Modules 11, 12, 13 The Brain & Tools of Discovery

Question 1

lesion

Answer 1

tissue destruction. A brain lesion is a naturally or experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue.

Question 2

electroencephalogram (EEG)

Answer 2

an amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain’s surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp.

Question 3

PET (positron emission tomography) scan

Answer 3

a visual display of brain activity that detects where radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task.

Question 4

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)

Answer 4

a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images that distinguish among different types of soft tissue; allows us to see structures within the brain.

Question 5

fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging)

Answer 5

a technique for revealing blood flow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. MRI scans show brain anatomy; fMRI scans show brain function.

Question 6

brainstem

Answer 6

the oldest part of the brain and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull;the brainstem is responsible for automatic survival functions.

Question 7

medulla

Answer 7

the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing.

Question 8

reticular formation

Answer 8

a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal.

Question 9

thalamus

Answer 9

the brain’s sensory switchboard, located on the top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla.

Question 10

cerebellum

Answer 10

the “little brain” attached to the rear of the brainstem; its function include processing sensory input and coordinating movement output and balance.

Question 11

limbic system

Answer 11

a doughnut shaped system of neural structures at the border of the brainstem an cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotion such as fear and aggression and drives such as those for food and sex. Includes the hypothalamus, hippocampus, and amygdala.

Question 12

amygdala

Answer 12

two lima bean sized neural clusters that are components of the limbic system and are linked to emotions of fear and aggression.

Question 13

hypothalamus

Answer 13

a neural structure lying below the thalamus that directs eating, drinking, body temperature, governs the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion.

Question 14

cerebral cortex

Answer 14

the fabric of interconnected neural cells that covers the cerebral hemispheres, the ultimate control and information processing center of the brain.

Question 15

glial cells

Answer 15

cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons.

Question 16

frontal lobes

Answer 16

portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead involved in higher processing functions like speech, muscle movements, and planning and moral judgments.

Question 17

parietal lobes

Answer 17

portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top and rear of the head receiving input for touch and body position; responsible for math and spatial reasoning.

Question 18

occipital lobes

Answer 18

portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes visual processing centers.

Question 19

temporal lobes

Answer 19

portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes auditory processing centers.

Question 20

motor cortex

Answer 20

an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movement.

Question 21

sensory cortex

Answer 21

an area at the front of the parietal lobes that processes body touch and movements.

Question 22

association areas

Answer 22

areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions, rather, higher mental functions like learning, remembering, speaking, and thinking. (interneurons)

Question 23

aphasia

Answer 23

impairment of language, usually a result of damage to the left hemisphere in broca’s area or wernicke’s area.

Question 24

broca’s area

Answer 24

controls language expression - after processing in wernicke’s area, directs muscle movement involved in speech.

Question 25

wernicke’s area

Answer 25

controls language processing - involved in language comprehension and expression.

Question 26

brain plasticity

Answer 26

the brain’s capacity to modify and repair itself after damages (especially capable in children).

Question 27

corpus callosum

Answer 27

the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres carrying messages between them.

Question 28

split brain

Answer 28

a condition in which the two hemispheres of the brain are severed by cutting the fibers of the corpus callosum.