YR11 - SAC: Chapter 5 Review Flashcards
What is the function of the brain?
The role of the cerebral cortex is the processing of complex sensory information, the initiation of voluntary movements, language, symbolic thinking and the regulation of emotion, including localisation of function
What is the structure of the brain?
The brain is made up of three parts: the hindbrain (cerebellum, medulla), midbrain (reticular formation) and the forebrain (hypothalamus, thalamus, cerebrum)
What is the role of the cerebellum (hindbrain)?
Receives information from the pons, coordinates the sequence of body movement, perception and cognition, balance and fine muscle movement
What is the role of the medulla (hindbrain)?
A continuation of the spine,
Controls breathing, heartbeat, digestion, and other vital bodily functions
Explain ‘reticular formation’
A network of neurons that is part of both the midbrain and hindbrain and connects the hindbrain and forebrain,
It controls arousal and the ‘sleeping and waking cycle’
What is grey matter?
The cell body predominate giving the cerebral cortex a greyish brown appearance
What is white matter?
A large concentration of myelin gives this tissue an opaque white appearance
What is the role of the pons (hindbrain)?
Receive information sent from visual areas to control eye and body actions, controls movement, breathing, sleeping, dreams and waking
What is the role of the brainstem (hindbrain)?
Acts as a relay centre connecting the cerebrum and cerebellum to the spinal cord. It performs many automatic functions such as breathing, heart rate, body temperature,
What is the structure of the cerebrum? (forebrain)
Divided into left and right cerebral hemispheres
Separated by the longitudinal fissure - A deep groove that runs from the front to rear of the cortex
Explain the 3 main parts of the cerebrum…
Sensory areas – receive information about senses such as vision, sound, smell etc.
Motor cortex – transmits information about body movements.
Association cortex – integrates sensory and motor information.
What is the role of the hypothalamus? (forebrain)
Controls basic survival actions:
Expression of emotions and the four F’s - Feeding, fighting, fleeing and fornication
What is the role of the thalamus? (forebrain)
The communications centre of the brain -
- Enables an organism to process sensory stimuli in the environment
- To determine which of the incoming sensory information is most important for us to pay attention to
What is the cerebral cortex referring to?
The outer layer of each hemisphere - a thin layer that covers the hemispheres
List the role of the frontal lobes
- The largest lobes
- Functions include initiating movement of the body (motor functions)
- Language, planning, judgement, problem-solving, aspects of personality and regulation of emotions
List the role of the parietal lobes
- Receive sensations such as touch, pressure, temperature and pain from the body
- Includes somatosensory cortex
List the roles of the temporal lobes
- Process is auditory information
* Performs complex auditory analysis that is necessary for understanding human speech or listening to music
List the roles of the occipital lobes
- entirely concerned with vision
- information from the left side of each retina is processed in the left occipital lobe and information from the right side of each retina is processed in the right occipital lobe
Define the primary cortices
Primary cortices receive information from the lobe they are responsive to, for example:
- The primary visual cortex receives visual information from their eyes – occipital lobe
- the primary auditory cortex receives sound information from the ears - temporal lobe
- the primary somatosensory cortex receives information from sense receptors in the skin - parietal lobe
Explain hemispheric specialisation
Hemispheric specialisation refers to the specialisation and dominance of certain functions by each of the cerebral hemispheres of the brain
Right hemispheric functions
Non-verbal functions are those which do not require the use of recognition of words
For example
Creativity, imagination, intuition, control the left side of the body
Left hemispheric functions
Verbal functions that require the use or recognition of words
Example: Logic, analytical thought, number skills and right body control
Define Broca’s area
This area plays an important role in the production of articulate speech
Define Wernicke’s area
Its function is the comprehension of words. It is involved with interpreting sounds, especially of human speech
