Chapter 2 - Part 2 Flashcards
Medulla
Base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing
Brainstem
The oldest part and central core of the brain; responsible for automatic survival functions
Reticular Formation
A nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal
Thalamus
The brain’s sensory switchboard located on top of the brainstem; directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla
Hippocampus
Limbic system component; processes memory
Cerebellum
“Little brain” attached to the rear of the brainstorm; processes sensory input and coordinating movement output and balance
Limbic System
Doughnut-shaped system of neural structures at the border of the brainstem and cerebral hemispheres; includes hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus; handles emotions such as fear and aggression
Amygdala
Two lima bean-sized neural clusters that are components of the limbic system and linked to emotion (fear and aggression)
Hypothalamus
Directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature) and helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland and linked to emotion
Cerebral Cortex
Intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells that covers the cerebral hemispheres; the body’s control and information processing center
Glial Cells
Cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons
Frontal Lobes
Portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgements
Occipital Lobes
Portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes the visual areas, which receive visual information from the opposite visual field
Parietal Lobes
Portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; receives sensory input for touch and body position
Temporal Lobes
Portion of the cerebral cortex lying above the ears; includes auditory areas, each of which receives auditory information primarily from the opposite ear
Motor Cortex
An area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements
Sensory Cortex
An area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations
Association Areas
Areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions; involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking
Phineus Gage
Got a rod shot through his left cheek and out the top of his skull, frontal lobe badly damaged, personality change
Aphasia
Impairment of language, usually caused by left hemisphere damage either to Broca’s Area (speaking) or to Weirnicke’s Area (understanding)
Broca’s Area
Controls language expression - an area of the frontal lobe, usually in the left hemisphere, that directs the muscle movement involved in speech
Wernicke’s Area
Controls language reception - a brain area involved in language comprehension and expression; usually in the left temporal lobe
Plasticity
The brain’s capacity for modification, as evident in brain reorganization following damage (especially in children) and in experiments on the effects of experience on brain development
Corpus Callosum
The large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them
Split Brain
A condition in which the two hemispheres of the brain are isolated by cutting the connecting fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) between them
