Principles of Neural Science - The Brain and Behavior

Vocabulary flashcards covering foundational neuroscience concepts, anatomical structures of the central nervous system, history of brain localization, and functional neuroanatomy from Principles of Neural Science.

Neuron doctrine

The principle that individual neurons are the elementary signaling elements of the nervous system.

Growth cone

An expansion at the tip of a developing axon that leads it to its target.

Phrenology

A nineteenth-century doctrine proposed by Franz Joseph Gall asserting that complex character traits are controlled by specific cortical areas whose expansion creates characteristic bumps and ridges on the skull.

Aggregate-field view

A theory of brain function advanced by Pierre Flourens proposing that all regions of the cerebral hemispheres participate in every mental operation rather than specific regions controlling discrete behaviors.

Cellular connectionism

A view of brain function holding that individual neurons are the signaling units of the brain, arranged in functional groups and connected to one another in precise pathways.

Medulla oblongata

The part of the central nervous system located directly above the spinal cord that includes centers responsible for vital autonomic functions such as digestion, breathing, and heart rate control.

Pons

The part of the brain stem lying above the medulla oblongata that conveys information about movement from the cerebral hemisphere to the cerebellum.

Cerebellum

A structure lying behind the pons that modulates the force and range of movement and is involved in learning motor skills.

Midbrain

The region of the brain stem lying rostral to the pons that controls sensory and motor functions, including eye movement and visual and auditory reflexes.

Diencephalon

A region lying rostral to the midbrain containing the thalamus, which processes information reaching the cerebral cortex, and the hypothalamus, which regulates autonomic, endocrine, and visceral functions.

Corpus callosum

A large bundle of nerve fibers that connects the left and right cerebral hemispheres.

Broca's area

A region in the posterior part of the left frontal lobe that controls the motor articulation and production of intelligible speech.

Wernicke's area

A cortical region located in the posterior part of the temporal lobe that processes auditory input for language and is essential for speech comprehension.

Conduction aphasia

A language disorder resulting from the destruction of nerve pathways connecting Wernicke's and Broca's areas, characterized by paraphasia and incorrect word usage despite intact comprehension.

Angular gyrus

A cortical association area that combines auditory input with information from other senses and transforms spoken or written words into a common neural representation.

Arcuate fasciculus

A bidirectional pathway connecting Wernicke's area and Broca's area.

Brodmann areas

A division of the human cerebral cortex into 52 discrete areas established by Korbinian Brodmann based on distinctive cell structures and cell layer arrangements.

Theory of mass action

A theory reformulated by Karl Lashley stating that total brain mass, rather than individual neurons or specific brain regions, is crucial to brain function and learning.

Aprosodias

Disorders of affective language localized to the right hemisphere that affect the comprehension or expression of emotional intonation and tone of voice.

Ictal phenomena

Transient emotional and perceptual experiences, such as feelings of depersonalization, déjà vu, fear, or hallucinations, occurring during an epileptic seizure.

Glial cells

Support cells in the nervous system that outnumber neurons, provide structural support, form myelin, scavenge debris, form the blood-brain barrier, and nourish nerve cells.

Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus

An ancient Egyptian text written in the seventeenth century B.C. containing the earliest known reference to the brain in human records.