CHP.5 HINDBRAIN, MIDBRAIN & FOREBRAIN: STRUCTURE, FUNCTION & THE ROLE OF THE CEREBRAL CORTEX Flashcards
What are the three parts or sections of the brain?
the hindbrain, midbrain and forebrain
what does the hindbrain consist of?
the medulla, the pons and the cerebellum
what is the medulla?
a continuation of the spine responsible for the control of breathing, heartbeat and digestion
what is the pons?
the pons sits above the medulla and receives information sent from visual areas to control eye and body actions
what is the cerebellum?
receiving information from the pons, the cerebellum coordinates body movement along with perception, cognition and balance.
what does the midbrain consist of?
reticular formation
what is the reticular formation?
a network of neurons that runs through all 3 sections though mostly midbrain, the reticular formation is Important in the control of arousal and in the ‘sleeping and waking’ cycle and consciousness
what does the forebrain consist of?
a number of important structures including the cerebrum, the hypothalamus and the thalamus
what is the cerebrum?
the biggest and most recognisable part of the forebrain, covered by the cerebral cortex and divided into left and right cerebral hemispheres
what is the cerebral cortex?
the outer layer of the brain responsible for higher mental processes and complex behaviours
what separates the left and right hemispheres?
the longitudinal fissure, a deep groove
what joins the left and right hemispheres?
the corpus callosum
what is the corpus calosum?
a thick band of nerve tissue
what is the hypothalamus?
a very Important role in basic survival actions- sleep, regulation of body temperature, expression of emotion and the four Fs
what are the four Fs?
feeding, fighting, fleeing and fornication
what is the thalamus?
it is divided into two egg-shaped parts, one in each hemisphere. the thalamus is the ‘communications centre’ of the brain and it receives information from the ears, eyes, skin and other sensory organs
what are the roles of the thalamus?
it has two important roles. processing sensory stimuli in the environment and to determine which of the constant incoming sensory stimuli is the most important to pay attention to
what is the role of the cerebral cortex?
receiving information from the environment, controlling g our responses and higher order thinking processes including problem solving and planning. it is also involved in memory, language and regulating emotions
what are the four lobes?
the frontal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe and temporal lobe
are there foru lobes in total?
technically, there are eight. each hemisphere has its own set of four
what are the role of the primary cortices?
each lobe has a corresponding primary cortex, and when senses first receive information from the environment the thalamus relays it the primary cortex of the relevant lobe, to then process and interpret it
what are the four primary cortices?
the primary visual cortex, the primary auditory cortex, the primary somatosensory cortex and the primary motor cortex
what is the role of the primary visual cortex?
located in the occipital lobe, it receives visual information
what is the role of the primary auditory cortex?
located in the temporal lobe, it receives sound information
what is the role of the primary somatosensory cortex?
located in the parietal lobe, it receives information from sense receptors in the skin
what is the role of the primary motor cortex?
located in the frontal lobe, it controls our movements
what is the frontal lobe?
the largest of the lobes, they have several functions including motor function, language, planning, judgement, problem solving, aspects of personality and regulation of emotions
define contralateral organisation
the left hemisphere controls the right side of the body and vice verse
define Phineas Gage’s story
damaged his frontal lobe when his brain was pierced with an iron rod. survived, but due to the damage to his frontal lobe had a complete negative personality change
what is the parietal lobe?
responsible for processing and recognising sensations and touch
what is the temporal lobe?
responsible for processing auditory information. receives sound through the ears and performs the complex auditory analysis necessary for recognising speech
what is the occipital lobe?
responsible for vision and visual stimuli. information from the left eye will be processed in the right occipital lobe and vice verse
what is the association area of each cortex?
involved in the integration of information between the motor and sensory areas information important for that area
what are the association areas of the frontal lobe?
Broca’s area, the limbic system, the prefrontal cortex and the orbitofrontal cortex
what is Broca’s area?
responsible for communication and conversation
what is the limbic system?
the emotional, learning and memory centre of the brain
what comprises the limbic system?
the amygdala, hippocampus, thalamus, hypothalamus, basal ganglia, and cingulate gyrus
what is the amygdala responsible for?
responsible for processing memories, decision-making, and emotional reactions
what is the hippocampus responsible for?
responsible for the consolidation of information from short-term memory to long-term memory and spatial navigation
what is the basal ganglia responsible for?
responsible for control of voluntary motor movements, procedural learning, routine behaviours or “habits” such as bruxism, eye movements, cognition and emotion
what is the cingulate gyrus responsible for?
responsible for emotion formation and processing, learning, and memory
what is the prefrontal cortex?
involved in making plans and predicting outcomes, helping to regulate emotion and behaviour by anticipating the consequences of our actions. also involved with anxiety and focus
what is the orbitofrontal cortex?
important structure in decision making and thinking processes. it is also thought to impact behaviour pattersn and involved in addiction.
what are the association areas of the parietal lobe?
an important function of the parietal lobes are to enable a person to perceive their own body and the location of objects in their vicinity. the right parietal lobe is associated with perceiving 3-D shapes and designs. the left parietal lobe has a role in reading, writing and performing mental arithmetic.
what are the association areas of the temporal lobe?
the left temporal lobe contains Wernicke’s area, responsible for comprehending written and spoken language
what would happen if you damaged the association areas of the occipital lobe?
it would not cause blindness, but would effect a person’s ability to recognise object
what is hemispheric association?
the lobes and cortices in each hemisphere receive information from the opposite side of the person’s body. eg, seeing a flower in your left eye would lead to the sensory information being processed in your right occipital lobe
