Biología para Psicología: Estructuras Corticales y Subcorticales

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering cortical and subcortical brain structures, cerebral fissures and sulci, meninges, and functional organization of behavior from the Biology for Psychology lecture.

Fisura longitudinal (Longitudinal fissure)

A deep groove in the cerebral cortex that divides the cerebrum into the left and right cerebral hemispheres.

Hemisferio izquierdo (Left hemisphere)

The cerebral hemisphere responsible for language in the majority of right-handed individuals and analytical processing during specific tasks.

Hemisferio derecho (Right hemisphere)

The cerebral hemisphere specialized in visuospatial processing and prosody during specific tasks.

Cuerpo calloso (Corpus callosum)

The prominent tract of nerve fibers connecting the cerebral hemispheres, responsible for interhemispheric communication and exchange.

Lateralización cerebral (Cerebral lateralization)

The functional specialization of each hemisphere, which depends on neural networks, experience, task demands, and individual variation rather than absolute logical versus creative independence.

Funciones corticales superiores (Higher cortical functions)

Complex cognitive processes mediated by the cerebral cortex, comprising conscious perception, language, working memory, planning, and inhibitory control.

Lóbulo frontal (Frontal lobe)

The anterior lobe of the cerebral cortex dedicated to executive planning and behavioral control.

Lóbulo parietal (Parietal lobe)

The cerebral lobe responsible for somatosensory integration and spatial processing.

Lóbulo temporal (Temporal lobe)

The lateral cerebral lobe involved in auditory processing, memory, and language.

Lóbulo occipital (Occipital lobe)

The posterior lobe of the cerebral cortex dedicated primarily to visual processing.

Ínsula (Insula)

A hidden cortical structure situated deep within the lateral sulcus that mediates interoception, salience detection, and self-control.

Lóbulo límbico (Limbic lobe)

A ring of medial cortex associated with memory, motivation, fear, and survival behaviors.

Cisura de Rolando (Surco central)

The central sulcus of the brain, which separates the frontal lobe from the parietal lobe.

Cisura de Silvio (Surco lateral)

The lateral sulcus of the brain, which separates the temporal lobe from the overlying frontal and parietal lobes.

Surco parietooccipital (Parieto-occipital sulcus)

The sulcus located on the medial surface of the hemisphere that divides the parietal lobe from the occipital lobe.

Surco cingular (Cingulate sulcus)

The medial sulcus that demarcates and separates the limbic lobe from the frontal and parietal lobes.

Surco colateral (Collateral sulcus)

The sulcus situated along the ventral/inferior surface of the brain between the limbic lobe and the temporal lobe.

Meninges

Protective membrane layers surrounding the central nervous system that cushion mechanical shocks and stabilize the neural extracellular environment.

Espacio subaracnoideo (Subarachnoid space)

The fluid-filled anatomical space beneath the arachnoid membrane that contains cerebrospinal fluid (líquido cefalorraquídeo) and cerebral blood vessels.

Tálamo (Thalamus)

The subcortical relay center that gates and modulates all incoming sensory signals except olfaction, handles motor signals, controls attention, maintains alertness, and connects with the limbic system for memory and emotion.

Hipotálamo (Hypothalamus)

A key subcortical structure responsible for homeostatic maintenance (temperature, thirst, hunger, energy balance), autonomic responses, biological rhythms, and pituitary gland regulation under stress.

Epitálamo (Epithalamus)

A subcortical component that regulates circadian rhythms by processing environmental light from the retina and directing the pineal gland to secrete nocturnal melatonin.

Subtálamo (Subthalamus)

A subcortical nucleus integrated within basal ganglia circuits that modulates the inhibition and facilitation of voluntary movement.

Núcleos basales (Basal ganglia)

Deep subcortical gray nuclei that evaluate motor action proposals from the motor cortex to select, initiate, and refine motor programs.

Formación reticular (Reticular formation)

A brainstem network that regulates wakefulness and governs transitions between distinct states of consciousness, such as sleep, somnolence, and sustained alertness.

Amígdala (Amygdala)

A limbic structure critical for detecting emotional salience and acquiring emotional learning.

Hipocampo (Hippocampus)

A core structure within the limbic system primarily responsible for contextual memory encoding and consolidation.

Integración ante un evento estresante (Stress integration circuit)

A multi-stage response network where the thalamus transmits relevant sensory cues, the amygdala assigns emotional salience, the hypothalamus triggers autonomic and endocrine pathways, and the prefrontal cortex carries out evaluation and behavioral regulation.

Sustancia gris (Gray matter)

The superficial cortical tissue composed mainly of neuronal cell bodies and dendrites that specializes in information processing.

Sustancia blanca (White matter)

The deep subcortical tissue formed by myelinated axons that acts as connectivity channels specialized in rapid signal transmission between brain regions.