- controls the right side of the body - responsible for language/logic
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right hemisphere
- controls left side of body - deals with visual/spacial tasks
3
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cerebellum
balance
4
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medulla
breathing and heartbeat
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pons
helps coordinate movements and controls sleep
6
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reticular formation
relays important information from stimuli to other brain areas
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thalamus
receives information from all senses except smell --> reroutes them to different parts of the brain
8
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the limbic system
a system made up of several brain structures which are connected to each other, and which is located in the temporal zone of the brain (especially related to emotions)
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amygdala
fear and agression
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hippocampus
processes conscious memories
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hypothalamus
bodily maintenance - hunger, thirst, body temperature
12
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Cerebrum
the upper part of the brain, handling many different functions, including muscle movements, language, processing what senses pick up, etc.
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Cerebral Cortex
the outermost layer of the brain that is associated with our highest mental capabilities
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corpus collosum
ensures both sides of the brain can communicate and send signals to each other
15
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motor cortex
involved in the planning, control, and execution of voluntary movements
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sensory cortex
in charge of processing all the sensory information received throughout the day
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broca's area
responsible for speech production
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wernicke's area
responsible for comprehension of speech
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temporal lobe
recognition of speech, sound and visual information
20
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occipital lobe
participates in vision processing
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perietal lobe
involved with sensation of touch, information processing, and cognition
22
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frontal lobe
important for cognitive functions and control of voluntary movement or activity
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prefrontal cortex
plays a central role in cognitive control functions
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CAT scan
x-ray of brain structure
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PET scan
uses radioactive substance to examine glucose brain function (especially seizures and alzheimer disease)
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MRI
uses magnetic fields and radio waves to map structure (better resolution than CT/CAT)
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fMRI
maps structure and function (higher resolution than PET)
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EEG
measures brain waves
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MEG
looks at structure and function and takes a 3D image of the brain
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dendrites
receives messages from other cells
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cell body (soma)
the cell's life support center
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axon
passes message from cell body to other muscles/neurons/glands
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axon terminals
small fibers branching out from an axon
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resting potential
the difference in electric charge between the inside and outside of a neuron's cell membrane (negative charge when resting)
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excitatory signals
depolarize the cell membrane, increasing the likelihood that the neuron will fire
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inhibitory signals
hyperpolarize the cell, decreasing the likelihood that the neuron will fire
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treshold
the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse
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action potential
a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon (changes charge from negative to positive)
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all or none law
neurons completely fire or they don't
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synaptic cleft
the narrow gap that separates the presynaptic neuron from the postsynaptic cell
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absolute refractory period
switching back of sodium and potassium to their original places
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neurotransmitters
chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons
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reuptake
a neurotransmitter's reabsorption by the sending neuron
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myelination
the process by which neurons develop a myelin sheath allowing them to communicate faster
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Endorphins
pain reducing
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acetylcholine (ACh)
learning, memory, and muscle movement (alzheimer disease)
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dopamine
reward/pleasure
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serotonin
mood, linked to depression
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norepinephrine
alertness and arousal
50
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GABA
calming, inhibitary (slows down brain activity)
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glutamate
linked to memory, excitatory (increases brain activity)
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central nervous system
formed from the brain and spinal cord and is the body's decision maker
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cerebrospinal fluid
fluid in the space between the meninges that acts as a shock absorber that protects the CNS
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blood brain barrier
blood vessels (capillaries) that selectively let certain substances enter the brain tissue and keep other substances out
55
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peripheral nervous system
responsible for gathering information and for transmitting CNS decisions to other body parts
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somatic nervous system
enables voluntary control of our skeletal muscles
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autonomic nervous system
controls our glands and our internal organ muscles
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sympathetic division
arouses and expends energy
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parasympathetic division
conserves energy, promotes housekeeping functions during rest
60
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hormones
chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands, travel through the bloodstream, and affect other tissues
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pituitary gland
"master gland" regulates bodily functions through the hormones that it produces
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thyroid
regulates metabolism
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adrenal glands
a pair of endocrine glands that sit just above the kidneys and secrete hormones (epinephrine and norepinephrine) that help arouse the body in times of stress