Other key terms Flashcards
Arachnoid
one of the three meninges, the protective membranes that cover the brain. Located between dura and pia
Basal ganglia
Location:The basal ganglia is located deep within the cerebral hemispheres.
Function: Gate motor commands and to facilitate simple forms of learning. Also influences motivation, emotion, and decision making.
Caudate
One of three basic structures that make up the basal ganglia.
Together with the putamen, they are known collectively as the striatum.
The zones receiving the main inputs to the basal ganglia
Central Sulcus
Separates the parietal lobe from the frontal and the primary motor cortex from the primary somatosensory cortex
Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF)
Fills subarachnoid space and ventricles. CSF protects the brain against trauma
Cingulate Gyrus
The gyrus that surrounds the corpus callosum. Contributes to emotion and social cognition
Dura
Outermost meninge, one of the three protective membranes that cover the brain
Fourth Ventricle
larger space in the dorsal pons and medulla. Narrows caudally to form the central canal of the spinal cord
Globus Pallidus
This and the striatum, make up the basal ganglia.
Is the output nucleus of the basal ganglia and modulates the activity of cortical neurons via a relay through the thalamus
Gyrus & Sulcus
bumpy bits and inny bits of the cortex
Hippocampus
Location: medial portion of the temporal lobe
Function: concerned with declarative memory
Lateral Geniculate Nucleus (LGN)
Major target of the retinal ganglion cells.
Located in the thalamus.
Consists of two magnocellular system layers and four parvocellular systems
Lateral Ventricle
Largest of the ventricles, best seen in frontal sections, where their ventral surfade is defined by the basal ganglia, dorsal surface by the corpus callosum, and medial surface by the septum pellucidum.
Limbic system
Made up of the Cingulate gyrus, amygdala, striatum, and hippocampus Emotions
Magnocellular
Large neurons. Along with larger M retinal ganglion cells, they innervate in the thalamus, process information about changes in stimuli (Motion perception)
Motor system
Consists of upper motor neurons in the cortex and brainstem, lower motor neurons in the spinal cord and brainstem, the cerebellum, and basal ganglia
Motor Cortex
Location: frontal lobe on the cortex of the precentral gyrus.
Function: planning, initiating, and directing voluntary movements
Neocortex
cognition, including perception, planning, reasoning
Optic Chiasm
Location: Central region of the ventral surface of the forebrain
Function: the crossing of optic nerve axons from the nasal portions of the retinas such that the temporal visual fields are represented in the contralateral cerebral hemispheres
Optic Nerve
bundle of nerves attached to each eye
Optic Tract
visual information from each visual field going from the optic chiasm to the LGN
Parvocellular
smaller, less dense layer of neurons. Along with smaller P ganglion cells, concerned with spatial detail of forms (object perception), brightness and color.
Pia
Innermost meninge, one of the three protective membranes that cover the brain
Postcentral Gyrus
Primary somatosensory cortex. Brodmann Area
Precentral Gyrus
Location: frontal lobe.
Function: location of the motor cortex.
Primary Visual Cortex
Location: primarily in the calcarine cortex
Function: processes visual information. Receptive fields, adaptation, tuning curve. Relay through thalamus, Topographic, hierarchical & parallel processing in visual cortex. Also called VI or ‘striate’.
Primaty Auditory Cortex
Located on the insula, topographically organized
Putamen
One of three basic structures that make up the basal ganglia.Together with the caudate, they are known collectively as the striatum. The zones receiving the main inputs to the basal ganglia
Retina
Light-sensitive layer of tissue inside the eye that contains the photo receptor cells rods and cones. Individual neurons have receptive fields (region of space where each responds to visual stimuli). Eash retina sees entire visual field.
Secondary auditory cortex
Higher order processing (speech), Wernicke’s area (receptive aphasia)
Somatosensory Cortex
Location: parietal lobe on the postcentral gyrus. Topographically organized
Function: processes somatic senses (touch, proprioception)
Striate Cortex
Also called VI or primary visual cortex, located primarily in calcarin cortex, topographically organized, processes information hierarchically and in parallel.
Striatum
Made up of the caudate and putamen, nearly all cortical areas project to the basal ganglia through the striatum. Activation inhibits the globus pallidus, releasing the thalamus and its cortical targets from tonic inhibition.
Substantia Nigra
A nucleaus at the base of the midbrain that recieves input from a number of cortical and subcortical structures. The dopaminergic cells of the substantia nigra send their output to the caudate of putamen (subcomponent controls saccadic eye movement)
Thalamus
Location: End of brainstem
Function: Relay station for sensory/motor processing; “grand central station” of the brain
Third Ventricle
Forms a narrow midline space between the right and left thalamus, communicates with the lateral ventricles through a small opening, and is continuous caudally with the cerebral aqueduct, which runs through the midbrain
Ventricles
The ventricles are filled with CSF and the lateral, third, and fourth ventricles are the sites of the choroid plexus, which produces this fluid. No obvious function other than circulation of CSF
Huntington’s disease
striatum is way over active.
