Study Guide 3 Part I Flashcards
Neuroscience
The scientific study of the nervous system, especially the brain.
Who is Phineas Gage?
Gage became the most famous patient in the annals of neuroscience, because his case was the first to suggest a link between brain trauma and personality change.
Who is Roger Sperry?
He was an American Psychobiologist who discovered that the human brain is actually made up of two parts. He found out that both the left and right parts of the human brain have specialized functions and that the two sides can operate independently.
Corpus Callosum
A broad band of nerve fibers joining the two hemispheres of the brain.
What are the Left and Right Brain Hemispheres?
If you would split the brain right down the middle into twosymmetrical, or equal parts, you would have a right and left hemisphere. Although
equal in size, these two sides are not the same, and do not carry out the same functions.
The left side of the brain isresponsiblefor controlling the right side of the body. It also performs tasks that have to do with logic, such as in science andmathematics.
On the other hand, the righthemispherecoordinates the left side of the body, and performs tasks that have do withcreativityand the arts.
Both hemispheresare connected by the corpus callosum and serve the body in different ways.
The Brain
An organ of soft nervous tissue contained in the skull of vertebrates, functioning as the coordinating center of sensation and intellectual and nervous activity. Organ of social adaptation.
Frontal Lobe
The largest lobe of each cerebral hemisphere; processes voluntary muscle movements and is involved in thinking, planning, and emotional control - consciousness.
Temporal Lobe
An area on each hemisphere of the cerebral cortex, near the temples, that is the primary receiving area for auditory information.
Parietal Lobe
An area on each hemisphere of the cerebral cortex located above the temporal lobe that processes somatic (touch, taste, etc.) sensations.
Occipital Lobe
An area at the back of each cerebral hemisphere that is the primary receiving area for visual information.
Amygdala
An almond-shaped cluster of neurons in the brain’s temporal lobe, involved in memory and emotional responses, especially fear - unconscious. Only portion of the brain fully developed from birth.
Hippocampus
A curved forebrain structure that is part of the limbic system and is involved in learning and forming new memories.
Prefrontal Cortex
The gray matter of the anterior part of the frontal lobe
that is highly developed in humans and plays a role in the regulation of complex cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functioning, also self-control. Not fully developed until you’re 25 years old.
Nervous System
The nervous system is a complex system of nerves which allows you to register touch, move, breathe, feel and think. The nervous system includes your brain, spinal cord, and the nerves that travel throughout your body.
Central Nervous System
Comprised of the brain and spinal cord. The CNS receives sensory information from the nervous system and controls the body’s responses.
