Neuroanatomy: Brain Structure and Function

Flashcards covering key neuroanatomical structures, their functions, and related concepts from the lecture 'Neuroanatomy Part 3'.

Gray Matter (General)

Composed of cell bodies in the nervous system.

White Matter (General)

Composed of axons in the nervous system.

Cerebellum

Also called the 'little brain,' it is the second largest part of the brain, attached to the rear of the brainstem. It coordinates voluntary movements, balance, spatial and temporal perception, memory, emotion regulation, timing, emotional modulation, and sensory discrimination. It contains two hemispheres.

Brainstem

Consists of the midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata. It controls automatic behaviors necessary for survival, contains fiber tracts connecting neural centers, and its nuclei are associated with 10 of the 12 pairs of cranial nerves.

Midbrain

Located between the diencephalon and pons, it provides structural support for the cerebrum, plays a role in fight or flight response, pain suppression, visual/auditory reflex centers, some motor functions, inhibition of unwanted body movements, and coordination of sensory input and motor output for fine motor control.

Pons

Located between the midbrain and medulla oblongata, composed of conduction tracts, and is the origin of cranial nerves V (trigeminal), VI (abducens), and VII (facial). It also helps maintain normal breathing rhythm.

Medulla Oblongata

Relays ascending sensory information from the spinal cord, functions as an autonomic reflex center (cardiovascular, respiratory centers), and regulates vomiting, hiccupping, swallowing, coughing, and sneezing.

Basal Ganglia

Structures located in both the midbrain and hindbrain involved in planning, controlling complex voluntary movement patterns, motor skill acquisition (intensities, directions, sequence), and inhibiting unwanted movements.

Nucleus Accumbens

A specific structure within the basal ganglia, recognized for its role in addiction-related behaviors.

Dyskinesia

Abnormal motor control, such as tremors, often associated with dysfunctions of the basal ganglia.

Parkinson's Disease

A disease state resulting from dysfunction of the basal ganglia.

Huntington's Disease

A disease state resulting from dysfunction of the basal ganglia.

Amygdala

Part of the limbic system, consisting of two almond-shaped neural clusters linked to emotions like fear and anger, and involved in reward processing and pleasure.

Thalamus

The brain’s sensory switchboard, located on top of the brainstem. It directs messages to the sensory areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla, receiving information for all senses except smell.

Hypothalamus

Located below the thalamus, it sends hormone signals through the pituitary gland, directs maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature), controls emotions, and helps regulate the endocrine system.

Ventricles

Fluid-filled chambers within the brain, continuous with one another and the central canal of the spinal cord, filled with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and lined by ependymal cells.

Cerebrum

The body’s ultimate control and information processing center, accounting for 83% of brain mass. It is divided into two cerebral hemispheres connected by tracts, and its surface features include gyri (ridges), sulci (shallow grooves), and fissures (deep grooves).

Corpus Callosum

The largest bundle of nerves (tracts) serving as a bridge to connect the two cerebral hemispheres.

Gyri

The ridges found on the surface of the cerebrum.

Sulci

The shallow grooves found on the surface of the cerebrum.

Fissures

Deep grooves on the cerebral surface, such as the longitudinal fissure (separating hemispheres) and transverse cerebral fissure (separating cerebrum and cerebellum).

Sylvian Fissure (Lateral Sulcus)

A large diagonal fissure on the lateral surface of the brain that separates the temporal lobe from the frontal and parietal lobes.

Frontal Lobe

One of the four cerebral lobes, responsible for coordinating voluntary movements, speech, memory, emotion, higher cognitive skills (planning, problem-solving), and personality.

Parietal Lobe

One of the four cerebral lobes, located on top of the brain, integrating sensory signals from the skin, and processing taste and some visual information.

Occipital Lobe

One of the four cerebral lobes, located at the posterior aspect of the brain. It contains the visual cortex and functions in processing visual information, recognizing colors and shapes, and integrating images into complex visual understanding.

Temporal Lobe

One of the four cerebral lobes, located on the sides of the brain, functioning in visual processing, interpreting auditory information, and containing the hippocampus (encodes new memories) and amygdala (integrates memory and emotion).

Motor Cortex

The area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements.

Sensory Cortex

The area at the front of the parietal lobes that receives information from skin surface and sense organs.

Auditory Cortex

Located in the temporal lobe of the brain, responsible for interpreting auditory information.

Visual Cortex

Located in the occipital lobe, responsible for processing visual information, recognizing colors and shapes, and integrating images into complex visual understanding.

Association Areas

Areas of the cerebral cortex that integrate sensory information and stored memories; these areas are proportionally larger in more intelligent animals.

Phineas Gage

A historical case study (1848) of a man who sustained frontal lobe damage, which subsequently showed profound effects on his personality and social functioning.