved in arousal and motivation.
Example sentence: The lateral hypothalamus triggers hunger signals and influences eating behaviors, as well as arousal and motivation.
Medial Forebrain Bundle
A neural pathway associated with reward, motivation, and addiction.
Example sentence: The medial forebrain bundle is linked to reward processing, motivation, and addictive behaviors in the brain.
Ventral Tegmentum
Produces dopamine and plays a role in reward, motivation, and addiction.
Example sentence: The ventral tegmentum is responsible for dopamine production and is involved in reward-seeking behaviors and addiction.
Nucleus Accumbens
A key region in the brain’s reward circuitry, involved in pleasure and reinforcement learning.
Example sentence: The nucleus accumbens is a central part of the brain’s reward system, contributing to feelings of pleasure and learning from rewards.
Ventral Pallidum
Involved in the regulation of reward and motivation, connected to the nucleus accumbens.
Example sentence: The ventral pallidum plays a role in reward processing and motivation, forming connections with the nucleus accumbens.
Striatum
A brain region involved in reward processing and motor functions.
Example sentence: The striatum is crucial for processing rewards and coordinating movement in the brain.
What is the function of alamus?
Stimulates hunger and regulates feeding behavior, also involved in arousal and motivation.
Example sentence: The alamus plays a key role in regulating appetite and motivation.
What is the Medial Forebrain Bundle associated with?
Reward, motivation, and addiction.
The Medial Forebrain Bundle is a neural pathway linked to the brain’s reward system.
What does the Ventral Tegmentum produce?
Dopamine and plays a role in reward, motivation, and addiction.
The Ventral Tegmentum is a region in the midbrain that produces dopamine.
What is the Nucleus Accumbens involved in?
Pleasure and reinforcement learning.
The Nucleus Accumbens is a key region in the brain’s reward circuit.
What is the function of Ventral Pallidum?
Regulation of reward and motivation, connected to the nucleus accumbens.
The Ventral Pallidum is involved in processing motivation and reward signals.
What is the Striatum involved in?
Motor control, reward, and habit formation.
The Striatum is a subcortical structure linked to motor functions and reward processing.
