Brain Structures and Functions

Vocabulary flashcards covering brain regions, structures, and their specific functions based on lecture slides.

Cerebellum

Controls posture, balance, and coordination.

Effect of Alcohol on Cerebellum

Alcohol interferes with the cerebellum, slowing reaction time and causing an individual to be un-coordinated and unbalanced.

Reticular Activating System

Controls levels of alertness; affected by anesthetics (causing unconsciousness) and "truth serum", and can be overloaded by a major blow to the head.

Pons

Relays information between the cerebellum and cerebrum, and is involved with sleep and attention.

Medulla

Involved with maintaining heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing.

Thalamus

Processes sensory information from the body and sends it to the cerebral cortex, EXCEPT for smell.

Hypothalamus

Controls the pituitary gland and controls motivation, emotion, hunger, thirst, rage, aggression, and libido.

Corpus Callosum

Thick band of cells that connects the two hemispheres of the brain.

The Frontal Lobe

Responsible for thinking, decision making, memory, and the ability to pay attention; where personality forms. The more intelligent the organism, the larger the frontal lobe.

Motor Strip

Located at the back of the frontal lobe and controls motor abilities.

Broca's Area

Area in the left frontal lobe that produces speech.

Parietal Lobe

Responsible for registering and making sense touch, taste & temperature

Sensory Strip

Processes info from our skin- like touch & temperature

Occipital Lobe

Controls internal and external vision

Temporal Lobe

Controls internal and external hearing

Wernicke's Area

Area in our temporal lobe than allows us to understand speech

Acetylcholine

• In brain, helps regulate memory

• In spinal cord, controls muscles

Norepinephrine

• Mobilizes body for action in a stressful situation

• Also plays a role in mood & arousal

Serotonin

• Regulates temperature, mood, appetite, pain, sleep, and our sensory perception

Endorphins

• They reduce the intensity of pain that we feel

Dopamine

• When released by the brain's reward system, produces feeling of pleasure

• In the spine, helps coordinate our body movements