The Brain Flashcards
True or false: human cognition is limited
True; we cannot do two things at once
What is delivered to the brain through the blood
Oxygen and glucose
What is the brain a large consumer of
Metabolites
True or false: the brain is 15.66% of our total weight
False; it is only 2% of our total weight
Metabolite
A substance necessary for a living organism to maintain lfie
True or false: one neuron firing suppresses the firing of other nearby neurons
True; if two neurons are hooked up in an inhibitory way both fire, then neither can fire and vigorously as it would’ve
Brain stem
Responsible for many neural functions; comprised of the medulla, pons, midbrain, and diencephalon
Cerebral hemispheres
Responsible for our cognitive abilities and conscious experiences; comprised of the cerebral cortex, white matter, and subcortical structures
Cerebellum
The distinctive structure at the back of the brain that controls the motor functions
Cerebral cortex
the outermost grey matter of the cerebrum
Basal ganglia
Subcortical structures of the cerebral hemispheres involved in voluntary movement
Limbic system
Includes the subcortical structures of the amygdala and hippocampal formation and some cortial structures responsible for aversion and gratification
Contralateral
Opposite side; functions are processes in the opposite hemisphere
Lateralized
To the side; specific functions reside in one hemisphere
Grey matter
The outer greyish regions of the brain comprised of the neurons cell bodies
White matter
The inner whitish regions of the cerebrum comprised of the myelinated axon of neuron
What are cell bodies responsible for
Metabolism and synthesizing proteins
Converging evidence
Similar findings reported from multiple studies using different methods
Phrenology
Popular in the first half of the 19th century; correlates bumps and indentations of the skull with specific brain functions
Spatial resolution
Refers to how small the elements of an image are; how small of a structure in the brain can be imaged
Temporal resolution
Refers to how small a unit of time can be measured
Magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)
Detects changes in white or grey matter to be correlated with behavior
Transcranial magnetic stimulation(TMS)
a technique where a magnetic pulse is applied to the brain to show when events happened in the brain
Transcranial direct current stimulation(tDCS)
Uses electrical current for a longer period of time than TMS to show when events happened in the brain
Positron emission tomography(PET)
Records blood flow in the brain to demonstrate what areas were active during the brain during tasks
Functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI)
Relies on blood flow in the brain and measures changes in oxygen levels to demonstrate what areas were active during the brain during takss
Electroencephalography(EEG)
Measures the electrical activity of the brain and has a higher temporal resolution than PET or fMRI
Diffuse optical imaging(DOI)
Measures infrared light that comes out of the brain(when infrared is show through the brain) to detect changes in blood oxygen levels and active neurons
