4 - Brain and Neuro Psyc

Key terms only

Brain

The organ in your head made up of nerves that processes behaviour

hemisphere

half of the brain

Cerebrum

The largest part of the brain where higher processing happens; It includes the cortex

Cortex

the outer layer of the brain

Spinal cord

a pathway of nerves inside the spine, which connects the brain to the rest of the body via the peripheral nervous system

Brainstem

The part of the brain that connects the spinal cord to the upper brain

Reflexes

actions that are automatic and do not require conscious thought

Frontal lobe

The area at the front of the brain responsible for decision making and impulse control. Also helps control problem-sovling skills, helps us concentrate and pay attention to different activities.

towards the back of it is the motor cortex which plays a key role in the voluntary movents.

temporal lobe

the area on the side of the brain which controls hearing, understanding sounds, understanding + creating speech and memory

parietal lobe

the area at the top of the brain that plays and important role in perception and sensation of touch

occipital lobe

the area at the back of the brain which controls vision - helps us process visual info and make sense of it.

Cerebellum

an area of the brain near to the brainstem that controls motor movements

this part of the brain takes information from our senses, spinal cord and other parts of the brain and combines the to coordinate behaviour

Lateralisation of function

different jobs that are done by each half of the brain; each hemisphere will have different specialist roles that it performs

asymmetrical

The two hemispheres of the brain are not equal in terms of what they do; each hemisphere controls different functions, or plays a larger or smaller role in a particular behaviour.

corpus callosum

The thick bundle of nerve cells that connect the two hemispheres of the brain and allow them to communicate.

Broca's area

a part of the left hemisphere of the brain that controls speech production

spatial awareness

the ability to negotiate space and navigate our way around our environment

central nervous system

the brain and spinal cord which relays messages from the brain to the rest of the body to instruct it what to do

peripheral nervous system

the system of nerves that connects the central nervous system to the skin, muscles and organs in the body

Neurotransmitters

chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons

neuron

nerve cell that transmits messages throughout the body

synaptic transmission

the process through which neurotransmitters are released by one neuron, cross the synaptic gap, and affect adjoining neurons

synapse

a gap between two neurons that allows messages (in form of neurotransmitters) to pass from one cell to another

axon

the long structure that connects the cell body of a neuron to the terminal button at the end of the cell

Terminal button

end of a neuron

vesicles

small sacs containing neurotransmitter (Chemical) molecules

Receptor

special sites on neurons that are designed to absorb neurotransmitter molecules

neurological damage

damage to the body's central and peripheral nervous system

visual agnosia

inability to recognize objects that can be seen

Prosopagnosia

inability to recognize faces

pre-frontal cortex

allows us to judge, reason, make decisions, plans, process new memories

agnosia

the inability to recognize familiar objects.

fusiform face area

a region in the temporal lobe of the brain that helps us recognize the people we know

white matter

brain and spinal cord tissue consisting mainly of nerve fibres(axons)

Neuroscience

the scientific study of the brain and nervous system

post mortem

an examination of a dead body to determine the cause of death

EEG

A method of measuring brain activity using electrodes places on the scalp

MRI

A method of studying the brain using electromagents

PET

Imagery showing the amount of energy being used throughout the brain