Chapter 3.1- the brain Flashcards
Neuroimaging: what is under structural and what is under functional?
structural: CT and MRI Functional: fMRI and PET
Left side of the brain is often thought to be the more ——- side and the right to be the more —— side.
logical/creative
Hidnbrain and structures?
coordinates info coming into and out of the spinal cord, and controls the basic functions of life like breathing and heart rate. First evolved of the brain. The structures that make up is medulla, reticular formation, the cerebellum and the pons
Pons:
is a structure that relays information from the cerebellum to the rest of the brain
epigenetics:
the study of envrionmental influences that determines whether or not genes are expressed or the degree to which they are expressed without altering the basic DNA sequences that constitute the genes themselves.
Cerebellum:
is a large structure of the hindbrain that controls fine motor skills.
Forebrain:
highest level of brain. Critical for complex cognitive, emotional, sensory ad motor functions. 2 main sections: cerebral corttex and subcortical structures
the cerebral cortex contains what lobes: what does each sense
- Occipital lobe- processes visual info 2. Parietal love- processes info about touch 3. temporal lobe- responsible for hearing and language 4. frontal lobe - has specialized areas for movement, abstract thinking, planning, memory and judgement
the overall functioning of the endocrine gland is orchestrated by what?
the pituitary gland!
somatosensory cortex:
a strip of brain tissue running from the top of the brain down to the sides. If a body area is more snesitive, a larger part of the somatosensory cortex is devoted to it.
Subcortical structures:
areas of the forebrain housed under the cerebral cortex near the centre of the brain.
Tectum:
orients an organism in the environment. Receives stimulus from the eyes, ears and skin and moves the organism in a coordinated way towards the stimulus. ex.) you hear a door open behind you and you swivel towards it.
Hypothalmus:
regulates body temperature, hunger, thirst and sexual behaviour. Also part of limbic system
Tegmentum:
is involved in movement and arousal
Amygdala:
plays a central role in many emotional processes, particularly the formation of emotional memories.
what are the subcortical structures?
- thalamus 2. hypothalamus 3. Pituitary gland
the endocrine system:
is a network of glands that produce and secret into the bloodstream chemical messages known as hormones which influence a wide variety of basic functions including metabolism, growth, and sexual development.
what are the three major divisions of the brain?
- Hindbrain 2. Midbrain 3. Forebrain
Limbic system:
the limbic system is a group of forebrain structures including the hypothalamus, hippocampus and amygdala which are involved in motivation, emotion, learning and memory
Reticular formation:
regulates sleep, wakefulness and levels of arousal
4 important points to hear about heritability:
- Heritability is an abstract concept 2., is a population concept 3. is dependent on the environment 4. is not fate
Hippocampus:
critical for creating new memories and inetgrating them into a network of knowledge so they can be stored indefinetly in other parts of the cerebral cortex.
Medulla:
extension of the spinal cord into the skull that coordinates heart rate, circulation and respiration
Homunculus:
shows the different amounts of areas of brain associated with different parts.
Pituitary gland:
three master gland of the bodys hormone-producing system which released hormones that direct the functions of many other glands in the body.
Contralateral control: what is the corpus callosum
the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body and the left side of the brain controls the right side of the body. The corpus callosum allows communication to occur between the left and right side.
Midbrain; function and structures?
important for orientation and movement and ability to understand orientation and movement. 2 main strctures: the tectum and tegmentum
Heritability:
is a measure of the variability of behavioural traits among individuals that can be accounted for by genetic factors.
cerebral corttex:
is the outermost layer of the brain, visible to the naked eye and divided into 2 hemispheres.
Lateralization:
specilization of the left and right hemisphere
thalamus:
receives inputs from all the major senses except smell which has direct connections to the cerebral cortex. The thalamus acts as a kind of computer server in a networked system, taking in multiple inputs and relaying them to a variety of locations.
