brain chapter 2

lesion

tissue destruction- is a naturally or experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue

brainstem

responsible for automatic survival functions; the oldest part and central core of the brain

medulla

the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing

thalamus

the brain's sensory control center; relays messages between lower brain centers and cerebral cortex

reticular formation

a nerve network that plays an important role in controlling arousal

cerebellum

coordinates voluntary movement and balance and supports learning and memories of such

limbic system

neural system; associated with emotions and drives

amygdala

two neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion

hypothalamus

directs eating, drinking, body temperature; helps govern endocrine system and is linked to emotion and reward

cerebral cortex

ultimate control and information-processing center

frontal lobes

portion of the cerebral cortex; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgments

parietal lobes

portion of the cerebral cortex; receives sensory input for touch and body position

occipital lobes

portion of the cerebral cortex; includes areas that receive information from the visual fields

temporal lobes

portion of the cerebral cortex; includes the auditory areas, each receiving information primarily from the opposite ear

motor cortex

an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements

association areas

areas of the cerebral cortex that are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking

plasticity

the brain's ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience

neurogenesis

the formation of new neurons

corpus callosum

the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them

split brain

a condition resulting from surgery that isolates the brain's two hemispheres by cutting the fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) connecting them

sensory cortex

a section of the cerebral cortex which is responsible for receiving and interpreting sensory information from different parts of the body

wernicke's area

region of the brain that contains motor neurons involved in the comprehension of speech

broca's area

region associated with the production of speech and written language, as well as being linked with the processing and comprehension of language

acetylcholine (ACh)

enables muscle action, learning, memory (malfunctions: alzheimers)

dopamine

influences movement, learning, attention, emotion (malfunction: schizophrenia, parkinsons disease)

serotonin

affects mood, hunger, sleep, arousal (malfunction; depression)

norepinephrine

helps control alertness/arousal

GABA

major inhibitory neurotransmitter

glutamate

major excitatory neurotransmitter; involved in memory

hippocampus

linked to conscious memory

left hemisphere

logical side of the brain (handles reading, writing, calculation)

right hemisphere

visual part of the brain; deals in images more than words

pituitary

master endocrine gland

pons

helps coordinate movement and control sleep

spinal cord

controls simple reflexes; pathway for neural fibers traveling to and from brain