Brain Structure and Function

amygdala

part of the limbic system; influences emotions such as aggression, fear, and self-protective behaviors

association areas

areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions, rather, they are involved in higher mental processes such as thinking, planning, and communicating

brain

portion of the CNS above the spinal cord; consists of hindbrain, midbrain, and forebrain

brainstem

top of the spinal column

Broca's area

located in left frontal lobe; controls production of speech

cerebellum

part of the brain that coordinates balance, movement, reflexes

(cerebral) cortex

wrinkled outer portion of brain; center for higher order brain functions such as thinking, planning, judgment; processes sensory information and directs movement

convolutions

the folds in the cerebral cortex that increase the surface area of the brain

corpus callosum

large band of white neural fibers that connects to to brain hemispheres and carries messages between them; myelinated; involved in intelligence, consciousness, and self-awareness; does it reach full maturity until 20s

forebrain

top of the brain which includes the thalamus, hypothalamus, and cerebral cortex; responsible for emotional regulation, complex thought, memory aspect of personality

frontal lobes

control emotional behaviors, make decisions, carry out plans; speech (Broca's area); controls movement of muscles

hindbrain

division which includes the cerebellum, Pons, and medulla; responsible for involuntary processes: blood pressure, body temperature, heart rate, breathing, sleep cycles

hippocampus

part of the limbic system and is involved in learning and forming new long-term memories

hypothalamus

area of the brain that is part of the limbic system and regulates behaviors such as, eating, drinking, sexual behaviors, motivation; also body temperature

limbic system

a donut ring-shaped of loosely connected structures located in the forebrain between the central core and cerebral hemispheres; consists of: septum, cingulate gyrus, endowments, hypothalamus, and to campus, and amygdala; associated with emotions and memories

medulla (also medulla oblongata)

Where most fibers cross, resulting in contralateral (opposite side0 099part of the brain which controls living functions such as breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature

midbrain

the middle division of brain responsible for hearing and sight; location where pain is registered; includes temporal lobe, occipital lobe, and most of the parietal lobe

motor projection areas

primary motor cortex; areas of the three boat cortex for response messages from the brain to the muscles and glands

neural plasticity

Ability of the brain to change their experience, both structurally and chemically

neurogenesis

production of new brain cells; November 1988: cancer patients proved that new neurons grew until the end of life

neuroscience

study of the brain and nervous system; overlaps with psychobiology

occipital lobes

primary area for processing visual information

parietal lobes

processes sensory information including touch, temperature, and pain from other body parts

pons

part of the brain involved in sleep/wake cycles; also connects cerebellum and medulla to the cerebral cortex

Wernicke's area

located in left temporal lobe; plays role in understanding language and making meaningful sentences

reticular formation (RF) (RES)

netlike system of neurons that weaves through limbic system and plays an important role in attention, arousal, and alert functions; arouses and alerts higher parts of the brain; anesthetics work by temporary shutting off RF system

spinal cord

portion of the CNS that carries messages to the PNS; connects brain to the rest of the body

psychobiology

study that focuses on biological foundations of behavior and mental processes; overlaps with neuroscience

temporal lobes

main area for hearing, understanding language (Wernicke's area), understanding music; smell

thalamus

motor sensory relay center for four of the five senses; and with a brain stem and composed of two egg-shaped structures; integrates in shades incoming sensory signals; Mnemonic-"don't smell the llamas because the llamas smell bad"

midbrain

the second level of the three organizational structures of the brain that receives signals from other parts of the brain or spinal cord and either relays the information to other parts of the brain or causes the body to act immediately; involved in movement

forebrain

largest, most complicated, and most advanced of the three divisions of the brain; comprises the thalamus, hypothalamus, limbic system, basal ganglia, corpus callosum, and cortex

split brain patients

people whose corpus callosum has been surgically severed

Phineas Gage

railroad worker who survived a severe brain injury that dramatically changed his personality and behavior; case played a role in the development of the understanding of the localization of brain function

hindbrain

the most primitive of the three functional divisions of the brain, consisting of the pons, medulla, reticular formation, and cerebellum