Chapter Two : Part Two Flashcards
the oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; is responsible for automatic survival functions
brainstem
the base of he brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing
medulla
a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal
reticular formation
the brain’s 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
thalamus
the “little brain” attached to the rear of the brainstem; its functions include processing sensory input and coordinating movement output and balance
cerebellum
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, amygdala, and hypothalamus)
limbic system
two lima bean sized neural clusters that are components of the limbic system and are liked to emotion
amygdala
a neural structure lying below (hypo) the thalamus; it directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature), helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion
hypothalamus
the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells that covers the cerebral hemispheres; the body’s ultimate control and information processing center
cerebral cortex
cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons
glial cells
the portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgments
frontal lobe
the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; receives sensory input for touch and body postion
parietal lobes
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
occipital 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
temporal lobes
an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements
motor cortex
the area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers an processes body touch and movement sensations
sensory cortex
areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions; rather, they are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking
association areas
a railroad worker who had a rod shot through his frontal lobe and survived; however, the damage to his frontal lobe altered his personality
Phineas Gage
impairment of language, usually cased by left hemisphere damage either to Broca’s area (impairing speaking) or to Wernicke’s area (impairing understanding)
aphasia
controls language expression - an area of the frontal lobe, usually in the left hemisphere, that directs the muscle movements involved in speech
Broca’s area
controls language reception - a brain area involved in language comprehension and expression; usually in the left temporal lobe
Wernicke’s area
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
plasticity
the large band of neural fibers connecting he two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them
corpus callosum
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
split brain
a structure of the brain that lies directly above the medulla; is responsible for unconsciousness and dreaming
pons
a neural center located in the limbic system that helps process explicit memories for storage
hippocampus
