Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

(old)SK298 > Week 2 - Structure of the brain > Flashcards

Week 2 - Structure of the brain Flashcards

1
Q

Negative feedback loops in which part/s of the brain ensure that cortisol levels do not rise indefinitely?

A
  • Hypothalamus
  • Pituitary gland
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is the enteric nervous system?

A

An internal network of neurons within the gut which can work independently and in concert with the brain

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What is the ‘gut-brain axis’?

A

Bidirectional communication between the brain and the GI tract involving the immune system, neurons and the endocrine system

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

How is the enteric nervous system different from the other parts of the peripheral nervous system?

A

There are some reflexes that operate entirely in the gut without any input from the CNS

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

At the simplest level, what are the three main parts of the brain?

A
  • Cerebrum
  • Cerebellum
  • Brain stem
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What regions are in the cerebrum?

A
  • Cerebral cortex
  • Subcortical regions
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

How big is the cerebrum?

A

It is the largest part of the brain

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Where is the cerebellum located?

A

In the back of, and below, the cerebrum

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What is the cerebellum associated with?

A
  • Control of balance
  • Movement
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Under what is the brain stem located?

A

Below the cerebrum

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is the brain stem responsible for?

A

Control of involuntary processes such as heart rate and breathing

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What is the structure that covers the cerebrum?

A

The cerebral cortex

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What are the four lobes of the cerebrum?

A
  • Frontal lobe
  • Occipital lobe
  • Parietal lobe
  • Temportal lobe
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What is the role of the frontal lobe?

A
  • Controlling movement and language
  • Higher cognitive skills such as reasoning and planning
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What is the role of the parietal lobe?

A
  • Processing information about touch
  • Spatial awareness
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What is the role of the temporal lobe?

A
  • Processing auditory information
  • Speech
  • Memory
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What is the role of the occipital lobe?

A
  • Processing visual information
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What is the name of the ridges found in the outer layer of the brain?

A

Gyri

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What is the name of the grooves found in the outer layer of the brain?

A

Sulci

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What is the prefrontal cortex?

A

A subdivision of the frontal lobe

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What is the prefrontal cortex responsible for?

A
  • Executive function
  • Planning complex behaviour
  • Decision-making
  • Moderating behaviour
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What is the orbitofrontal cortex?

A

A subregion of the prefrontal cortex

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What is the purpose of the orbitofrontal cortex?

A

It is involved in reward and emotions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What does the pituitary gland do?

A
  • Releases certain hormones into the blood
  • Responds to signals from the brain
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

How (directionally) is the top of the brain described?

A

In the dorsal, or superior, direction

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

How (directionally) is the lower part of the brain described?

A

The ventral, or inferior, direction

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

Where is the cerebellum located?

A

Towards the posterior of the brain, at the lowest point, spanning both hemispheres

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

In which region of the brain would you find the brain stem?

A

The ventral region

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

Where in the brain would you find the parietal lobe?

A

At the top and back, spanning both hemispheres

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

Where in the brain would you find the occipital lobe?

A

At the back, roughly mid-height, spanning both hemispheres

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

Where in the brain would you find the ooccipital lobe?

A

Low on the side on each hemisphere

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

Where in the brain is the prefrontal cortex?

A

The anterior region of the frontal lobe - the very front/topmost, spanning both hemispheres

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

Where would you find the motor cortex?

A

Just behind the prefrontal cortex, on both hemispheres

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

Where is the primary somatosensory cortex?

A

It is part of the occipital lobe, spanning both hemispheres at the back of the brain

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

What is the type of cut which divides the two hemispheres of the brain?

A

A sagittal cut

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

What is the singulate cortex responsible for?

A
  • Emotions
  • Resolving conflicts
  • Deciding a course of action
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
37
Q

What is the corpus callosum?

A

A large bundle of myelinated neurons which connects the two hemispheres

38
Q

How many ventricles does the brain have?

A

4r

39
Q

What is the hippocampus responsible for?

A
  • Organisation/retrieval of memories
  • Spatial learning tasks
  • Navigation
40
Q

What is the amygdala involved with?

A
  • Behaviour
  • Emotions
  • Retrieval of unpleasant memories
41
Q

What is the hypothalamus responsible for?

A
  • Control of emotional reactions
  • Eating
  • Drinking
  • Connects with pituitary gland to trigger hormonal secretions to emotions
42
Q

The brain stem consists of which areas?

A
  • Midbrain
  • Pons
  • Medulla
43
Q

What is the ventral tegmental area?

A

An area within the midbrain involved in addictions and rewards

44
Q

What is the ventral tegmental area responsible for:

A
  • Addiction
  • Rewards
45
Q

What do the pons play roles in?

A
  • Control of arousal
  • Waking
  • Sleep
46
Q

What subconscious processes does the medulla control?

A
  • Breathing
  • Digestion
  • Control of heart rate
  • Blood vessel function
47
Q

What is cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)?

A

Fluid which surrounds the brain and spinal cord.
It provides cushioning and buoyancy, protects against trauma, removes waste products

48
Q

What is the function of the nucleus accumbens?

