Unit 1. Bio Foundations - Pt 5: Neuroanatomy

Hindbrain

Oldest brain region; controls basic survival functions

Cerebellum

Controls muscle tone, balance, coordination, and procedural learning

Hindbrain

Brain Stem

Controls involuntary actions like breathing and heart rate

Hindbrain

Medulla Oblongata

Part of brainstem; manages autonomic functions like heartbeat and digestion

Hindbrain

Reticular Activating System (RAS)

Controls arousal, wakefulness, eye movement, and attention; aka reticular formation

Hindbrain

Pons

Transfers information between brain regions; involved in REM sleep

Hindbrain

Forebrain

Region of brain including the limbic system and cerebral cortex

Limbic System

Emotional center of the brain; includes thalamus, hippocampus, amygdala, hypothalamus

Forebrain

Thalamus

Relays sensory info to cortex; processes visual and auditory input

Limbic System

Hippocampus

Processes and integrates new memories; damage leads to anterograde amnesia

Limbic System

Amygdala

Controls emotional responses like fear, anger, frustration

Limbic System

Hypothalamus

Regulates temperature, hunger, thirst, sex drive, endocrine system

Limbic System

Lateral Hypothalamus

"On switch" for eating; damage leads to self-starvation

Hypothalamus

Ventromedial Hypothalamus

"Off switch" for eating; damage causes overeating and obesity

Hypothalamus

Cerebral Cortex

Outer layer responsible for thinking, planning, language, and motor control

Forebrain

Sensory Cortex

Receives sensory input (e.g., touch, pain)

Cerebral Cortex

Motor Cortex

Sends movement commands to muscles

Cerebral Cortex

Corpus Callosum

Nerve bundle connecting the two hemispheres of the brain

Cerebral Cortex

Left Hemisphere

Language processing; includes Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas

Broca’s Area

Controls speech production; damage → expressive aphasia

Left Hemisphere

Wernicke’s Area

Controls speech comprehension; damage → receptive aphasia

Left Hemisphere

Right Hemisphere

Processes visual and spatial information

Split-Brain Patients

Have severed corpus callosum; show lack of contralateral processing

Contralateral Processing

Each brain hemisphere controls the opposite side of the body

Association Areas

Integrate sensory/motor info for higher cognition

Cerebral Cortex

Apraxia

Inability to organize movement

Brain Disorders

Agnosia

Difficulty processing sensory input

Brain Disorders

Alexia

Inability to read

Brain Disorders

Agraphia

Inability to write

Brain Disorders

Neuroplasticity

Brain’s ability to rewire and adapt after injury

Frontal Lobe

Controls reasoning, planning, decision-making, judgment, movement

Cerebral Lobes

Parietal Lobe

Processes touch, temperature, pressure, pain; home of somatosensory cortex

Cerebral Lobes

Temporal Lobe

Processes auditory info, language, and music

Cerebral Lobes

Occipital Lobe

Processes visual information via optic chiasm

Cerebral Lobes

Optic Chiasm

Point where visual input crosses to opposite brain hemisphere

Occipital Lobe

EEG

- Measure electrical activity

- Uses electrodes good for sleep studies

CAT Scan

- Measure structure

- Uses X-rays shows cross-sections

MRI

- Measure structure

- Uses magnets and radio waves, detailed 3D image

fMRI

- Measure structure + function

- Shows active areas by tracking blood flow

PET Scan

- Measure function

- Tracks glucose usage to show active brain areas