Biological Bases of Behavior Part 2 (Structures and Functions of the Brain + Scans)

Neuroplasticity

The brain's ability to change and recognize new pathways based on experience after damage

MEG

A brain-imaging method that measures magnetic fields created by natural electrical activity

EEG

A recording of electrical activity across the brain's surface using scalp electrodes

(epilepsy, brain damage (strokes, tumors, drugs, and alcohol), can diagnose mental disorders, sleep disorders, degenerative diseases → brain activity

CT Scan

series of x-ray images combined into cross-sectional views of brain structure

good for bleeding, brain injuries, skull fractures, blood clots, brain tumors → structure

PET Scan

shows brain activity by tracking where radioactive glucose travels during a task

heat-map looking thing

MRI

Uses magnetic fields and radioactive to create detailed images of soft tissue anatomy

fMRI

reveals brain activity and structure by detecting changes in blood flow over time

Brainstem

controls automatic survival functions
connecting cerebrum to spinal cord

Medulla

controls heartbeat, vomiting, and breathing (involuntary actions)

autonomic functions

Thalamus

sensory “switchboard” directing sensory signals to somatosensory cortex

every sense except smell

Reticular formation

Filters sensory information, regulates consciousness and sleep wake cycles, also controls arousal

Cerebellum

Coordinates movement, balance, nonverbal learning

Amygdala

part of the limbic system

fear center → triggers fight or flight

responsible for formation of emotionally-charged memories

hypothalamus

Regulates hunger, thirst, hormones, temperature

4Fs: Feed, fight, flee, “reproduction”

Left hemisphere

controls the right side of the body and specializes in language (speech, reading, writing), logic, math, and analytical thinking

Cerebral Cortex

ultimate control and information-processing center

Broca’s area

produces speech (verbal)

Right hemisphere

controls the left side of the body and is crucial for creativity, intuition, spatial awareness, visual processing, emotional expression, imagination, music, body language, and holistic (big picture) thinking, handling non-verbal cues and social context

Corpus Callosum

massive group of neural fibers that connect the hemispheres of the brain and allow them to communicate with one another

frontal lobe

regulates planning (decision making), thinking, speaking, movement

Parietal lobes

Spatial awareness and processing temperature, touch, size, texture, etc.

Occipital lobes

responsible for visual processing

Temporal lobes

hearing and language processing

Wernicke’s area

responsible for comprehension of language

Language is on what side of the brain?

left

pons

responsible for balance + involuntary functions

part of the brainstem

midbrain

processes visual and auditory information, responsible for eye movement

brain lateralization

due to epilepsy, corpus callous is severed through a split-brain operation

limbic system

neural system consisting of emotions and drives

Phineas Gage

one of the earliest known cases of brain trauma

injured by tamping rod → personality was altered due to damage to frontal lobe

Lesions

tissue destruction within the brain

(can show damage, injury, or even disease)

hippocampus

shaped like a seahorse, vital for forming new long-term memories (especially spatial ones) and learning, memory retention

What makes up the limbic system?

hypothalamus, thalamus, amygdala, hippocampus

Neurogenesis

creation of new neurons from STEM cells in the brain

motor cortex

located in the brain's frontal lobe, plans, initiates, and controls voluntary movements by sending signals to muscles

somatosensory cortex

at the front of the parietal lobes, parallel to and just behind the motor cortex — that specializes in receiving information from the skin senses, such as touch and temperature, and from the movement of body parts

In this example, the patient will be able to identify the

cat using his right hand

In this example, the patient will be able to verbalize

that he saw a cat

basal ganglia (in textbook, COULD be on the test)

a group of interconnected deep brain structures crucial for motor control

association areas (in textbook, COULD be on the test)

integrate sensory input, connect different brain regions, and handle complex cognitive functions like thinking, learning, memory, language, and decision-making

glial cells (in textbook, COULD be on the test)

crucial non-neuron cells in the nervous system that provide support, protection, and nourishment for neurons, forming myelin, maintaining homeostasis, and even helping with immune defense