The Brain Flashcards
Gyrus (gyri)
Convoluted ridges on surface of brain
Sulcus (sulci)
groove in surface of brain.
Provides a larger surface area
Central sulcus
Separates frontal and parietal lobes
Precentral Gyrus
In front of central sulcus
Coordinates motor movement
Postcentral gyrus
Behind central sulcus
Coordinates sensory activity
Frontal Lobes
Function: Motor skills, higher-level thinking, cognitive function
Parietal Lobes
Gives us perspective and helps us understand touch, space, & volume
Temporal Lobes
Need to figure out
Occipital Lobes
Related to vision
Lateral fissure
separates cerebrum & cerebellum
Cerebellum
Voluntary motor movement and balance
Receives input from other areas of brain
Dura Mater
Meninges that cover the brain
Function: Protection
Falx Cerebri
Part of dura mater. Sits in longitudinal fissure between hemispheres
Longitudinal Fissure
Separates two hemispheres on brain
Superior sagittal sinus
Little “hole” looks like a triangle, formed from the falx cerebri
Drains venous blood
Corpus collosum
Band of nerves fibers that separate hemispheres. Help the two sides to communicate
Lateral ventricles
Contain CSF
Septum Pellucidum
Vertical membrane separating left and right lateral horns
Fornix
Connects the hippocampus to the hypothalmus
Thalamus
Regulates sleeping & wakefulness states
Hypothalamus
Body’s thermostat
Intermediate mass
Little section in the middle of the thalamus
Function: Band of grey matter joining the thalami
Third ventricle
Filled with CSF to protect the brain
Internal capsule
White matter
Function: Major route by which cortex connects with brainstem
Cerebral cortex
Gray Matter
Putamen
Part of the lentiform nucleus (lateral)
Globus Pallidus
Regulation of voluntary movement
Insula (isle of Riel)
Fifth lobe, under temporal lobe
Function: Taste perception
Pineal body
Secretion of melatonin
Corpora Quadrigemina
Four “bumps” called superior colliculi and inferior colliculi
Function: Reflex centers for Superior - vision, and inferior - sound
Medulla
Controls autonomic functions such as heart rate
Pituitary Gland
Small endocrine organ
Function: Involved in growth hormone
Infundibulum
(Pituitary stalk)
Function: Connects gland to base of brain
Mammillary Body
Involved with olfactory reflexes
Cerebral peduncles
Large bundle of nerve fibers
Function: Main connection from cerebral hemispheres to brain stem
Pons
Helps relay messages from brain to spinal cord
Olfactory Bulb
Relays sensory messages to olfactory tract (sense of smell)
Olfactory Tract
Sensory - smell
Optic nerve
Sensory, afferent, vision
Optic chiasm
Where the signals from each eye meet to go to the brain
Optic tract
Sensory; afferent; vision
Trigeminal nerve
Responsible for sensation in the face
Oculomotor Nerve
Helps direct eyeball
Abducens Nerve
Motor nerves of eye
Trochlear nerve
Eye movement - down & lateral
Hypoglossal nerve
Motor nerve below tongue
Spinal accessory nerve
Rotation of head
Choroid plexus
Where CSF is produced
Fourth ventricle
Contains CSF for protection
Arbor Vitae
“tree like” white matter in cerebellum
Sensory and motor info to and from cerebellum
parietal-occipital sulcus (human brain only)
Separates parietal and occipital lobes