The Brain And Its Functions Flashcards

1
Q

How do we study the brain?

A

Accidents, lesions, Electroencephalogram (EEG.), computerized axial tomography (CAT scan), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and position emission tomography (PET scan)

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2
Q

Accidents

A

Example Phineas Gage, spike damaged his pre-frontal cortex, altered his personality, higher order thinking, behavior, and temper control. Different parts of the brain controls different parts of the human behavior

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3
Q

Lesions

A

Destroys a part of the brain in an animal or human following by studying the behavior caused by the destruction or removal of the brain, example frontal lobotomy’s destruction of the frontal cortex/lobe

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4
Q

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

A

Detect brain waves through their electrical output, lets the doctors know how your brain works

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5
Q

Computerized axial tomography (CAT scan)

A

3-D x-ray of the brain, good for locating abnormalities in the brain like tumors. Disadvantage of the CAT scan is that it tells nothing about the brain’s function

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6
Q

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

A

Takes a more detailed picture of the brain. MRI takes many still pictures and turns images into movie like production

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7
Q

Position emmission tomography (PET scan)

A

Measures how much a chemical of the brain is using (usually glucose consumption)

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8
Q

What are the four structures of the brain?

A

Hindbrain, midbrain, for brain, and cerebral cortex

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9
Q

What structures are in the hindbrain?

A

Cerebellum, pons, medulla oblongata

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10
Q

Cerebellum

A

Allows you to do automatic movements and not to think about it, “little brain”, coordinates fine muscle movements, located at the bottom of the brain

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11
Q

Pons

A

Located at the top of the medulla oblongata, involved in the control of facial expression, connects the hindbrain to the midbrain and forebrain, allows biting, chewing, and swallowing

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12
Q

Medulla Oblongata

A

Located at the top of the spinal cord, regulates basic biological functions of the human body (example breathing, sneezing, etc.)

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13
Q

Midbrain

A

Located on top of the pons, most importantly changing levels of arousal (attention), focuses attention when aroused, damage to the midbrain makes you unarousable

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14
Q

What structures of the brain are needed for basic evolutionary and survival functions?

A

Hindbrain and midbrain

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14
Q

Forebrain

A

The largest forebrains in all species, largest part of the brain

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15
Q

Thalamus

A

Information center of the brain, takes information coming and leaving the brain, communication, sensory information in, motor functions out

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16
Q

Limbic system

A

Hypothalamus, pituitary gland, hippocampus, and amygdala

17
Q

Hypothalamus

A

Important part of the brain, controls and regulates: body temperature, sexual arousal, hunger, thirst, endocrine system (hormones). One of the most powerful structures in the brain

18
Q

Pituitary gland

A

A small structure at the base of the brain which releases a wide variety hormones that, in turn, control the activity of the body’s other hormone glands, tied in with endocrine system

19
Q

Hippocampus

A

Involved in the processing and storage of memories

20
Q

Amygdala

A

Involved and how we process memories, more involved in volatile emotions like anger

21
Q

Cerebral cortex

A

High order thinking, personality. Contains gray matter, glial cells, and fissures.

22
Q

Gray matter

A

Densely packed neurons

23
Q

Glial cells

A

Support brain cells

24
Fissures
Wrinkles in the brain
25
Lobes of the cerebral cortex
Frontal lobe, parietal lobe, Temporel lobe, and occipital lobe
26
Hemispheres of the brain
Contralateral control, left and right hemisphere
27
Left hemisphere
Logic and Sequential tasks
28
Right hemisphere
Spatial and creative tasks
29
Corpus Colossum
Connects the right and left hemisphere
30
Frontal lobe
Abstract thought and emotional control. Contains motor cortex and Broca's area.
31
Motor cortex
Sends signals to our body controlling muscle movements
32
Broca's area
Responsible for controlling muscles that produce speech, damage involves not being able to speak
33
Parietal lobe
Behind frontal lobe, contains sensory cortex and of most of the parietal lobe has association areas
34
Sensory cortex
Receives incoming touch sensations from the rest of the body
35
Association areas
Any area not associated with receiving sensory information or coordinating muscle movements
36
Occipital lobe
Deals with vision, processes visual information
37
Temporal lobe
Processes sound, interpreted in auditory cortex, not lateralized, contains Wernike's area
38
Wernike's area
Interprets written and spoken speech, damaged won't be able to understand that language anymore
39
Brain plasticity
The idea that the brain, when damaged, will attempt to find new ways to reroute messages, children's brains are more plastic than adults