Module 1.4 Flashcards
The Brain
Brain stem (include pieces + medulla)
generally controls basic functioning such as breathing and heart rate
Reticular activating system
along with the brain’s reward center generally control some voluntary movement, eye movement, and some types of learning, cognition, and emotion.
Brain’s reward center (hypothalamus)
along with the reticular activating system generally control some voluntary movement, eye movement, and some types of learning, cognition, and emotion.
Cerebellum
generally controls coordination of muscle movement, balance, and some forms of procedural memory
Cerebral cortex
divided into two hemispheres and includes the limbic system, corpus callosum, and the lobes of the cortex
Limbic system
the thalamus, hypothalamus, pituitary gland, hippocampus, amygdala; associated with emotions and drives
Thalamus
the brain’s sensory control center, 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
Hypothalamus
a neural structure lying below 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 and reward
Pituitary gland
master endocrine gland
Hippocampus
a neural center located in the limbic system; helps process for storage explicit memories of facts and events
Amygdala
2 lima bean sized neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion
Corpus callosum
the fibers connecting the two cerebral hemispheres
Lobes of the cortex
occipital lobes, temporal lobes, parietal lobes, frontal lobes
Occipital lobes
generally control visual information processing and are located in the rear of the brain
Temporal lobes
generally control auditory and linguistic processing and are located on the sides of the brain
Parietal lobes
generally control association areas and the somatosensory cortex; found in the back crown of the brain
Association areas
processes and organize information; involved in higher mental functions usch as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking
Somatosensory cortex
processes touch sensitivity
Frontal lobes
located just behind the forehead, generally control linguistic processing, higher-order thinking, and executive function
Motor cortex
located at the rear of the frontal lobes and controls most types of skeletal movement
Split brain
reveals that the right and left hemispheres of the brain may specialize in different activities and functions
Left hemisphere
location of the areas of the brain that affect language
Broca’s area
area responsible for speech production
Wernicke’s area
area responsible for speech comprehension
Aphasia
disorder that results from damage to Broca/Wernicke’s area
Contralateral hemispheric organization
the arrangement whereby the motor cortex of each cerebral hemisphere is mainly responsible for control of movements of the contralateral (opposite) side of the body.
Brain plasticity
the ability of the brain to rewire itself or modify or create new connections throughout development and generally allows fo the function of a damaged part of the brain to be assumed by a different part of the brain
EEG
electroencephalogram, an amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity sweeping across the brain’s surface; these waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp
fMRI
technique for revealing blood flow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans; shows both function and structure
Lesioning
tissue destruction
