Brain Structures and Functions

Key vocabulary and definitions related to brain structures and their functions.

Medulla

Slight swelling at the entrance of the skull; controls heartbeat & breathing.

Pons

Located above the medulla; helps coordinate movement & regulate sleep.

Reticular Formation

Located between your ears, helps control arousal.

Thalamus

Sensory control center located on top of the brainstem; receives sensory info (except smell) & sends on to higher brain regions.

Cerebellum

Responsible for balance, posture; AKA “little brain” attached to the rear of the brainstem.

Limbic System

Associated with emotions and drives (sex, hunger, thirst); lies between old & new brain.

Hypothalamus

Located just below the thalamus; involved in reward, maintenance activities (eating, drinking, sex drive, body temp), and links to emotion and pleasure.

Pituitary Gland

Controlled by the hypothalamus, part of the endocrine system; regulates growth & other glands in the endocrine system; AKA “master gland”.

Amygdala

Linked to emotional responses, often related to intense negative emotions.

Hippocampus

Processes conscious memories and helps form new memories.

Cerebral Cortex

Intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering cerebral hemispheres, ultimate control & info processing center, and the "thinking crown".

Frontal Lobes

Part of the cerebral cortex, behind the forehead; involved in planning, decision making & judgment, rational thought, and suppresses instincts/aggressions of Amygdala/old brain.

Parietal Lobes

Top & to rear of cerebral cortex; receives sensory info for touch and body position; allows you to feel touch and understand HOW your body is moving.

Occipital Lobes

At the back of the head, in cerebral cortex; contains the Visual Cortex, which interprets messages from our eyes into images our brain can understand.

Temporal Lobes

Side of head, above ears (at “temple”); processes sound sensed by our ears & contains the auditory cortex.

Motor Cortex

Part of the brain in the frontal lobe that tells my body how to move (like typing this); controls voluntary movement.

Sensory Cortex

Registers and processes body touch & movement sensations; how your brain is aware that your body is moving.

Association Areas

Areas of cerebral cortex not involved in motor or sensory processes, largest portion of cortex and is involved in higher mental functions such as learning, memory, thinking, and speaking.

Brainstem

Lower base of brain which connects spinal cord to brain; oldest part of the brain responsible for automatic survival functions.