Chapter 3 Key Terms Pt. 2 [The Brain]

Question 1

hindbrain

Answer 1

an area of the brain that coordinates information coming into and out of the spinal cord

Question 2

medulla

Answer 2

an extension of the spinal cord into the skull that coordinates heart rate, circulation, and respiration

Question 3

reticular formation

Answer 3

a brain structure that regulates sleep, wakefulness, and levels of arousal

Question 4

cerebellum

Answer 4

a large structure of the hindbrain that controls fine motor skills

Question 5

pons

Answer 5

a brain structure that relays information from the cerebellum to the rest of the brain

Question 6

subcortical structures

Answer 6

areas of the forebrain housed under the cerebral cortex near the very center of the brain

Question 7

thalamus

Answer 7

a subcortical structure that relays and filters information from the senses and transmits the information to the cerebral cortex

Question 8

hypothalamus

Answer 8

a subcortical structure that regulates body temperature, hunger, thirst, and sexual behavior

Question 9

pituitary gland

Answer 9

the “master gland” of the body’s hormone-producing system, which releases hormones that direct the functions of many other glands in the body

Question 10

hippocampus

Answer 10

a structure critical for creating new memories and integrating them into a network of knowledge so that they can be stored indefinitely in other parts of the cerebral cortex

Question 11

amygdala

Answer 11

a part of the limbic system that plays a central role in many emotional processes, particularly the formation of emotional memories

Question 12

basal ganglia

Answer 12

a set of subcortical structures that directs intentional movements

Question 13

cerebral cortex

Answer 13

the outermost layer of the brain, visible to the naked eye and divided into two hemispheres

Question 14

corpus callosum

Answer 14

a thick band of nerve fibers that connects large areas of the cerebral cortex on each side of the brain and supports communication of information across the hemispheres

Question 15

occipital lobe

Answer 15

a region of the cerebral cortex that processes visual information

Question 16

parietal lobe

Answer 16

a region of the cerebral cortex whose functions include processing information about touch

Question 17

temporal lobe

Answer 17

a region of the cerebral cortex responsible for hearing and language

Question 18

frontal lobe

Answer 18

a region of the cerebral cortex that has specialized areas for movement, abstract thinking, planning, memory, and judgement

Question 19

association areas

Answer 19

areas of the cerebral cortex that are composed of neurons that help provide sense and meaning to information registered in the cortex

Question 20

mirror neurons

Answer 20

neurons that are active when an anima performs a behavior, such as reaching for or manipulating an object, and are also activated when another animal observes that animal performing the same behavior

Question 21

gene

Answer 21

the major unit of hereditary transmission

Question 22

chromosomes

Answer 22

strands of DNA wound around each other in a double-helix configuration

Question 23

epigenetics

Answer 23

environmental influences that determine whether or not genes are expressed, or the degree to which they are expressed, without altering the basic DNA sequence that constitute the genes themselves