Lecture 3 - The Brain Flashcards
Central Nervous System
The central part of the nervous system composed of the brain and spinal cord.
Gray Matter
Areas of the brain nearer the surface, dominated by soma and dendrites.
White Matter
Areas consisting largely of axons, localized underneath the cortex.
Cortex
A thin, heavily folded film of nervous tissue that is the outer region of the forebrain
Gyrus
Protruding ridges resulting from the folding of the cortex.
Sulcus
Furrows in the brain, localized in the cortex and cerebellum.
Fissure
Deep grooves across the brain.
Frontal Lobe
Most anterior division of the cortex associated with attention, planning, decision-making, emotional regulation, and language.
Temporal Lobe
Large regions of the lateral cortical area below the sylvian fissure associated with the auditory cortex, language, and memory.
Parietal Lobe
Section of the cortex stretching across the top of the brain located between the frontal and occipital lobes, and above the temporal lobe. Associated with visuomotor guidance, attention, spatial perception, and number processing.
Occipital Lobe
The most posterior division of the cortex, referred to as the visual cortex.
Corpus Callosum
Cortical tract that unites the two hemispheres of the brain allowing for holistic processing.
Dorsal/Ventral
Superior and inferior directional terms, referring to the upper and lower parts of a structure, respectively.
Rostral/Caudal
Anterior and posterior directional terms, referring to the front and back of a structure, respectively.
Cross-Sections
Includes cross-sections across the sagittal plane, coronal plane, and horizontal plane. Cross-sections across the sagittal plane bisect the body or an organ into right and left halves. Cross-sections across the coronal plane divide the body or an organ into its anterior and posterior parts. Cross-sections across the horizontal plane divide the body or an organ into its superior and inferior parts.