Anatomy and Function of the Human Brain

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers the anatomical structures, developmental origins, and specific functional areas of the human brain as described in the lecture notes.

Prosencephalon

The secondary enlargement of the neural tube that eventually becomes the forebrain.

Mesencephalon

The middle enlargement of the neural tube that becomes the middle brain or midbrain.

Rhombencephalon

The bottom enlargement of the neural tube that develops into the hindbrain.

Telencephalon

A developmental division of the prosencephalon that grows significantly to form the cerebral hemispheres.

Diencephalon

A developmental division of the prosencephalon located in the center portions of the brain that becomes the thalamus, hypothalamus, and epithalamus.

Ventricles

Enlarged hollow spaces found inside the brain that are filled with cerebrospinal fluid.

Lateral ventricles

Two C-shaped ventricles found in the cerebral hemispheres.

Cerebral aqueduct

A narrow tube or canal that connects the third ventricle to the fourth ventricle.

Dura mater

Meaning "tough mother," this is the outermost meningeal layer made of dense connective tissue that helps keep the central nervous system in place.

Arachnoid mater

The middle meningeal layer that appears like a saran wrap-like white film covering the brain.

Subarachnoid space

The space located below the arachnoid mater that is filled with cerebrospinal fluid.

Pia mater

Meaning "soft mother," this is the shiny, delicate innermost layer that is impossible to separate from the brain tissue.

Meningitis

An infection occurring in the meninges that can cause fluid build-up and damaging pressure on the brain.

Falx cerebri

A fold of the dura mater that dips between the two hemispheres of the cerebrum.

Tentorium cerebelli

A fold of the dura mater that resides between the cerebrum and the cerebellum.

Gray matter

Darker-appearing brain tissue formed by unmyelinated portions of neurons.

White matter

Tissue that appears white because it is formed from the myelinated portions of neurons.

Gyri

The ridges or bulging parts of the brain that stick out from the surface.

Sulci

The grooves or folded-in portions found between the gyri on the brain's surface.

Longitudinal fissure

The deep groove that separates the left and right hemispheres of the brain.

Frontal lobe

The lobe involved in higher levels of thinking, intelligence, planning, personality, and voluntary movement.

Prefrontal cortex

The very front portion of the frontal lobe that handles empathy, consequences, and planning; it may take up to the age of $25$ to fully develop.

Phineas Gage

A railroad worker who survived a metal rod through his prefrontal cortex, resulting in a dramatic shift in his personality from patient to angry.

Central sulcus

A specific groove that separates the frontal lobe from the parietal lobe.

Primary motor cortex

An area located on the pre-central gyri of the frontal lobe involved in voluntary motor movements.

Motor homunculus

A mapping of the primary motor cortex showing that larger areas are dedicated to precise movements of the hands, lips, and tongue.

Broca's area

Located on the left side in over $90\,\%$ of people, this area manages precise mouth movements to enable clear speech.

Primary somatosensory cortex

Located on the post-central gyri of the parietal lobe, this area processes sensations such as touch, temperature, and pain from the skin.

Wernicke's area

An area found in the parietal and temporal lobes used for the interpretation and comprehension of language.

Parietal lobe

The lobe involved in somatosensory processing, spatial orientation, imagination, and dreaming.

Temporal lobe

The lobe primarily responsible for the awareness and interpretation of sounds, sense of smell, and long-term memory.

Hippocampus

A structure of the limbic system located beneath the temporal lobe involved in the formation of long-term memory and learning.

Patient HM

A patient who lost the ability to form new long-term memories after the bilateral removal of his hippocampi to treat epilepsy.

Occipital lobe

The lobe at the back of the brain predominantly involved with processing visual stimuli.

Primary visual cortex

The area of the occipital lobe that provides awareness of visual stimuli like colors and shapes.

Visual association area

The area that gathers brain information to give meaning and identification to objects being viewed.

Corpus callosum

A structure made of bundles of axons that physically connects and enables communication between the left and right cerebral hemispheres.

Basal nuclei

Islands of gray matter in the center of the brain (including the caudate nucleus, putamen, and globus pallidus) involved in subconscious movement and habit formation.

Amygdala

A pearl-shaped organ in the limbic system that controls the fear response and fight-or-flight, often associated with PTSD and anxiety.

Thalamus

The central relay station of the brain that edits, repackages, and sorts sensory information before sending it to the cortex.

Hypothalamus

An endocrine organ and master gland that controls the pituitary gland and regulates autonomic functions like salivation and circadian rhythms.

Pineal gland

A tiny gland that secretes melatonin to regulate the sleep-wake cycle.

Pons

A brain stem enlargement composed of conduction tracts that links the cerebellum, cerebrum, and spinal cord.

Medulla oblongata

The part of the brain stem located right above the spinal cord that contains autonomic centers for the heart and respiration.

Arbor vitae

The branching white matter inside the cerebellum.

Cerebellum

Located posterior to the pons and medulla, it is responsible for motor coordination, balance, and skeletal muscle memory.

Prosencephalon

One of the three primary enlargements of the neural tube during development, which eventually becomes the forebrain.

