the brain Flashcards
what are the 3 divisions of the brain
hindbrain, midbrain, forebrain
what are the parts of the hindbrain
contains the medulla oblongata and cerebellum
describe the hindbrain physically
Located at the back of the head at the base of the brain and looks like an extension of the spinal cord
describe the functioning on the medulla oblongata
Controls the involuntary processes of the autonomic nervous system involved in-
-Respiratory centre: breathing regulation
-Cardiac Centre: heart rate, blood pressure
-Digestion and reflexes like swallowing, chocking and
-sneezing
what happens if the medulla oblongata is damaged
If damaged, a person will require life support machines to regulate breathing and heart function. Significant damage = “brain dead”.
what does the cerebellum do
Receives messages from muscles, tendons, joints, and structures in our ear
in charge of
-Balance, posture and coordination of muscles
-Muscle memory and motor learning
-Everyday voluntary but automatic tasks, i.e. walking & writing
what happens if the cerebellum is damaged
Affected by alcohol. If damaged, a person may move in uncoordinated ways
describe the midbrain physically
Located in between the forebrain and hindbrain in the centre of the brain.
Contains the reticular formation
what does the reticular formation do
Screens incoming information; exerts some control over which sensory signals reach the cerebrum and come to our conscious attention. Prevents overload.
describe the forebrain
The largest and most highly developed part of the brain. Top “brain” looking part
what does the forebrain contain
Contains the Thalamus, Hypothalamus, and Cerebrum
describe the thalamus/what does it do
Relay sensory and motor signals to and from the cerebral cortex
what does the hypothalamus do
Regulates-
o Body temperature
o water levels
o Sleep
o Sex drive
o Food intake
describe the cerebrum
Primary control centre for voluntary muscle movements Primary processing centre of sensory information
Higher functioning – memory, logic, personality
Includes the Corpus callosum and Cerebral cortex
describe the corpus callosum
Connects the right and left hemispheres of the brain and allows them to communicate.
describe the cerebral cortex
Outermost layer of the cerebrum. Comprises of folded grey matter.
can be subdivided into lobes defined by deep groves/fissures
There are four lobes
what are the four lobes of the cerebral cortex
Frontal, temporal, occipital and parietal lobes
what does the primary motor cortex do
generates neural impulses that control the execution of voluntary movement;
o action potentials are sent from the PMC via fast myelinated motor neurons these activate groups of muscles to achieve movement.
o The amount of brain matter devoted to any body part represents the amount of control the primary motor cortex has over that body part.
o Nerve impulses cross the body’s midline to activate skeletal muscles on the opposite side of the body – contralateral control; the left hemisphere of the brain controls voluntary movement on the right side of the body and vice versa.
describe the prefrontal cortex
Responsible for executive functioning;
-Abstract thinking
-Decision making / problem solving
-Goal orientated behaviour / planning / motivation
-Logic
-Judgement and reasoning
-Emotional regulation
-Personality
not fully developed till 25
describe broca’s area
Motor speech area - helps in movements required to form words
what happens if brocas area is damaged
When there is an issue in the Broca’s area, a patient can sequence words to make meaningful speech but has difficulty producing the words; this is called Broca’s aphasia.
what makes up the temporal lobe
primary auditory cortex and wernickes area
describe the primary auditory cortex
Processing of auditory (sound) stimuli
Neurons in the Primary Auditory Cortex are organized according to the frequency of sound to which they respond best. Neurons at one end of the auditory cortex respond best to low frequencies (low pitch); neurons at the other respond best to high frequencies (high pitch).
what happens if the primary auditory cortex is damaged
Destruction of one side primary auditory cortex only slightly reduces hearing in the opposite ear- contralateral control of the body by the brain. Affect one’s ability to localize the source of a sound, because comparative signals in both cortices are required to detect the direction a sound is coming from.
