Module 6: The Cerebral Cortex Flashcards
Cerbral cortex
The intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres; the body’s ultimate control and information-processing center.
Frontal lobes
The portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscles movements and in making plans and judgements.
Parietal lobes
The portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; receives sensory input for touch and body position.
Occipital lobes
The portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes areas that receive information from the visual fields
Temporal lobes
The portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each receiving information primarily from the opposite ear.
Motor cortex
A cerebral cortex area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements
Somatosensory cortex
A cerebral cortex area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations.
Association areas
Areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions; rather, they are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking.
Neuroplasticity
The brain’s ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience.
Neurogenesis
The formation of new neurons
Corpus callosum
The large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them
Split brain
A condition resulting from surgery that separates the brain’s two hemispheres by cutting the fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) connecting them.
