Psychology and Sociology: The Brain

Question 1

Meninges

Answer 1

connective tissue that covers the brain to help keep brain anchored in the skull and resorb cerebrospinal fluid

Question 2

Dura mater

Answer 2

outer layer of meninges, connected directly to the skull

Question 3

Arachnoid mater

Answer 3

middle layer of meninges, fibrous and weblike

Question 4

Pia mater

Answer 4

inner layer of meninges, connected directly to the brain

Question 5

Hindbrain

Answer 5

located where brain meets spinal cord; controls balance, motor coordination, breathing, digestion, and general arousal processes such as sleeping and waking

Question 6

Medulla oblongata (part of hindbrain)

Answer 6

lower brain structure that is responsible for regulating vital functions like breathing, heart rate, and digestion

Question 7

Pons (part of hindbrain)

Answer 7

lies above the medulla; contains sensory and motor pathways between the cortex and the medulla

Question 8

Cerebellum (part of hindbrain)

Answer 8

very top of the hindbrain; helps maintain posture and balance and coordinates body movements

Question 9

Midbrain

Answer 9

Receives sensory and motor information from the rest of the body; Associated with involuntary reflex responses triggered by visual or auditory stimuli

Question 10

Superior colliculus (part of midbrain)

Answer 10

receives visual sensory input

Question 11

Inferior colliculus (part of midbrain)

Answer 11

receives sensory information from the auditory system

Question 12

Forebrain

Answer 12

Associated with complex perceptual, cognitive, and behavioral processes; Associated with emotion and memory

Question 13

Telencephalon (part of forebrain)

Answer 13

forms the cerebral cortex, basal ganglia, and limbic system

Question 14

Diencephalon (part of forebrain)

Answer 14

thalamus, hypothalamus, posterior pituitary gland, and pineal gland

Question 15

Thalamus (diencephalon)

Answer 15

serves as an important relay station for incoming sensory information, including all senses except for smell; after receiving incoming sensory impulses, the thalamus sorts and transmits them to the appropriate areas of the cerebral cortex

Question 16

Hypothalamus (diencephalon)

Answer 16

key player in emotional experiences during high arousal states, aggressive behavior, and sexual behavior

Question 17

Lateral hypothalamus (LH)

Answer 17

referred to as the hunger center; has special receptors thought to detect when the body needs more food or fluids; triggers eating and drinking

Question 18

Ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH)

Answer 18

identified as the “satiety center”, and provides signals to stop eating

Question 19

Anterior hypothalamus

Answer 19

controls sexual behavior

Question 20

Posterior pituitary (diencephalon)

Answer 20

site of release for hypothalamic hormones antidiuretic hormone and oxytocin

Question 21

Pineal gland (diencephalon)

Answer 21

secretes hormone melatonin, which regulates circadian rhythms; key player in several biological rhythms

Question 22

Basal ganglia (telencephalon)

Answer 22

Coordinate muscle movement as they receive information from the cortex and relay this information to the brain and spinal cord

Question 23

Limbic system (telencephalon)

Answer 23

Comprises a group of interconnected structures looping around the central portion of the brain and is primarily associated with emotion and memory

Question 24

Septal nuclei (limbic system)

Answer 24

contain one of the primary pleasure centers in the brain

Question 25

Amygdala (limbic system)

Answer 25

plays an important role in defensive and aggressive behaviors, including fear and rage

Question 26

Hippocampus (limbic system)

Answer 26

plays a vital role in learning and memory processes; specifically, the hippocampus helps consolidate information to form long-term memories, and can redistribute remote memories to the cerebral cortex

Question 27

Fornix (hippocampus)

Answer 27

long projection that allows hippocampus to communicate with other portions of the limbic system

Question 28

Anterograde amnesia

Answer 28

not being able to establish new long-term memories but events before injury can be remembered

Question 29

Retrograde amnesia

Answer 29

memory loss of events that transpired before brain injury

Question 30

Cerebral cortex

Answer 30

outer surface of the brain

Question 31

Gyri

Answer 31

bumps of the brain

Question 32

Sulci

Answer 32

folds of the brain

Question 33

Frontal lobe

Answer 33

Prefrontal cortex: manages executive function by supervising and directing operations of other brain regions
Association area: an area that integrates input from diverse regions of the brain
Perception area: perform rudimentary perceptual and motor tasks
Broca’s area: vitally important for speech production; usually found in left hemisphere

Question 34

Parietal lobe

Answer 34

Somatosensory cortex is located on the postcentral gyrus and is involved in somatosensory information processing

Question 35

Occipital lobe

Answer 35

contains visual cortex and sections have also been implicated in learning and motor control

Question 36

Temporal lobe

Answer 36

Auditory cortex: primary site of most sound processing, including speech, music, and other sound information
Wernicke’s area: associated with language reception and comprehension
Also functions in memory processing, emotion, and language

Question 37

Dominant hemisphere

Answer 37

usually the left; primarily analytic in function, making it well-suited for managing details; language, logic, and math skills

Question 38

Nondominant hemisphere

Answer 38

associated with intuition, creativity, music cognition, and spatial processing

Question 39

Anterior pituitary (endocrine system)

Answer 39

releases hormones that regulate activities of endocrine glands elsewhere in the body; controlled by the hypothalamus

Question 40

Adrenal medulla (endocrine system)

Answer 40

releases epinephrine and norepinephrine as part of sympathetic nervous system

Question 41

Adrenal cortex

Answer 41

produces hormones called corticosteroids; contributes to sexual functioning by producing sex hormones (testosterone and estrogen)