Biology 30 - Chapter 11.2

grey matter

part of the nervous system that contains mostly cell bodies, dendrites, and short, unmyelinated nerve fi bres; brownish-grey in colour; forms the outer areas of the brain and the H-shaped core of the spinal cord

white matter

part of the nervous system that made up of tracts of myelinated nerve fibres; whitish in colour; forms the inner region of some areas of the brain, and the outer area of the spinal cord

Meninges

three layers of tough, elastic tissue within the skull and spinal column which directly enclose the brain and spinal cord

Cerebellum

the part of the hindbrain involved in the unconscious coordination of posture, refl exes, and body movements, as well as fi ne, voluntary motor skills

medulla oblongata

part of the hindbrain attached to the spinal cord at the base of the brainstem; controls automatic, involuntary responses, such as heart rate, constriction or dilation of blood vessels to control blood pressure, and the rate and depth of breathing, swallowing, and coughing

Pons

part of the hindbrain found above and in front of the medulla oblongata in the brainstem; serves as a relay centre between the neurons of the right and left halves of the cerebrum, the cerebellum, and the rest of the brain

Midbrain

part of the brain found above the pons in the brainstem; relays visual and auditory

Thalamus

sensory relay centre at the base of the forebrain that governs the flow of information from all other parts of the nervous system, mainly between the forebrain and hindbrain, and between areas of the sensory system (except for the sense of smell) and cerebellum

Hypothalamus

region of the forebrain just below the cerebral hemispheres, under the thalamus; a centre of the autonomic nervous system responsible for the integration and correlation of many neural and endocrine functions; helps to regulate the body’s internal environment, as well as certain aspects of behaviour; coordinates the actions of the pituitary gland by producing and regulating the release of certain hormones

Cerebrum

the largest part of the brain, divided into right and left cerebral hemispheres, which contains the centres for intellect, memory, consciousness, and language; interprets and controls the response to sensory information

blood-brain barrier

protective barrier formed by glial cells and blood vessels that separates the blood from the central nervous system; selectively controls the entrance of substances into the brain from the blood

cerebrospinal fluid

dense, clear liquid derived from blood plasma, found in the ventricles of the brain, in the central canal of the spinal cord, and in association with the meninges; transports hormones, white blood cells, and nutrients across the blood-brain barrier to the cells of the brain and spinal cord; acts as a shock absorber to cushion the brain

cerebral cortex

thin outer covering of grey matter that covers each cerebral hemisphere of the brain; responsible for language, memory, personality, conscious thought, and other activities that are associated with thinking and feeling

corpus callosum

bundle of white matter that joins the two cerebral hemispheres of the cerebrum of the brain; sends messages from one cerebral hemisphere to the other, telling each half of the brain what the other half is doing

occipital lobes

one of four lobes into which each hemisphere of the cerebral cortex is divided; receives and analyzes visual information, and is needed for recognition of what is being seen

temporal lobes

one of four lobes into which each hemisphere of the cerebral cortex is divided; shares in the processing of visual information but its main function is auditory reception; also linked to understanding speech and retrieving visual and verbal memories

parietal lobes

one of four lobes into which each hemisphere of the cerebral cortex is divided; receives and processes sensory information from the skin, and helps to process information about the body’s position and orientation

frontal lobes

one of four lobes into which each hemisphere of the cerebral cortex is divided; integrates information from other parts of the brain and controls reasoning, critical thinking, memory, and personality; the Broca’s area of the frontal lobes is associated with language use; as well, contains motor areas control various aspects of precise, voluntary movement

Broca’s area

one of two important areas on the left side of the cerebral cortex; coordinates the muscles for speaking and translates thought into speech; damage to this area results in an inability to speak but does not affect the understanding of language

Wernicke’s area

one of two important areas on the left side of the cerebral cortex; stores the information involved in language comprehension; the ability to utter words is not affected if this area is damaged, but the words make little sense