The Brain Flashcards
A long tubelike structure attached to a neuron that transmits impulses away from the neuron cell body. They vary in length. Some are just a tiny fraction of an inch. Some stretch to several feet long!
Axon
A white, fatty substance that insulates axons and enables rapid transmission of neural impulses.
Myelin
The cell body of the neuron. The cell body carries genetic information, maintains the neuron’s structure, and provides energy to drive activities.
Soma
a fist-sized portion of the brain located at the back of the head, below the temporal and occipital lobes and above the brainstem. Like the cerebral cortex, it has two hemispheres. The outer portion contains neurons, and the inner area communicates with the cerebral cortex. Its function is to coordinate voluntary muscle movements and to maintain posture, balance and equilibrium.
Cerebellum
The stalk-like structure at the back of the brain that is made up of the midbrain, pons, and the medulla oblongata. It regulates the heart and breathing, as well as the central nervous system and the sleep cycle.
the Brainstem
A part of the brainstem that is a very complex structure with a range of different neuron clusters neural pathways and other structures. These features facilitate various functions, from hearing and movement to calculating responses and environmental changes.
Midbrain
A part of the brainstem that is the origin for four of the 12 cranial nerves, which enable a range of activities such as tear production, chewing, blinking, focusing vision, balance, hearing and facial expression. Named for the Latin word for “bridge,” it is the connection between the midbrain and the medulla.
Pons
At the bottom of the brainstem, where the brain meets the spinal cord. It is essential to survival, with functions that regulate many bodily activities, including heart rhythm, breathing, blood flow, and oxygen and carbon dioxide levels. It produces reflexive activities such as sneezing, vomiting, coughing and swallowing. (Hopkinsmedicine.org)
Medulla
This area at the front of brain comprises gray matter (the cerebral cortex) and white matter at its center. The largest part of the brain. It initiates and coordinates movement and regulates temperature. Other areas enable speech, judgment, thinking and reasoning, problem-solving, emotions, learning, vision, hearing, touch and other senses. (Hopkinsmedicine.org)
Cerebrum
The largest lobe of the brain. It is located in the front of the head. It is involved in personality characteristics, decision-making and movement. Recognition of smell usually involves parts of this. (hopkinsmedicine.org). Broca’s area is a part of this lobe responsible for breathing patterns and vocalizations when speaking.
The Frontal Lobe
This is the middle part of the brain. This lobe helps a person identify objects and understand spatial relationships (where one’s body is compared with objects around the person). This lobe is also involved in interpreting pain and touch in the body. This lobe houses Wernicke’s area, which helps the brain understand spoken language. (hopkinsmedicine.org)
The Parietal Lobe
the back part of the brain that is involved with vision. (hopkinsmedicine.org)
The Occipital Lobe
found on the sides of the brain. These lobes are involved in short-term memory, speech, musical rhythm and some degree of smell recognition. (hopkinsmedicine.org)
The Temporal Lobe
This extends from the brain down the back. It is a column of nerves about as thick as a thumb, protected by the bones of the spine. It transmits messages between the brain and the muscles and the glands throughout the body.
The Spinal Cord
This part of the brain helps people set and achieve goals. It receives input from multiple regions of the brain to process information and adapts accordingly. It contributes to a wide variety of executive functions, including: Focusing one’s attention. (goodtherapy.com)
The Prefrontal Cortex
This part of the brain lies below the thalamus. It is a tiny but important area that is involved in many aspects of behavior such as the regulating of body temperature, the storage of nutrients, motivation and emotions. It is also involved in hunger, thirst, sexual behavior and caring for offspring.
The Hypothalamus
a curved seahorse-shaped organ on the underside of each temporal lobe. It supports memory, learning, navigation and perception of space. It receives information from the cerebral cortex and may play a role in Alzheimer’s disease. (hopkinsmedicine.org)
The Hippocampus
two small, almond-shaped structures, located under each half (hemisphere) of the brain. Included in the limbic system, they regulate emotion and memory and are associated with the brain’s reward system, stress, and the “fight or flight” response when someone perceives a threat. They act like a guard dog and spring into action if they perceive we are in danger. (hopkinsmedicine.org, Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain, by Zaretta Hammond)
The Amygdala
Also known as the Master Gland, it is a pea-sized structure found deep in the brain behind the bridge of the nose. This gland governs the function of other glands in the body, regulating the flow of hormones from the thyroid, adrenals, ovaries and testicles. It receives chemical signals from the hypothalamus through its stalk and blood supply. (hopkinsmedicine.org)
The Pituitary Gland
The brain’s sensory control center, located on top of the brainstem: it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla.
Thalamus
The brain and the spinal cord together make this
Central Nervous System
The sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body
Peripheral Nervous System
The division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body’s skeletal muscles
Somatic Nervous System
The part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs (such as the heart).
Autonomic Nervous System
A nerve network that that travels through the brainstem into the thalamus and plays an important role in controlling arousal
reticular formation Reticular Activating System
A neural system that includes the amygdala, hypothalamus and hippocampus, located below the cerebral hemispheres and is associated with emotions and drive.
Limbic System
The large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them.
Corpus Callosum
The areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions. They are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking.
Association Areas
The intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres; the body’s ultimate control and information processing center.
Cerebral Cortex
