Jan 15 - The Brain

Question 1

what are the 3 major parts of the brain?

Answer 1

cerebrum, cerebellum, brainstem

Question 2

What is the cerebrum and how is it divided?

Answer 2

• The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain.
• It is divided into left and right hemispheres, each controlling opposite sides of the body.
• Further divided into four lobes: Frontal, parietal, occipital, and temporal.

Question 3

What is the surface of the cerebrum called? What are the names of the grooves and bumps called?

Answer 3

• The surface of the cerebrum is called the cerebral cortex.
• Gyri: are the ridges called gyri.
• Sulcus/fissure: the grooves.
  Sulcus = shallow groove
  fissure = deep groove.

Question 4

What is the corpus collosum?

Answer 4

The brain is divided into 2 hemispheres: left and right. They are linked by the corpus collosum, it enables them to communiate with each other.

Question 5

What are the 5 lobes of the cerebrum?

Answer 5

Parietal, frontal, temporal, occipital, cerebellum.

Question 6

Where is the frontal lobe located and what does it do?

Answer 6

• Located in the front of the cerebrum.
• Plays a major role in the planning of physical movement for all parts of the body.

Question 7

Where is the parietal lobes located and what does it do?

Answer 7

• Located at the top cerebrum, behind the frontal lobes.
• Processes incoming sensory information.

Question 8

Where is the temporal lobes located and what does it do?

Answer 8

• Located along the side of the cerebrum
• Contains the primary auditory center (Heschl’s Gyrus)

Question 9

Where is the occipital lobes located and what does it do?

Answer 9

• Located at the back of the cerebrum
• Processes visual information.

Question 10

Where is the cerebellum located and what does it do?

Answer 10

• Located under the cerebrum; looks like a miniature brain.
• Receives input from the different systems (sensory etc.)
• Sends signals to the motor cortex to assist in fine-tuning skilled motor activities.

Question 11

What does the brain stem include and what does it do?

Answer 11

• Includes the midbrain, pons, and medulla (oblongata).
• Controls vital life functions such as breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure.
• Acts as a relay center for messages between the brain and the spinal cord.

Question 12

What does the basal ganglia do?

Answer 12

• The basal ganglia receives motor information from the primary motor cortex.
• They modify movements to ensure the successful execution of the desired motor plan.
  The fine-tuned motor plan is sent back to the motor cortex through the thalamus, a relay struture.

Question 13

Where is the thalamus located and what does it do?

Answer 13

• The thalamus is located near the center of the brain.
• Acts as the main relay station for sensory information heading to the cerebral cortex.

Question 14

What does the Amygdala do/ what is it known for?

Answer 14

• The amygdala is invloves in processing emotions like fear, anger, and pleasure.
• Plays a role in determining what memories are stored and where they are stored in the brain.
• Often referred to as the “emotion center” of the brain.

Question 15

The Amygdala sends information to other nuclei in the basal ganglis to…

Answer 15

• process emotional aspects of language
• Forming long-term memories (Stemmer and Whitaker)
• Involved in multimodal processing.
• Associated with autism spectrum disorders.

Question 16

What is the broca’s area located, what does it do, and what can damage lead too?

Answer 16

• Located in the frontal lobe, typically in the left hemisphere.
• Crucial for speech production and language porcessing
• Damage can lead to the broca’s aphasia, affecting speech fluency.