1. Foundations & Gross Anatomy | Quizlet

Dualism (Descartes)

The mind and body are separate substances.

Mentalism (William James)

The belief that psychology should study subjective experience, with physiology being secondary.

Materialism (Hobbes)

The belief that all mental phenomena emerge from physical processes in the brain.

Phrenology (Franz Joseph Gall)

An early 1800s theory that the brain is organized into "organs" for different traits, and that the size of these organs is reflected in skull bumps.

Functional Localization

The modern neuroscience principle that specific functions can be mapped to specific brain regions, studied using methods like fMRI, lesions, and electrophysiology.

Brain (Reticular) Theory (Golgi)

The outdated theory that the nervous system is a continuous web or "reticulum" of tissue without distinct cells.

Neuron Doctrine (Cajal)

The fundamental principle that the nervous system is composed of discrete, individual cells (neurons) that communicate at specialized junctions (synapses).

Somatic Interventions

A research approach that involves manipulating the brain or body (e.g., with lesions, drugs) and observing changes in behavior.

Behavioral Interventions

A research approach that involves altering a behavior or experience (e.g., through training) and measuring the resulting changes in the brain.

Correlational Studies

A research approach that involves recording brain activity (e.g., with fMRI) while a subject performs a task to find patterns that covary with behavior.

Central Nervous System (CNS)

Consists of the brain and spinal cord; its primary role is to mediate behavior.

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

All the nerves outside of the CNS; unlike the CNS, it can regenerate after damage.

Somatic Nervous System

The part of the PNS that transmits sensation and produces movement.

Autonomic Nervous System

The part of the PNS that balances internal functions, consisting of the sympathetic (arousing) and parasympathetic (calming) divisions.

Enteric Nervous System

The part of the PNS that controls the gut.

Gray Matter

Areas of the brain predominantly composed of cell bodies and blood vessels.

White Matter

Areas of the brain rich in fat-sheathed neural axons that connect different brain regions.

Corpus Callosum

A large fiber system made of white matter that connects the two cerebral hemispheres.

Spinal Cord

The most basic level of the CNS hierarchy, responsible for managing reflexes.

Hindbrain

Controls postural support and basic units of movement; includes the cerebellum, pons, and medulla.

Midbrain

Controls spontaneous, automatic behaviors.

Diencephalon

Part of the forebrain that includes the thalamus and hypothalamus.

Thalamus

A key structure in the diencephalon that acts as a sensory relay station for the brain.

Hypothalamus

A structure in the diencephalon involved in motivation, hormone control, and thermoregulation.

Forebrain (Cortex)

The highest level of the CNS, responsible for control and intention; includes the cortex and basal ganglia.

Neocortex Layers

The neocortex has six distinct layers (I-VI), each with different roles in processing information.

Cortical Columns

The basic functional processing units of the neocortex, arranged vertically and spanning all six layers.

Lateralization

The specialization of certain functions to one brain hemisphere over the other (e.g., language in the left hemisphere).

Wada Test

A procedure where one hemisphere is temporarily anesthetized to determine the localization of functions like language.

"What" (Ventral) Stream

A processing pathway that flows toward the temporal lobe, responsible for identifying object information like color and shape.

"Where" (Dorsal) Stream

A processing pathway that flows toward the parietal lobe,