The Brain (Unit 2) Flashcards
Hippocrates
recognized that people’s injuries to the head altered their thoughts and actions
(the brain is the center of human functioning)
Phineas Gage (1848)
dynamite hit him in the head and he didn’t die
electroencephalogram (EEG)
records electric activity in the brain using electrodes
Stimulation
Areas of the brain can be stimulated electrically, chemically, or magnetically to observe outcome
Lesions
cut tiny parts of an animal’s brain to observe the resulting behavior
CT scans
computed tomography
PET scans
use radioactive glucose injections
MRI
(magnetic resonance imaging) shows soft brain tissue
fMRI
(functional MRI) shows brain activity
Hindbrain
reptilian or old brain; basic homeostatic function
Midbrain
mammalian brain; contains the limbic system, regulates appetite and sex drive
Forebrain
Also called the human or new brain; processes information from the external world
The Primitive Brain
The brainstem is the oldest part of the brain from the swelling spinal cord to its entry into the skull; responsible for automatic survival functions
Medulla
controls breathing, heart rate, and some of the body’s reflexes
Pons
Serves as a bridge between the brain and the spinal cord, produces chemicals the body’s need for sleep
reticular formation
in brainstem (extending from spinal cord to thalamus); filters out irrelevant stimuli to conserve energy;
thalamus
on top of brainstem; directs messages to sensory areas in cortex and transmits replies to cerebellum and medulla
Cerebellum
controls posture, balance, coordinates voluntary movements; role in memory, regulating emotions, and processing environment
The Limbic System
system of neural structures; at border of brainstem and cerebrum; associated with emotions like fear, aggression, drives for food and sex