"Parts of the Brain", Parts of the Brain

*Occipital Lobe

Located in the cerebrum; processes ocular information and visual signals

*Temporal Lobe

Located in the cerebrum; receives auditory information; memory, emotion, hearing, and language

*Broca's Area

Located in the rear of the frontal lobe; responsible for understanding speech and language; directs muscle movements involved in speech

*Motor Cortex

Located in the rear of the frontal lobe; controls voluntary movement

*Wernicke's Area

Located in the temporal lobe, behind the ear; responsible for language comprehension and verbal expression

*Sensory Cortex

Located in the front of the parietal lobe; registers and processes body, tactile, and movement sensations; receives information relayed from the spinal cord regarding the position of various body parts and how they're moving

*Cerebellum

Located in the hindbrain, lower back of the brain; responsible for balance, coordination, and posture; allows humans to move properly and maintain their structure ("little brain")

*Brainstem

Connection of the brain to the spinal cord; conducts and integrates signals; controls survival functions such as breathing, swallowing, vomiting, urinating, and heart beating

*Midbrain

Part of the brain stem; located in the hindbrain, above the pons; associated with vision, hearing, motor control, sleep, alertness, and temperature regulation;
relays sensory information from the eyes, ears, and skin; reflex centers control certain types of automatic behaviors

**Pons

Part of the brain stem; located in the hindbrain; connects the medulla to the two sides of the cerebellum - bridges the cerebellum and the cerebrum; helps coordinate and integrate movements and posture on each side of the body; interprets information used in sensory analysis and motor control; helps create the level of consciousness for sleep; signals REM sleep

[A bridge-like structure that carries signals between regions of the brain.]

**Pons

Part of the brain stem; located in the hindbrain; connects the medulla to the two sides of the cerebellum - bridges the cerebellum and the cerebrum; helps coordinate and integrate movements and posture on each side of the body; interprets information used in sensory analysis and motor control; helps create the level of consciousness for sleep; signals REM sleep

[A bridge-like structure that carries signals between regions of the brain.]

**Medulla

Part of the brain stem; located in the hindbrain; maintains vital body functions such as breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure

**Medulla

Part of the brain stem; located in the hindbrain; maintains vital body functions such as breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure

*Limbic system

A group of neural structures in the brain; associated primarily with emotion and motivation; includes the amygdala, hippocampus, hypothalamus, and thalamus; most hormonal responses that the body generates are initiated in this area

*Amygdala

Part of the limbic system; involved in memories and emotions, primarily fear and aggression; also learning and memory modulation

*Hippocampus

Part of the limbic system; used for learning memory, specifically converting temporary memories into permanent memories that can be stored in the brain; helps process explicit memories for storage; also inhibition and space (cognitive maps)

**Thalamus

Part of the limbic system; located in the forebrain; helps control attention span; senses pain and keeps track of body sensations; transmits information to the cerebrum; all sensory information (except smell) passes through to get to the cerebral cortex

[A relay station for sensory impulses travelling to the cerebral cortex]

**Thalamus

Part of the limbic system; located in the forebrain; helps control attention span; senses pain and keeps track of body sensations; transmits information to the cerebrum; all sensory information (except smell) passes through to get to the cerebral cortex

[A relay station for sensory impulses travelling to the cerebral cortex]

**Hypothalamus

A neural structure lying below the thalamus; it directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature), helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion and reward

Physiological equilibrium: controls body temperature, hunger, important aspects of parenting and attachment behaviours, thirst, fatigue, sleep, and circadian rhythms; certain metabolic processes and other activities of the autonomic nervous system; synthesizes and secretes certain neurohormones

**Hypothalamus

Part of the limbic system; controls mood, hunger, thirst, and temperature; also contains glands that control the hormonal processes throughout the body; helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland

*Dura Mater

Most external and toughest of the three membranes, or meninges; covers/protects the brain and spinal chord (double-layered); anchors the CNS to the cranium, or vertebral, cavity

*Arachnoid Mater

Delicate web-like layer of the meninges; middle layer of the meningeal membrane

*Pia Mater

Inner layer of the meninges; intimately attached to brain following contours; carries small blood vessels to nourish underlying nervous tissue;

*Central Sulcus

Separates the frontal lobe from the parietal lobe

*Longitudinal Fissure

Deep groove running from the front to the back of the brain; separates the right and left cerebral hemispheres

*Transverse Fissure

Separates the cerebral hemispheres from the cerebellum

*Lateral Sulcus

Separates the temporal lobe from the parietal and frontal lobes

*Parieto Occipital Sulcus

Separates the parietal lobe from the occipital lobe

*Precentral Gyrus

Located immediately anterior to the central sulcus; contains the primary motor area of the cerebral cortex

*Postcentral Gyrus

Located immediately posterior to the central sulcus; portion of the parietal lobe responsible for sensory processing and integration

*Optic Chiasma

The crossing of the optic nerves from the two eyes at the base of the brain; a point in the brain where half the visual information from each eye crosses over into the opposite hemisphere

**Prefrontal cortex

Responsible for thinking, planning, language, and emotional control

**Frontal cortex

Responsible for motor functions, higher order functions, planning, reasoning, judgement, impulse control, memory, insight, stability of personality, motor aspects of written speech, and motor aspects of spoken speech.

