Chapter 2 P2: Introduction to the Vertebrate Brain Flashcards
What 3 main regions of the brain can be identified in the Early Embryo Stage?
The Hindbrain, Midbrain, and Forebrain (bottom - up)
What does the Hindbrain develop into in the Late Embryo Stage?
The Hindbrain develops into the Myelencephalon and the Metencephalon at this stage.
What does the Myelencephalon develop into in adulthood?
The Myelencephalon turns into the Medulla oblongata.
What does the Metencephalon develop into in adulthood?
The Metencephalonturns into the Cerebellum and Pons.
What functions does the Hindbrain (and the developed parts of it) have?
The Hindbrain is associated with basic survival (e.g. the Medulla oblongata controls heart rate, the Cerebellum controls automatic/involuntary coordination and the Pons is associated with breathing.)
What does the Midbrain develop into in the Late Embryo Stage?
The Midbrain develops into the Mesencephalon at this stage.
What does the Mesencephalon develop into in adulthood?
The Mesencephalon develops into the Optic Lobes and Midbrain nuclei.
What functions does the Midbrain (and the developed parts of it) have?
The Midbrain is associated with higher complexity sensory and processing of motor commands. (e.g. Optic lobes integrate visual information with other sensory inputs, Midbrain nuclei is associated with processing incoming sensation and outgoing motor demands.)
What does the Forebrain develop into in the Late Embryo Stage?
The Forebrain develops into Diencephalon and Telencephalon in this stage.
What does the Diencephalon develop into in adulthood?
The Diencephalon develops into the Thalamus and Hypothalamus.
What does the Telencephalon develop into in adulthood?
The Telencephalon develops into the Cerebrum.
What functions does the Forebrain (and the developed parts of it) have?
The Forebrain is associated with higher level cognition and motor control. (e.g. The Thalamus relays sensory and motor signals, and regulates consciousness/awareness, the Hypothalamus is associated with releasing hormones, regulating emotional responses and sex drive, and the Cerebrum controls movement as well as speech, thought, emotion and learning, etc.)
What is gyri and sulci?
Gyrus: A ridged or raised portion of a convoluted brain surface. Imagine a grin - :) - it goes up
Sulcus: A furrow of a convoluted brain surface. Imagine a sulk - :( - it goes down.
What is a Cerebral Commissure/Corpus Callosum?
White matter that interconnects the greatest portion of the cerebral hemispheres (right and left hemispheres), permitting the cerebral cortex to operate as a whole. (draw picture)
What are the 6 cortical lobes? (label them too)
1) Brain stem
2) Cerebellum
3) Occipital Lobe
4) Temporal lobe
5) Parietal lobe
6) Frontal Lobe
What cortical lobe is responsible of basic vital functions such as breathing, digestion, heart rate, etc.?
The Brain Stem
What are the functions of the Cerebellum?
Associated with involuntary coordination, balance and muscle movement.
Which cortical lobe is responsible for visual information and processing?
The Occipital lobe
What are the functions of the Temporal lobe?
Auditory information, emotion and language processing as well as encoding memory.
What are the functions of the Parietal lobe?
Sensory input and processing of pain, heat, pressure, etc., and body and spatial awareness.
What are the functions of the Frontal Lobe?
Motor cortex - voluntary motor activity
Premotor cortex- storage of motor patterns
Prefrontal cortex (PFC): high-order cognition. Planning, emotion regulation, judgment, inhibition, attention, perspective taking and cognitive flexibility. (all high-order cognitive activities)
What 4 parts of the brain make up the Limbic System? What are their functions?
1) Thalamus: alertness + sensory and motor signal relaying
2) Hypothalamus: emotional responses, hormone modulation, sexdrive
3) Amygdala: emotional processing and threat detection
4) Hippocampus: memory and spatial navigation
What is the name of a group of subcortical nuclei that play role in control of voluntary motor movements, procedural learning, habit learning, eye movements, cognition, emotion, motivation and reward system?
Basal Ganglia
What parts does the Basal Ganglia consist of?
The Caudate and Putamen
What is the largest part of the mammal brain that facilitates its most complex and evolved functions?
The Telencephalon (cerebrum)
Why do convolutions help brain activity?
Because they increase surface area while in a small space, leading to more effective neuronal communication.
What is the largest tract of white matter that connects the two hemispheres of the brain?
the Corpus Commissure/Corpus Callosum
What are 2 subcortical structures in the Telencephalon/Cerebrum?
The Limbic System and The Basal Ganglia
