The mammilian brain Flashcards
What surrounds the brain
- meninges (membranes) surround the brain and isolates it from blood
What would happen if ablood vessel in the brain was damaged
stroke
What does a PET scan do?
- shows glucose usage and tells us which parts of brain is working
- Na/K pumps and synaptic transmittion uses ATP made from glucose
How does the brain develop during embryonic development
One end of the neural tube swells
What are the main sections of the brain
hindbrain, midbrain, forebrain
gyri
bumps of brain surface
sulci
crevices on brain surface
Wrinkly brain means what
more wrinkles = more grey matter = more unmyelinated neuron parts (connections) = more intelligence
white matter
axons in the brain (myelinated)
grey matter
synapses outside the brain (unmyelinated)
Brain stem general
The “reptilian part” of the brain the controls basic life functions.
It is the master switch and turns other parts of the brain on and off.
First and last area to show activity in life
Structure and parts of brain stem
- thickening/larger area where spinal cord meets brain
- smallest part
- hindbrain n midbrain
hindbrain
medulla oblongata and pons control autonomic NS (HR, BP, digestion, swallowing, vomitting, respiration)
midbrain
- connections between hindbrain and forebrain - it controls direction in which signals fire
- auditory and visual reflexes
What is reticular system?
Reticular activating system (RAS) regulates…
- sleep and awake
- sensory filtering (so you’re not overstiumlated)
EEG
Test that measures electrival activity in brain caused by sleep/awake
REM
- rapid eye movement sleep
- most dreams here
- more REM sleep = more working memory conversion to long term memory
alpha waves
awake and intense mental activity
beta waves
awake but quiet
delta waves
asleep
Cerebellum
- hindbrain but not brain stem
- regulates fine motor coordination, balance, body movement, posture
NOTE: large in birds since lots of balance for flying. Each feather can be changed, a lot of muscle coordination
Forebrain
most developped place divided into two sections…
- diencephalon
- cerebrum
Where is diencephalon found and whats in it
- part of forebrain
- thalamus + hypothalamus
diencephalon function
- directs sensory info from body to rest of brain (except smell)
where is the limbic system and whats found in it?
- part of the forebrain
- hippocampus and amygdala found here
- thalamus and hypothalamus also part of this system
What does the limbic system do?
- generates emotions and memories
- hippo moves short term to long term memory
- amygdala causes survival emotions like fear and anger (turns off hippo)
Where is the Cerebrum and whats found in it? structure
- part of the forebrain
- corpus callosum and cerebral cortex here
- lobes: frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital
- largest part and is divided into left and right
corpus callosum
- in forbrain in cerebrum
- connects L and R hemisphere in thick axon bundle
Cerebral cortex
think layer of gray matter surrounding cerebrum that are 1-4 mm thick
Lobes of cerebrum
occipital: vision (back)
temporal: hearing and smell (sides)
frontal: speech, emotions, motor control (front)
paretial: speech, taste, reading (top)
draw and label the brain diagram
