The Brain Flashcards
What three regions make up the brain?
- central core
- limbic system
- the cerebral cortex
What makes up the central core?
- Spinal cord
- medulla
- the cerebellum
What is grey matter?
Nerve cell bodies
What is white matter?
Nerve cell fibres
The cerebrum has a _______ which allows for more connections
Convoluting surface area
What connects the two cerebral hemispheres?
The corpus callosum
What is the function of the somatosensory area of the cerebral hemisphere?
Receives impulses from receptors in the skin, organs and muscles
What does the somatosensory association do?
Receives impulses from somatosensory area which it analyses, interprets and may ‘act on’: also stores memories of previous experiences
What is the function of the visual area of the cerebral hemisphere?
Receives impulses from retina and interprets these as images involving shape, colour and so on
What is the function of the visual association?
Receives impulses from visual area and brings about recognition of observed objects by referring to memory of previous visual experiences
What does the auditory region control?
Receives impulses from the cochlea and interprets these as sounds involving pitch, volume and so on
What does the auditory association do?
Receives impulses from the auditory area and brings about conversion of sounds into recognisable patterns, which can be understood from previous experience
What is carried about by the pre-motor association?
Receives messages from other association areas and stores memories of past motor experiences, enabling it to plan and control complex sequences of motor activities such as writing
What does motor association carry out in the brain?
Receives messages from other areas e.g premotor association and obeys orders by sending motor impulses to appropriate skeletal muscles
What does the speech motor do?
Receives messages from other parts of cerebrum: translates thoughts into speech by sending impulses to the appropriate parts of the motor area which in turn send motor impulses to muscles controlling lips, tongue and vocal cords
