Unit 3B,C: The Brain Flashcards
Brain scan that measures brain activity
Electroencephalogram (EEG)
Brain scan that uses large magnets to create a picture of the brain
MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
LOBES OF THE BRAIN
The blue area - controls complex thinking
Frontal Lobe
LOBES OF THE BRAIN
The yellow area
Parietal Lobe
LOBES OF THE BRAIN
The green area
Temporal Lobe
LOBES OF THE BRAIN
The red area - interprets visual information
Occipital Lobe
The area circled in red, a small “mini brain” at the bottom and back of the cerebral cortex - controls balance and reflexive movements
Cerebellum
Controls reflexive movements and balance
The “fist shaped” area within the brain which extends from the spinal cord, including the medulla, pons, and thalamus
Brainstem
A brain scanning technique that compares multiple MRI scans over time, and highlights the differences
In this picture - changes (active areas) shown in red
fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
Brain scanning technique which uses x-rays to produce an image of the brain
CT (Computed Tomography) Scan
The bottom part of the brainstem - controls autonomic processes such as heartbeat and breathing
Medulla
The middle part of the brainstem, looks like a lump
Pons
The top area in the brainstem, and the largest part
Is a virtual “switchboard” for the brain, directing most neuronal messages from the spinal cord to their appropriate location in the brain
Thalamus
The layer of tissue which connects the two hemispheres of the brain
Corpus Callosum
The system of brain structures that are located between the brainstem and the cerebrum
Limbic System
The entire outer area of the brain making up 80% of the brain’s weight, includes both “grey matter” and “white matter”
Pictured with the thalamus
Cerebrum
The outermost layer of the cerebrum, only 1/10 of an inch thick - “grey matter”
Pictured with the entire cerebrum and thalamus
Cerebral Cortex
The “comma” or “seahorse” shaped organ in the limbic system, which wraps around the thalamus
Controls Memory
Hippocampus
Part of the limbic system, located below the thalamus
Controls rewards, body temperature, and hunger
Hypothalamus
The part of the limbic system which controls emotions
Amygdala
The band across both hemispheres of the cerebrum that control messages concerned with sending signals to the body
Pictured in blue
Motor Cortex
The band across both hemispheres of the cerebrum that control messages concerned with receiving signals from the body
Pictured in yellow
Sensory Cortex
Area in the cerebral cortex which controls the production of speech
Broca’s Area
The area in the cerebral cortex which controls the interpretation of speech
Wernicke’s Area
The term for damage to one of the areas of the brain involved in the interpretation or creation of language (Broca’s or Wernicke’s Areas)
Aphasia
(Broca’s Aphasia would make a person unable to create speech)
Wernicke’s Aphasia would make a person unable to understand language)
The name for siblings who shared the same womb environment
Fraternal Twins
When a single fertilized egg splits into two embryos, both of which are genetically identical
Monozygotic (“Identical”) Twins
How can twin studies help us in “Nature Nurture” debates
We can compare the likelihood of certain traits in fraternal twins and identical twins, and any differences would be linked with genetic (nature) elements
