The Brain Flashcards
Surgical removal of brain tissue.
Ablation
Subcortical structures of the cerebral hemispheres involved in voluntary movement.
Basal ganglia
The “trunk” of the brain comprised of the medulla, pons, midbrain, and diencephalon.
Brain stem
Surgical procedure in which the corpus callosum is severed (used to control severe epilepsy).
Callosotomy
The outermost gray matter of the cerebrum; the distinctive convolutions characteristic of the
mammalian brain.
Cerebral cortex
Surgical procedure in which the corpus callosum is severed (used to control severe epilepsy).
Cerebellum
The cerebral cortex, underlying white matter, and subcortical structures
Cerebral hemispheres
Usually refers to the cerebral cortex and associated white matter, but in some texts includes
the subcortical structures.
Cerebrum
Literally “opposite side”; used to refer to the fact that the two hemispheres of the brain process
sensory information and motor commands for the opposite side of the body (e.g., the left
hemisphere controls the right side of the body).
Contralateral
Similar findings reported from multiple studies using different methods.
Converging evidence
A slice that runs from head to foot; brain slices in this plane are similar to slices of a loaf of
bread, with the eyes being the front of the loaf.
Coronal plane
A neuroimaging technique that infers brain activity by measuring changes in light as it is
passed through the skull and surface of the brain.
Diffuse optical imaging
A neuroimaging technique that measures electrical brain activity via multiple electrodes on
the scalp.
Electroencephalography
The front most (anterior) part of the cerebrum; anterior to the central sulcus and responsible
for motor output and planning, language, judgment, and decision-making
Frontal lobe
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI): A neuroimaging technique that infers brain
activity by measuring changes in oxygen levels in the blood.
Functional magnetic resonance imaging
The outer grayish regions of the brain comprised of the neurons’ cell bodies.
Gray matter
A fold between sulci in the cortex.
Gyrus/ Gyri(plural)
A slice that runs horizontally through a standing person (i.e., parallel to the floor); slices of
brain in this plane divide the top and bottom parts of the brain; this plane is similar to slicing
a hamburger bun.
Horizontal plane
To the side; used to refer to the fact that specific functions may reside primarily in one hemisphere or the other (e.g., for the majority individuals, the left hemisphere is most
responsible for language).
Lateralized
A region in the brain that suffered damage through injury, disease, or medical intervention.
Lesion
Includes the subcortical structures of the amygdala and hippocampal formation as well as
some cortical structures; responsible for aversion and gratification.
Limbic system
A substance necessary for a living organism to maintain life
Metabolite
Region of the frontal lobe responsible for voluntary movement; the motor cortex has a
contralateral representation of the human body
Motor cortex
Fatty tissue, produced by glial cells (see module, “Neurons”) that insulates the axons of the
neurons; myelin is necessary for normal conduction of electrical impulses among neurons.
Myelin
Naming convention
Nomenclature
The back most (posterior) part of the cerebrum; involved in vision
Occipital lobe
The part of the cerebrum between the frontal and occipital lobes; involved in bodily sensations,
visual attention, and integrating the senses
Parietal lobe
A now-discredited field of brain study, popular in the first half of the 19th century that
correlated bumps and indentations of the skull with specific functions of the brain.
Phrenology
A neuroimaging technique that measures brain activity by detecting the presence of a
radioactive substance in the brain that is initially injected into the bloodstream and then pulled
in by active brain tissue.
Positron emission topography
A slice that runs vertically from front to back; slices of brain in this plane divide the left and
right side of the brain; this plane is similar to slicing a baked potato lengthwise.
Sagittal plane
The region of the parietal lobe responsible for bodily sensations; the somatosensory cortex
has a contralateral representation of the human body
Somatosensory cortex
A term that refers to how small the elements of an image are; high spatial resolution means
the device or technique can resolve very small elements; in neuroscience it describes how
small of a structure in the brain can be imaged.
Spatial resolution
A patient who has had most or all of his or her corpus callosum severed
Split brain pateint
Structures that lie beneath the cerebral cortex, but above the brain stem
Subcortical
A groove separating folds of the cortex.
Sulci (plural)/Sulcus
The part of the cerebrum in front of (anterior to) the occipital lobe and below the lateral fissure;
involved in vision, auditory processing, memory, and integrating vision and audition.
Temporal lobe
A term that refers to how small a unit of time can be measured; high temporal resolution
means capable of resolving very small units of time; in neuroscience it describes how precisely
in time a process can be measured in the brain.
Temporal resolution
A neuroscience technique that passes mild electrical current directly through a brain area by
placing small electrodes on the skull
Transcranial direct current stimulation
A neuroscience technique whereby a brief magnetic pulse is applied to the head that
temporarily induces a weak electrical current that interferes with ongoing activity.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation
The half of visual space (what we see) on one side of fixation (where we are looking); the left
hemisphere is responsible for the right visual hemifield, and the right hemisphere is
responsible for the left visual hemifield.
Visual hemifield
The inner whitish regions of the cerebrum comprised of the myelinated axons of neurons in
the cerebral cortex
White matter