**Parietal cortex

Provides higher levels of sensory information, such as map of the external world, that is important for planning and carrying out movements; spatial reasoning and processing sensations

**Occipital cortex

Vision center, takes and processes visual images.

**Temporal cortex

Auditory area; important in processing sounds, in speech comprehension, and in recognizing complex visual stimuli, such as faces

Corpora Quadrigemina

Four rounded elevations that form, in part, the dorsal portion of the midbrain; involved in the startle reflex

Corpora Quadrigemina

Occupies the posterior position of the brain stem. Consist of two superior colliculi and two inferior colliculi.

*Medulla Oblongata

Part of the brainstem; controls vital life-sustaining functions, like heartbeat, breathing, blood pressure, and digestion

*Arbor Vitea

Part of the cerebellum; consists of tracts of white matter, exhibits branching, fernlike pattern

*Corpus Callosum

A thick band of axons that connects the two cerebral hemispheres and acts as a communication link between them

[A mass of fibers that carry signals between the two cerebral hemispheres.]

*Reticular Activating System

Group of nuclei scattered throughout the brainstem; play an important role in arousing and maintaining consciousness

*Limbic System

A doughnut-shaped system of neural structures at the border of the brainstem and cerebral hemispheres; includes the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus; associated with emotions, like fear and aggression, and drives, like those for food and sex

*Lateral Ventricles

1st and 2nd ventricles, located in the cerebral hemispheres

*Third Ventricle

Located on the midline beneath the lateral ventricles

*Fourth Ventricle

Shaped roughly like a diamond, projecting upward from the central canal of the spinal cord and lower medulla.
(This ventricle is difficult to envision because it's the space between the brainstem and the cerebellum.)

*Pineal Gland

The gland that plays a major role in sexual development, sleep, and metabolism

*Pituitary Gland

"Master gland"; located in the brain, is the size of a pea; produces hormones that regulate growth, development of the reproductive structures, and the function of the reproductive organs throughout one's life span

[Synthesizes and secrets hormones]

*Gray Matter

Brain and spinal cord tissue that appears gray with the naked eye; consists mainly of neuronal cell bodies (nuclei), and lacks myelinated axons

*White Matter

The portions of the central nervous system that are abundant in axons rather than cell bodies of neurons; the colour derives from the presence of the axon's myelin sheaths

*Gyrus (Gyri)

The bumps on the human brain:

*Sulcus (Sulci)

The grooves in the human brain:

*Vermis

Connects the two hemispheres of the cerebellum

***Folia

***Superior Colliculi

***Inferior Colliculi

*Reticular Formation

Somatic motor control, cardiovascular control, pain moderation, sleep, consciousness, habituation; decides which stimuli requires the attention of the brain

*Spinal Cord

Brain + Spinal Cord = Central Nervous System (CNS)

*Nucleus Accumbens

Pleasure, including laughter, reward, and reinforcement;
learning;
fear, aggression, impulsivity, addiction, and the placebo effect

Thalamus

A structure in the forebrain through which all sensory information (except smell) must pass to get to the cerebral cortex.

Hypothalamus

A neural structure lying below the thalamus; it directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature), helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion and reward.

Epithalamus

contains the pineal gland

pituitary gland

regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands.

Medulla Oblongata

Part of the brainstem that controls vital life-sustaining functions such as heartbeat, breathing, blood pressure, and digestion.

Frontal lobe

Voluntary motor functions, Motivation, foresight, planning, memory, mood, emotion, social judgment, and aggression

Parietal lobe

Receives and integrates general sensory information, taste, and some visual processing

Occipital lobe

Primary visual center of brain

Temporal lobe

Areas for hearing, smell, learning, memory, and some aspects of vision and emotion

Insula

(hidden by other regions) Understanding spoken language, taste gustatory and sensory information from visceral receptors

corpus callosum

major band of white matter how the two hemispheres communicate with each other

central sulcus

Separates frontal lobe from parietal lobe