dendrites and parts of the brain quiz ap psych

Medulla Oblongata

Top of the spinal cord; very bottom of the brain, Part of the brainstem

Life-supporting functions: Respiration, Digestion, Heartbeat, Blood pressure

Medulla Oblongata

Pons

Sits on top of the medulla; larger swelling

Links the medulla & cerebellum to the upper portions of the brainHelps coordinate movement,especially left-right body coordination Influences sleep, dreaming and arousalMeans "bridge"

Pons

Reticular Formation

Runs through the middle of the medulla and the pons; in between one's ears

Controls an organism's level of alertness/arousal

Reticular Formation

Cerebellum

Located in the rear of the brain; large & deeply folded structure; "little brain"

Helps coordinate voluntary movements, as well as balance & sense of equilibrium

Cerebellum

Brainstem

Lower part of the brain that connects to the spinal cord

Oldest/most basic part of the brain Contains the medulla, pons & reticular formationAutomatic survival functionsSends & receives information

brainstem

limbic system

A loosely connected network of structures located roughly along the border between the cerebral cortex & deeper sub cortical areas

Helps regulate emotion, memory and motivation

limbic system

Thalamus

Sits atop the brainstem

The brain's sensory switchboardAll senses (with the exception of smell) pass through the __________; send information to proper regions of the cerebral cortex for processingTransmits "replies" to the cerebellum & medulla

thalamus

Hypothalamus

Located directly underneath the thalamus & right above the pituitary gland

Fight-or-flight; eating and drinking; sexual functions; body temperature

hypothalamus

Hippocampus

Curved structure located within each temporal lobe; wraps around the back of the thalamus

Formation of long-term (permanent) memories that are then stored elsewhere in the brain; storage of memories for the location of objects

hippocampus

amygalda

Two almond shaped structures; near the hippocampus

Responsible for emotional responses to fear & the memory of fear; also associated with anger and aggression

amygalda

cerebrum

Largest and most complex part of the human brain

Includes areas responsible for the most complex mental activities Divided into TWO hemispheres & FOUR lobes

cerebrum

four lobes

frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital

cerebral cortex

Outermost part of the brain; covers the cerebrum

Convolutions allow it's large surface area (1.5 feet) to be packed into the limited volume of the skull Contains an estimated 30 billion nerve cells

cerebral cortex

frontal lobe

Front of the brain; just beyond the forehead; largest lobe

Advanced cognitive abilities

frontal lobe

Planning, personality, memory storage, complex decision-making and areas devoted to language

prefrontal cortex

Output Controls the movement of the body's voluntary muscles by sending commands to the somatic division of the PNS Cross-wired pattern

primary motor cortex

Devoted to the productionof speech

broca's area

temporal lobe

Just behind the temples; below the parietal lobe

Sound information processing

temporal lobe

Processes sensory information from the ears Dominant neural pathways are contralateral

auditory cortex

wernicke's area

Devoted to language comprehension and expression

parietal lobe

Top of the head; between the frontal and occipital lobes;directly under the parietal bone

Touch & sensory information processing

parietal lobe

INPUT Registers & processes senses

sensory cortex

occipital lobe

Toward the back of the brain; at the base of the cortex

Visual information processing

occipital lobe

visual cortex

Processes sensory information from the eyes

afferent neurons

carry information from the body's tissues and sensory organs to the brain and spinal cord

efferent neurons

carry information from the brain and spinal cord to the body's tissue and organs

interneurons

CNS neurons that internally communicate and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs

soma

cell body, contains nucleus

dendrites

branchlike structures that receive information from other neurons

axon

tube like structure that carries the message away from the soma and other cells

myelin sheath

fatty substance produced by certain glial cells; encases axon; helps insulate, protect, and speed the neural impulse

synapse

A junction where information is transmitted from one neuron to the next.

glial cells

provide support for neurons, deliver nutrients, provide mylein sheath, flush waste, and dead neurons, influence information processing