Brain Anatomy, Learning, and Memory (Notes Summary)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key brain, learning, and memory concepts from chapters 1–7 of the notes.

Forgetting curve

The idea that memory fades over time unless reviewed; periodic review (e.g., within 24 hours) helps reinforce learning.

Review within 24 hours

Re-reading and adding to your notes within a day to strengthen retention and comprehension.

Rewrite in your own words

Paraphrasing concepts in your own language to deepen understanding and memory.

Writing vs typing for study

Writing activates learning centers and enhances recall more effectively than typing.

Chinking

Explaining or teaching the material to someone else to solidify understanding.

Outline before class

Create a structured outline prior to learning to organize key points and aid memory.

Star concept

Marking particularly important ideas with a star to indicate high exam relevance.

Application vs memorization

Exam focus on applying concepts to new scenarios rather than just recalling definitions.

Corpus callosum

Large bundle of axons connecting the left and right hemispheres to enable interhemispheric communication.

Left hemisphere

Typically handles language, logic, and analytic tasks; houses major language areas and the primary motor cortex.

Frontal lobe

Lobe involved in higher-order thinking, motivation, decision making; contains the primary motor cortex.

Temporal lobe

Lobe that processes auditory information and contributes to language understanding and production.

Occipital lobe

Lobe dedicated to visual processing.

Parietal lobe

Lobe involved in somatosensory processing and spatial integration.

Somatosensory cortex

Brain region mapping body sensations; more cortex for more sensitive areas.

Hippocampus

Brain structure crucial for forming new memories.

Thalamus

Relay center for senses (except smell); contributes to attention, memory, and emotion.

Hypothalamus

Regulates autonomic functions and basic drives (hunger, thirst, arousal); helps balance energy and stress responses.

Limbic system

Emotion, memory, and motivation network that includes structures like the amygdala and hippocampus.

Aphasia

Language impairment due to brain damage, often left hemisphere; expressive (Broca) or receptive (Wernicke) forms.

Broca's area

Left frontal region linked to speech production and language expression.

Wernicke's area

Left temporal/parietal region linked to language comprehension.

Split-brain (Sperry) experiments

Severing the corpus callosum reveals different hemisphere capabilities; left = verbal, right = nonverbal.

Cortical localization

Different brain areas are responsible for specific functions.

Lateralization of function

Hemispheres specialize in different cognitive abilities (left often language, right often nonverbal/spatial).

Right hemisphere

Often handles nonverbal, spatial, and creative tasks; language still requires interhemispheric communication.

Left-handedness

About 9% of people; often associated with larger corpus callosum and unique brain organization.

White matter

Myelinated axons that transmit signals between brain regions; typically more prominent in men in some studies.

Gray matter

Neuron cell bodies involved in higher-order processing; reported to be relatively higher in women in some observations.

Aerobic exercise and the brain

Cardio activity increases blood flow and oxygen to the brain, supporting brain health and memory.

Bilingualism and dementia risk

Early bilingual experience (before age five) is linked to about a 30% lower risk of developing dementia.

Learning a new language and the brain

Engaging language learning strengthens cognitive functions and brain plasticity, similar to aerobic benefits.