an organ of soft nervous tissue contained in the skull of vertebrates, functioning as the coordinating center of sensation and intellectual and nervous activity.
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spinal cord
the cylindrical bundle of nerve fibers and associated tissue which is enclosed in the spine and connects nearly all parts of the body to the brain, with which it forms the central nervous system
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meninges
the three membranes (the dura mater, arachnoid, and pia mater) that line the skull and vertebral canal and enclose the brain and spinal cord.
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dura mater
the tough outermost membrane enveloping the brain and spinal cord
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cerebrospinal fluid
clear watery fluid which fills the space between the arachnoid membrane and the pia mater.
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peripheral nervous system
the network of nerves that connects the brain and spinal cord to other parts of the body
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somatic nervous system
The body system consisting of the sensory nerves, whose function is to convey information from the skin and muscles to the CNS about conditions such as pain and temperature, and the motor nerves, whose function is to tell muscles what to do.
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autonomic nervous system
the body system that takes messages to and from the body's internal organs, monitoring such processes as breathing, heart rate, and digestion
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sympathetic nervous system
the part of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body to mobilize it for action and thus is involved in the experience of stress
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parasympathetic nervous system
the part of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body
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reflex arc
the nerve pathway involved in a reflex action, including at its simplest a sensory nerve and a motor nerve with a synapse between
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Paul Broca
discovered area in the brain (named for him) in the left frontal lobe responsible for language production
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Carl Wernicke
discovered a brain area responsible for interpreting meaning of language
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Broca's area
controls language expression - an area, usually in the left frontal lobe, that directs the muscle movements involved in speech.
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Wernicke's area
controls language reception - a brain area involved in language comprehension and expression; usually in the left temporal lobe
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ablation
the surgical removal of body tissue.
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lesions
a region in an organ or tissue which has suffered damage through injury or disease, such as a wound, ulcer, abscess, or tumor.
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prefrontal lobotomy
a surgical operation involving incision into the prefrontal lobe of the brain, formerly used to treat mental illness.
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Hemispherectomy
a very rare neurosurgical procedure in which a cerebral hemisphere is removed, disconnected, or disabled
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deep brain stimulation
A procedure for treatment-resistant depression that involves the implantation of electrodes in the brain that emit signals to alter the brain's electrical circuitry.
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transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
the use of strong magnets to briefly interrupt normal brain activity as a way to study brain regions
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Electroencephalogram (EEG)
a test or record of brain activity produced by the measurement of electrical activity in different parts of the brain and the recording of such activity as a visual trace (on paper or on an oscilloscope screen).
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magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
a form of medical imaging that measures the response of the atomic nuclei of body tissues to high-frequency radio waves when placed in a strong magnetic field, and that produces images of the internal organs.
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functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
measures brain activity by detecting changes associated with blood flow. This technique relies on the fact that cerebral blood flow and neuronal activation are coupled. When an area of the brain is in use, blood flow to that region also increases
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Computerized Axial Tomography (CT or CAT scan)
method of visualizing a living brain by injecting a dye into the blood and placing a person's head into a CT scanner; x-rays are passed through the head and recorded by detectors on the opposite side
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Positron Emission Tomography (PET scan)
a visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task
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endocrine system
The body system consisting of a set of glands that regulate the activities of certain organs by releasing their chemical products into the bloodstream.
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hormones
chemical messengers that are produced by the endocrine glands and carried by the bloodstream to all parts of the body
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Hypothalamus
A small forebrain structure, located just below the thalamus, that monitors three pleasurable activities—eating, drinking, and sex—as well as emotion, stress, and reward.
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pituitary gland
A pea-sized gland just beneath the hypothalamus that controls growth and regulates other glands.
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gigantism
excessive growth due to hormonal imbalance.
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acromegaly
abnormal growth of the hands, feet, and face, caused by overproduction of growth hormone by the pituitary gland.
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dwarfism
unusually or abnormally low stature or small size.
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thyroid gland
a large ductless gland in the neck which secretes hormones regulating growth and development through the rate of metabolism.
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pineal gland
a pea-sized conical mass of tissue behind the third ventricle of the brain, secreting melatonin
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adrenal glands
small, triangular-shaped glands located on top of both kidneys that produce hormones that help regulate your metabolism, immune system, blood pressure, response to stress, and other essential functions.
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gonads
an organ that produces gametes; a testis or ovary.
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corpus callosum
a broad band of nerve fibers joining the two hemispheres of the brain
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cerebral cortex
the outer layer of the cerebrum composed of folded gray matter and playing an important role in consciousness.
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sulci
a groove or furrow, especially one on the surface of the brain.
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gyri
a ridge or fold between two clefts on the cerebral surface in the brain.
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lobes
the different regions into which the cerebral cortex is divided
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association areas
areas within each lobe of the cortex responsible for the coordination and interpretation of information, as well as higher mental processing
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motor cortex
the part of the cerebral cortex in the brain where the nerve impulses originate that initiate voluntary muscular activity.
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parietal lobe
either of the paired lobes of the brain at the top of the head, including areas concerned with the reception and correlation of sensory information.
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somatosensory cortex
area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations
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occipital lobe
A region of the cerebral cortex that processes visual information
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temporal lobes
The portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each of which receives auditory info primarily from the opposite end.
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brain stem
the central trunk of the mammalian brain, consisting of the medulla oblongata, pons, and midbrain, and continuing downward to form the spinal cord.
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medulla oblongata
Part of the brainstem that controls vital life-sustaining functions such as heartbeat, breathing, blood pressure, and digestion.
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midbrain
Region between the hindbrain and the forebrain; it is important for hearing and sight.
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cerebellum
the "little brain" at the rear of the brainstem; functions include processing sensory input and coordinating movement output and balance
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reticular formation
a nerve network that travels through the brainstem and plays an important role in controlling arousal
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limbic system
neural system (including the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus) located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives.
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thalamus
the brain's sensory control center, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla
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amygdala
A limbic system structure involved in memory and emotion, particularly fear and aggression.
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hippocampus
A neural center located in the limbic system that helps process explicit memories for storage.
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lateral hypothalamus (LH)
The part of the hypothalamus that produces hunger signals
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ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH)
The part of the hypothalamus that depresses hunger when activated
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nucleus accumbens
a subcortical structure that participates in reward and addiction
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brain lateralization/hemispheric specialization
specialization of function in each brain hemisphere
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split brain
a condition in which the two hemispheres of the brain are isolated by cutting the connecting fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) between them
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Neuroplasticity
the ability of the nervous system to change in response to experience or the environment
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