Mesencephalon

The middle enlargement of the neural tube that becomes the middle brain and forms the midbrain section of the brainstem.

Rhombencephalon

The primary enlargement of the neural tube that becomes the hindbrain.

Telencephalon

The portion of the brain that grows significantly during development to become the cerebral hemispheres.

Diencephalon

A developmental part of the brain that becomes the thalamus, hypothalamus, and epithalamus.

Metencephalon

A division of the rhombencephalon that develops into the pons and the cerebellum.

Myelencephalon

A division of the rhombencephalon that becomes the medulla oblongata.

Ventricles

Hollow spaces found inside the brain that are filled with cerebrospinal fluid.

Lateral ventricles

Two c-shaped hollow portions in the brain that are filled with cerebrospinal fluid.

Cerebral aqueduct

A narrow tube or canal that leads to the fourth ventricle enlargement.

Meninges

Protective layers surrounding the brain and spinal cord, including the dura mater, arachnoid mater, and pia mater.

Dura mater

Meaning "tough mother," this is the tough outer layer of dense connective tissue that helps keep the central nervous system in place.

Arachnoid mater

The middle meningeal layer that appears like a white film or saran wrap covering the brain.

Subarachnoid space

The space located below the arachnoid mater that is filled with cerebrospinal fluid.

Pia mater

Meaning "soft mother," this is the thin, shiny, soft layer that touches the brain and cannot be separated from it.

Meningitis

An infection that occurs in the meninges which can cause fluid to build up and put pressure on the brain.

Falx cerebri

The layer of dura mater that covers the cerebrum and folds between the two cerebral hemispheres.

Tentorium cerebelli

The portion of the dura mater that folds between the cerebrum and the cerebellum.

Falx cerebelli

The portion of the dura mater that folds between the two hemispheres of the cerebellum.

Cerebral cortex

The outermost layer of the cerebrum made of gray matter (unmyelinated neurons) enabling sensation, communication, and memory.

Cerebral white matter

The deep portion of the cerebrum formed from myelinated portions of neurons.

Cerebral nuclei

Chunks of gray matter located in the center of the brain involved with subconscious and primitive functions.

Gyri

The bulging ridges or parts that stick out on the surface of the brain.

Sulci

The grooves or folded-in parts on the surface of the brain.

Fissure

A deep groove in the brain, such as the longitudinal fissure which separates the left and right hemispheres.

Longitudinal fissure

The deep groove that separates the left and right cerebral hemispheres.

Cerebral Lobes

The divisions of the brain named after cranial bones: frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital, and the hidden insula.

Central sulcus

The groove that separates the frontal lobe from the parietal lobe.

Lateral sulcus

The groove that separates the temporal lobe from the frontal and parietal lobes.

Pre-central gyrus

A ridge located on the frontal lobe that contains the primary motor cortex.

Post-central gyrus

A ridge located on the parietal lobe that contains the primary somatosensory cortex.

Prefrontal cortex

The very front portion of the frontal lobe involved in empathy and planning which may not fully develop until age $25$.

Primary motor cortex

Located on the pre-central gyrus, this area is involved with voluntary movements and precise motor control.

Motor homunculus

A map of the body showing that large areas of the motor cortex are dedicated to the hands, lips, and tongue due to their precise movements.

Broca's area

An area typically located on the left side of the brain that coordinates mouth movements to enable clear speech.

Primary somatosensory cortex

The area on the post-central gyrus that processes skin sensations such as touch, temperature, and pain.

Wernicke's area

A region involved in language comprehension and the interpretation of sentences.

Primary auditory cortex

The area in the temporal lobe that provides awareness of sounds, such as pitch and loudness.

Auditory association area

The area that gathers information to give meaning to what is being heard.

Hippocampus

A structure in the limbic system involved with forming long-term memory and learning.

Primary visual cortex

The area in the occipital lobe that gives awareness of visual stimuli like color and shape.

Visual association area

The area that pulls information together to allow for the identification of visual objects.

Corpus callosum

A structure made of axon bundles that physically connects and allows communication between the left and right hemispheres.

Basal nuclei

A center portion of the brain including the caudate nucleus, putamen, and globus pallidus involved in habit formation and movement processing.

Limbic system

A system deep within the cortex that links higher and lower brain functions, establishing emotions and memory storage.

Amygdala

A pearl-shaped organ in the limbic system involved in the control of fear response and fight or flight.

Cingulate gyrus

A portion of the limbic system located above the corpus callosum that allows for the discernment of emotions.

Thalamus

The relay station of the brain that edits and repackages sensory information before sending it to higher brain portions.

Hypothalamus

An endocrine organ that controls the pituitary gland and regulates autonomic functions like salivation and circadian rhythms.

Pineal gland

A tiny gland that secretes melatonin to regulate circadian rhythms and sleep.

Pons

An enlargement of the brainstem that links the cerebellum and cerebrum and plays a role in dreaming.

Medulla oblongata

The portion of the brainstem right above the spinal cord that contains cardiovascular and respiratory centers.

Arbor vitae

The white matter inside the cerebellum that appears as branchings.

Cerebellum

The structure responsible for motor coordination, balance, and skeletal muscle memory.