Unit 4: The brain pt2 Flashcards
limbic system
sits on top of the brain stem. Helps process emotions of joy, happiness, excitment, or pleasure or anger, fear
lobes
the division of the cerebral cortex. broken down by there locations and functions.
medualla
is responsible for maintaining and reglating heart beat, breathing, digestion, swalloing and even snezzing.
meninges
three layers of covering that protect the brain.
midbrain
located just above the pons- involved in vision movement hearing and muscle coordination
motor cortex
involved in voluntary movements, receiving information to work with other parts of the brain.
nucleus accumbens
located near the thalamus but is a part of the frontal lobe; has a primary role of cognitive processing of pleasure, aversion, motivation, learning, and reward..
occipital lobes
at the back of each hemisphere; processes visual signals and coordinates various aspects of vision; part of the lobe is the primary visual cortex which has an important role in interpreting information so a person knows what they’re seeing
parietal lobe
behind each frontal lobe; is important for processing sensory signals such as touch, pressure, temperature, and pain
pia mater
innermost layer of the meninges meaning “soft mother”
pituitary gland
regulates stress, growth, and reproduction including some parts of pregnancy and childbirth; sends signals to other glands which release their own hormones
pons
a mass of nerve fibers that send info from the brain stem to the cerebellum and cortex
reticular activating system
part of the reticular formation; is responsible for regulating the sleep-wake cycle
reticular formation
a network of nerves that carry messages between parts of the brain stem, helps regulate the intensity of pain and controls some parts of the body; also helps people focus on useful sensory imput while filtering out unnecessary stimuli
somatosensory cortex
a specific area of the parietal lobe where signals are received
sulcus/sulci
ridges groves in the brain
temporal lobes
near the ears; are important for processing auditory information and auditory memory
thalamus
sends signals between the brain stem and the cortex
thyroid gland
secretes thyroxin
ventromedial hypothalamus
regulates feelings of fullness
visual association cortex
helps us recognize lines, angles, shapes, shadows, and movement
wernicke’s area
processes spoken and written language
acromegaly
a potentially disfiguring and deadly condition that includes major swelling of the soft tissue aka hands, feet, nose, lips, and ears
adrenal glands
sits on top of the kidneys and release adrenaline
agnosia
a condition in which familiar objects become unrecognizable
brain lateralization
division of work between hemispheres.
electrode
stimulates a specific area of the brain
endocrine system
plays a critical role in raising and lowering blood sugar, making u feel hungry or full, regulates metabolism and sleep; slower to operate than the central nervous system but its effect lasts longer
gigantism
excessive growth and height
gonads
secrete hormones that regulate development of sex characteristics
hormone
chemical messengers, mostly those manufactured by the endocrine glands, that are produced in one tissue and affect another
neuroanatomy
the study of the structure of the nervous systems
neuroplasticity
the reorganization of neural pathways as a result of experience
