13 - Brain Function, Maps, and Neurobiology (Video Lecture)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from the lecture notes on brain function, brain maps, and neuroscience concepts.

Afferent

Sensory signals traveling toward the central nervous system from the body’s receptors.

Efferent

Signals that travel away from the central nervous system to effectors (muscles or glands).

CNS

Central Nervous System—the brain and spinal cord that coordinate information.

Sensory

Relating to senses or the detection and processing of stimuli by sensory receptors.

Motor

Relating to movement; motor pathways control muscle actions.

Output

The brain’s commands sent to muscles and glands (motor output).

Reflex

An automatic, involuntary response to a stimulus that can be modulated by the brain.

Modulation of reflexes

The brain’s ability to adjust reflex responses rather than trigger them in a fixed way.

Evolution

Development of greater brain complexity and CNS capabilities for processing sensory and motor information.

Brain maps

Representations linking brain structure to function, derived from anatomy, injury, and imaging.

Phineas Gage

A famous brain injury case illustrating frontal lobe roles in personality and decision making.

Histology

Microscopic study of tissue structure used to identify brain regions (e.g., cellular patterns).

Brodmann

Cortical areas defined by distinct cellular architecture (cytoarchitecture).

Functional studies

Investigations of brain function using methods like surgery and functional imaging.

fMRI

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging; measures brain activity via blood flow changes.

Structure:function

The principle that anatomical structure corresponds to specific functional roles.

Cortex

The outer layer of the brain involved in perception, movement, and higher cognition.

Homunculus

A distorted map of the body showing how body parts are represented on the cortex.

L/R brain-body mapping

Left-right (contralateral) relationships between brain hemispheres and the body.

Primary cortex

Primary sensory cortex (S1) and primary motor cortex (M1): initial processing.

Secondary cortex

Adjacent cortex areas that process and interpret information beyond primary processing.

Cortical hierarchies

Organization from primary to tertiary regions reflecting processing complexity.

Tertiary regions

Multimodal association areas that integrate information from multiple senses.

Multimodal association

Brain regions that combine information across senses for higher cognition.

Higher functions

Complex processes such as thinking, emotions, motivation, planning, language, and decision making.

Consciousness

State of awareness of self and surroundings; a central topic in brain function.

Connectome

Comprehensive map of all neural connections in the brain.

Neurotransmission

Signaling between neurons via neurotransmitters at synapses.

Neurotransmitters

Chemical messengers (e.g., dopamine, glutamate) that convey signals between neurons.

Receptors

Proteins on neurons that bind neurotransmitters to propagate signals.

Inputs to each neuron

The network of synaptic inputs a neuron receives from other neurons.

Functional imaging

Techniques (e.g., fMRI) used to study brain activity during tasks.

Brain injury

Physical damage to the brain used to infer function from deficits.

Structure:function (concept)

The idea that anatomical structures relate to specific functional roles.

Latency

The time delay between a stimulus and the resulting response.

Reception

Detection of sensory stimuli by receptors before interpretation.

Perception

Interpretation or meaning assigned to sensory information.