Brain Anatomy and Functions(2)

Medulla oblongata

first large swelling at the top of the spinal cord forming the lowest part of the brain which is responsible for life sustaining functions like regulating heartbeat, breathing, swallowing, digestion, and sneezing

Pons

large mass/swelling of nerve fibers above the medulla that serve as relay stations, sending information from the brain stem to the cerebellum and cortex

Midbrain

located above the pons, connects both sensory inputs to motor outputs and connects the hindbrain to the forebrain

Reticular formation

a network of nerves (neurons) that carry messages between parts of the brain stem (medulla to midbrain)

Reticular Activating System (RAS)

Part of the reticular formation, is a network of neurons located in the brain stem that extends into the thalamus and plays a crucial role in regulating wakefulness and sleep-wake transitions

Reward center

a collection of structures that are key to the experience of pleasure, motivation, and reinforcement learning

Cerebellum

Often referred to as the "little brain" because of its distinct structure and location at the back of the brain, plays a pivotal role in coordinating muscle movement, maintaining balance and posture, and contributing to various forms of procedural learning

Cerebral cortex

wrinkled outer layer of the brain consisting of densely packed neurons, responsible for higher cognitive functions like thinking, memory, language, planning, and interpretation of sensory input

Cerebrum

The upper part of the brain consisting of the two hemispheres and the structures that connect them

Association Areas

Areas within each lobe of the cortex responsible for the coordination and interpretation of information, as well as higher mental processing

Corpus callosum

a large tract of nerve fibers running across the longitudinal fissure of the brain and connecting the cerebral hemispheres

Frontal lobes

Areas of the brain located in the front and top, responsible for higher mental processes and decision making as well as the production of fluent speech

Motor cortex

rear section of the frontal lobe responsible for sending motor commands to the muscles of the somatic nervous system

Broca's Aphasia

Condition resulting from damage to Broca's area, causing the affected person to be unable to speak fluently, mispronounce words, and speak haltingly. The ability to write is impaired too

Parietal lobes

section of the brain behind the frontal lobes that processes certain sensory signals from the body: touch, pressure, temperature, pain, and body position

Somatosensory cortex

Area of cortex at the front of the parietal lobes responsible for receiving and registering sensory information from the skin and internal body receptors for touch, pressure, temperature, pain and body position

Occipital lobe

Section of the brain located at the rear and bottom of each cerebral hemisphere containing the primary visual centers of the brain

Temporal lobes

located near your ears, and processes auditory information and auditory memory

Wernicke's Aphasia

condition resulting from damage to Wernicke's area causing the affected person to be unable to understand spoken or written language and inability to produce meaningful language

Limbic System

A group of several brain structures located primarily under the cortex and involved in learning, emotion, memory, and motivation

Amygdala

almond shaped structure that processes strong emotions especially fear, aggression, and anxiety.

Hippocampus

seahorse shaped part of the brain that is responsible for the formation and storing of new declarative/explicit memories (facts and events).

Hypothalamus

coordinates both the autonomic nervous system and the activity of the pituitary gland, controlling body temperature, thirst, hunger, sexual behavior, and other homeostatic systems, and is involved in sleep and emotional activity.

Pituitary gland

a small, pea-sized endocrine gland located at the base of your brain below your hypothalamus. It releases several important hormones and controls the function of many other endocrine system glands.

Thalamus

located in the center of the brain, this structure relays all sensory information from the lower part of the brain to the proper areas of the cortex and processes some sensory information before sending it to its proper area

Epilepsy

medical condition that involves a disruption of communication pathways in the brain, resulting in abnormal "out of control" electrical activity that leads to seizures

Contralateral hemispheric organization

the principle that each hemisphere of the brain controls the opposite side of the body

Plasticity

to the brain's ability to reorganize neural pathways and adapt as a result of experience.

Lesioning

Insertion of a thin, insulated electrode into the brain through which an electrical current is sent destroying the brain cells at the tip of the wire

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

A recording of the electrical activity of large groups of cortical neurons just below the skull, most often using scalp electrodes

Functional MRI (fMRI)

MRI based brain imaging method that allows for functional examination of brain areas through changes in brain oxygenation

Broca's area

responsible for speech production

Primary auditory area (Primary auditory cortex)

processes auditory information from the ears

Wernicke's area

understanding language / language comprehension