A

It is an area which receives input from dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area

49
Q

What is the nucleus accumbens important for?

A
  • Motivation
  • Addictions
50
Q

What are the types of cells which form the blood-brain barrier?

A
  • Astrocytes
  • Pericytes
  • Endothelial cells
51
Q

What class of cells do astrocytes belong to?

A

Glial cells

52
Q

What is the main function of astrocytes?

A

To support the environment of the brain

53
Q

What is the function of pericytes within the blood-brain barrier?

A
  • Control brain blood flow
  • Maintain blood-brain barrier
54
Q

What types of substances may move across the blood-brain barrier?

A
  • Fat-soluble molecules such as oxygen and CO2
  • Glucose
  • Amino acids
55
Q

What types of substances are not able to pass across the blood-brain barrier?

A
  • Pathogens
  • Some drugs
56
Q

Which feature of the blood-brain barrier ensures that bacteria and viruses are unable to cross from blood vessels to the brain tissue?

A

The tight junctions between endothelial cells in the blood vessels

57
Q

What is the neurovascular unit?

A

The cells of the brain that help regulate the brain’s blood supply

58
Q

Which are the types of cells that make up the neurovascular unit?

A
  • Neurons
  • Astrocytes
  • Pericytes
  • Microglial cells
  • Endothelial cells
59
Q

What is one of the key functions of astrocytes?

A

To detect activity in neurons and alter dilation of local blood vessels accordingly

60
Q

What are the four ventricles of the brain?

A
  • Two lateral ventricles
  • Third ventricle
  • Fourth ventricle
61
Q

What is the choroid plexus?

A

A region of the ventricles that produces CSF via filtration of the blood

62
Q

How is CSF described?

A

As an ultra-filtrate of blood plasma

63
Q

What electrolytes does CSF contain?

A
  • Sodium ions
  • Chloride ions
  • Bicarbonate ions
64
Q

What is the lymbic system?

A

A group of structures which are involved with memory, emotion and arousal

65
Q

What are the structures of the lymbic system?

A
  • Hypothalamus
  • Hippocampus
  • Amygdala
66
Q

How does an MRI work?

A

A patient is exposed to a strong magnetic field and then to a radio-frequency wave, which affect the behaviour of nuclei atoms in water molecules

67
Q

What is the substantia nigra involved in?

A
  • Movement
  • Reward
  • Addiction
68
Q

What does an fMRI do?

A

Registers blood flow to functioning areas of tissue. It highlights brain areas that are active in a specific cognitive task

69
Q

How does a PET scan work?

A

Radiolabelled compounds are ingested and can be detected in brain regions where activity is high

70
Q

What does the ‘PET’ in PET scan stand for?

A

Positron emission topography

71
Q

What is spatial resolution?

A

A measure of the accuracy with which structures or activities can be localised within the brain and distinguished from one another

72
Q

What is temporal resolution?

A

A measure of the accuracy of recording changes over time

73
Q

What is a ‘default mode network’ (DMN)?

A

A collection of brain regions that are thought to be activated when an individual in in a ‘resting’ state

74
Q

Which regions are thought to be involved with the DMN (default mode network)?

A
  • Medial prefrontal cortex
  • Parietal cortex
  • Posterior cingulate cortex
75
Q

What is the salience network thought to be involved with?

A

Choosing which aspects of the external environment require the most focus at any given time

76
Q

What is the central executive network involved with?

A

Complex, cognitively demanding tasks

77
Q

What is a correlation coefficient?

A

A parameter that indicates the strength of a relationship between two variables

78
Q

How is a correlation coefficient expressed?

A
  • As a number between 1.0 and -1.0
  • Denoted by the symbol r (italicised)
79
Q

What are ‘fibre tracts’?

A

Bundles of axons that connect one brain region to another

80
Q

What is white matter?

A

Parts of the neuronal fibres which are coated in a myelinated sheath

81
Q

What are the names of the two classifications of fibre tracts within the brain?

A
  • Association fibres
  • Commissural fibres
82
Q

What function do association fibres perform within the brain?

A

They connect brain regions within the same hemisphere
(e.g. parts of the limbic system to the frontal lobe)

83
Q

What function do commissural fibres perform within the brain?

A

They connect regions across the he)

84
Q

What is the corpus callosum?

A

A large bundle of fibres which connects the two hemispheres of the brain

85
Q

What is ‘brain lateralisation’?

A

The tendency for one side of the brain to be dominant for a particular task

86
Q

For most people, which side of the brain is dominant for naming objects?

A

The left side

87
Q

Which side of the brain is mainly responsible for speech?

A

The left hemisphere

88
Q

What is DWI (diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging)?

A

A type of MRI which tracks the direction of movement of water molecules

89
Q

What can DWI (diffusion weighted MRI) be used for?

A

Mapping the pathways of fibre tracts

90
Q

What is a ‘connectome’?

A

A map of all the the various connections of fibre tracts within the brain

(old)SK298 (7 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions