Chapter 2 Vocab Part 2 Flashcards
Medulla
The base of the brain stem; controls heartbeat and breathing
Brainstem
The oldest part and central core of the brain; beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; responsible for automatic survival functions
Reticular formation
A nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role on arousal
Thalamus
The brains sensory switchboard, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla
Hippocampus
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Pons
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Cerebellum
The little brain attached to the rear of the brainstem it’s functions include processing sensory input and coordinating movement output and balance
Limbic System
A doughnut shaped system of neural structures at the border of the brainstem and cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions such as fear and aggression and drives such as those for food and sex. (Hippocampus, amygdaloid, and hypothalamus)
Amygdala
Two Lima bean sized neural clusters that are components of the lambic system and are linked to emotion
Hypothalamus
A neural structure lying below the thalamus; it directs several maintenance activities, helps govern the endocrine system via he pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion
Cerebral Cortex
The intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells that covers the cerebral hemisphere, the body’s ultimate control and information processing center
Glial cells
Insulate the myelin sheath, part of the brain, cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons
Frontal lobes
The portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgements
Occipital lobe
The 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
The 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
The portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the 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
The 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, they are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking
Phineus Gage
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Aphasia
Impairment of language, usually caused by left hemisphere damage either to Broca’s area or to Wernicke’s area
Broca’s area
Controls language expression, an area of the frontal lobe, usually in the left hemisphere, that directs the muscle movements 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 brains capacity for modification, as evident in brain reorganization following damage 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 between them
