Exam 1 Flashcards
Neuron
A nerve cell – brain cell – that signals to others by generating and passing on electrical signals
Synapse
Communication sites where neurons pass nerve impulses among themselves.
The cells are not usually in actual physical contact but are separated by a thin gap called the synaptic cleft.
Neurotransmitter
Chemicals that allow signals to pass between a neuron and another cell.
Norepinephrine, serotonin, dopamine
Chemicals that transmit nerve impulses between neurons
A neurotransmitter can either excite or inhibit depolarization from taking place.
Axon
The fiberlike extension of a neuron that carries electrical signals to other cells.
Most neurons have just one main axon or sending neurite, also called an axonal process or nerve fiber. It is much longer and thicker than a dendrite.
Dendrite
A branch that extends from a neurons cell body and receives signals from other neurons
Soma
Cell body
frontal lobe
Front of the brain
Responsible for thinking, making judgments, planning, decision making, and conscious emotion.
temporal lobe
A division of the cerebral cortex at the side of the head
Concerned with hearing, language and memory
Parietal Lobe
Top back subdivision of the cerebral cortex
Mainly concerned with spatial computation, body orientation and attention
Occipital lobe
The back part of the cerebrum, mainly dedicated to visual processing.
White matter
A type of brain tissue that is made up of densely packed axons that carry signals to other neurons.
It is distinguished from cell bodies by the lighter color.
White matter generally lies beneath the gray matter that forms the cortex.
Grey matter
The darker tissues of the brain, made up of densely packed cell bodies, as seen in the cortex.
Sulcus (Sulci)
A valley or groove in the brain surface (opposite of gyrus)
Gyrus (Gyri)
The bulges of tissue on the surface of the brain.
Pituitary Gland
A hypothalamic nucleus that produces hormones, including oxytocin.
Cerebellum
The ‘small brain’ behind the cerebrum that helps regulate posture, balance and coordination.
The cerebellum helps in coordination and balance. Picture your favorite athlete with bells on his/her body (hanging from clothes, hands, feet, etc.)
Limbic System
A set of brain structures lying along the inner border of the cortex
Emotion and motivation (much of it related to survival: pleasure, anger, aggression, fear), and memory
Hippocampus
Part of limbic system lying on the inside of each temporal lobe.
Memory forming, organizing, storing
Functions:
Consolidation of memories
Emotional responses
Navigation
The hippocampus is the seat of memory. Think of a hippo with a compass. The hippo uses the compass to find his way back to the swamp because he can’t remember where it is.
Hypothalamus
A cluster of nuclei that controls many body functions.
Controls body temperature, hunger, thirst, circadian rhythms, pituitary gland, and sex drive.
Think of “hypo the llamas”. Your llamas are hot, sweaty and thirsty, so you use a hypo to spray water on them to cool them down and you give them some water.
Thalamus
Large paired masses of gray matter between the brainstem and cerebrum
Motor Control, Receives Auditory, Somatosensory and Visual Sensory Signals
Relays Sensory Signals to the Cerebral Cortex
Controls Sleep and Awake States
The thalamus takes sensations that come from the body and directs them to the appropriate part of the brain for processing. Thus, think of Hal and Amos – two traffic cops in the brain who direct these sensations to the right route.
Amygdala
A nucleus located in the limbic area of the temporal lobe that is crucial to emotion.
What memories are stored and where
Formation and storage of memories associated with emotional events
Keyword or image of Queen Amidala from the Star Wars movies. For the entire movie, Queen Amidala is either fighting, or running away. This cues the information that the amygdala is involved in the fight-or-flight response.
Mirror Neurons
neurons that discharge when an individual performs an action, as well as when he/she observes a similar action done by another individual
Brain Stem
The lower part of the brain that becomes the spinal cord
Corpus Callosum
The thick band of nerve tissue that connects the left and right hemispheres of the brain and carries information between them.
Hemispheres
Right – The right brain is the creative brain and is responsible for rhythm, spatial awareness, color, imagination, daydreaming, holistic awareness and dimension. It controls the left side of your body.
Left - The left brain is the logical brain responsible for words, logic, numbers, analysis, lists, linearity and sequence. It controls the right side of your body.
Neuroplasticity
The brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life. Neuroplasticity allows the neurons (nerve cells) in the brain to compensate for injury and disease and to adjust their activities in response to new situations or to changes in their environment.
Cerebral Cortex
The outer, wrinkled ‘gray’ part of the cerebral hemispheres
Prefrontal cortex
The region of the brain in the forward most part of the frontal cortex
Involved in higher level cognition and planning.
Problem solving, emotion, complex thoughts
Motor association cortex
Coordination of complex movement
Primary motor cortex
Initiation of voluntary movement
Front of central sulcus
OUTPUT
Primary somatosensory cortex
Receives tactile information from the body
Back of central sulcus
INPUT
Sensory association area
Processing of multisensory information
Visual association area
Complex processing of visual information
Visual cortex
The surface of the occipital lobe in which visual information is processed.
Detection of simple visual stimuli
Wernickes area
Major language area in the temporal lobe
Language comprehension
Auditory association area
Complex processing of auditory information
Auditory cortex
The region of the brain responsible for receiving and processing information relating to sound.
Detection of sound quality (loudness, tone)
Brocas area
Speech production and articulation
