Chapter 3 Section 2 & 3

Question 1

cerebral cortex

Answer 1

outer layer of the brain. provides for better memory, more advanced social interactions, ability to experience emotions. bark-like, allows us to use language, acquire complex skills, create tools, and live in social groups

Question 2

brain stem

Answer 2

oldest and innermost region of the brain. controls basic functions of life: breathing, attention, motor responses

Question 3

medulla

Answer 3

base of brain stem, controls heart rate and breathing

Question 4

pons

Answer 4

spherical shape above medulla, structure in brain stem that helps control the movements of the body, playing a particularly important role in balance and walking

Question 5

reticular formation

Answer 5

long, narrow network of neurons running through medulla and pons. filters out some stimuli coming in and sends them along; also plays role in walking, eating, sexual activity and sleeping

Question 6

thalamus

Answer 6

the egg-shaped structure above the brain stem that filters even more after the reticular formation, sending some incoming stimuli to higher brain. shuts off signals during sleep

Question 7

cerebellum

Answer 7

two wrinkled ovals behind brain stem. coordinates voluntary movement. influenced by alcohol.

Question 8

limbic system

Answer 8

a brain area, located between the brain stem and the two cerebral hemispheres, that governs emotions and memory. includes amygdala, hypothalamus, and hippocampus

Question 9

amygadala

Answer 9

consists of two almond-shard clusters and is primarily responsible for regulating our perceptions of and reactions to, aggression and fear

Question 10

hypothalamus

Answer 10

a brain structure that contains a number of small areas that perform a variety of functions, including the important role of linking the nervous system to the endocrine via the pituitary gland

Question 11

hippocampus

Answer 11

two horns that curve back from amygdala. for storing long-term memories.

Question 12

corticicalization

Answer 12

folding of cerebral cortex, increasing surface area

Question 13

glia

Answer 13

glial cells, surround and link to the neurons, protecting them and providing them with nutrients and absorbing unused neurotransmitters. myelin is an example

Question 14

hemispheres

Answer 14

two main sections of brain, divided into four lobes each, each separated by folds known as fissures.

Question 15

frontal lobe

Answer 15

frontmost lobe, behind forehead. responsible for thinking, planning, memory, and judgement

Question 16

parietal lobe

Answer 16

behind frontal lobe, extends from middle to back of skull and is primarily responsible for processing information about touch.

Question 17

occipital lobe

Answer 17

processes visual information, at very back of skull.

Question 18

temporal lobe

Answer 18

between ears responsible for hearing and language`

Question 19

contralateral control

Answer 19

brain is wired so that each hemispheres handles the opposite side of the bod

Question 20

motor cortex

Answer 20

the part of the cortex that controls and executes movements of the body by sending signals to the cerebellum and the spinal cord

Question 21

somatosensory cortex

Answer 21

an area just behind and parallel to the motor cortex at the back of the frontal lobe, receives information from the skin’s sensory receptors and movements of different body parts

Question 22

visual cortex

Answer 22

the area located in the occipital lobe (very back of brain) that processes visual information

Question 23

auditory cortex

Answer 23

responsible for hearing and language, within the temporal lobe.

Question 24

association areas

Answer 24

rest of cortex. areas in which sensory and motor information is combined and associated with our stored knowledge

Question 25

neuroplasticity

Answer 25

the brain’s ability to change its structure and function in response to experience or damage

Question 26

neurogenesis

Answer 26

the forming of new neurons.

Question 27

brain laterization

Answer 27

the idea that the left and right hemispheres of the ons

Question 28

corpus callosum

Answer 28

connects and supports communication between two hemispheres

Question 29

lesion

Answer 29

damage to the brain. as a result of strokes, falls, auto accidents, gunshots. studying people with lesions lets you ID what part of brain does what by studying deficiencies. part of neuroimagaing

Question 30

feature detectors

Answer 30

specific neurons in visual cortex that detect movement, lines and edges, and faces

Question 31

EEG

Answer 31

a technique that records electrical activity produced by the brain’s neurons through the use of electrodes that are placed around the research participant’s head

Question 32

fMRI

Answer 32

functional magnetic resonance imaging. type of brain scan that uses a magnetic field to create images of brain activity in each brain area.

Question 33

TMS

Answer 33

transcranial magnetic stimulation. a procedure in which magnetic pulses are applied to the brain of living persons with the goal of temporarily and safely deactivating a small brain region.