Brain Anatomy and Neuroscience Vocabulary

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering brain structures, cortical regions, functions, and neuroimaging concepts.

Amygdala

Two lima-bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion, specifically aggression and fear.

Corpus callosum

The large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them.

Occipital lobe

Portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes areas that receive information from the visual fields.

Temporal lobe

Portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each receiving information primarily from the opposite ear.

Parietal lobe

Portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; receives sensory input for touch and body position.

Somatosensory cortex

Area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations.

Frontal lobes

Portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgments.

Motor cortex

An area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements.

Broca's area

Controls language expression; an area of the frontal lobe, usually in the left hemisphere, that directs the muscle movements involved in speech.

Wernicke's area

Controls language reception; a brain area involved in language comprehension and expression; usually in the left temporal lobe.

Aphasia

Impairment of language, usually caused by left hemisphere damage either to Broca's area (impairing speaking) or to Wernicke's area (impairing understanding bridges).

EEG

An amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity sweeping across the brain's surface.

fMRI

A technique for revealing blood flow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans; shows brain function as well as structure.

Lesion

Tissue destruction. A brain lesion is a naturally or experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue.

Brain plasticity

The brain's ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience.

Prefrontal Cortex

The forward part of the frontal lobes responsible for executive functions like judgment, decision making, and planning.

Hindbrain

The lower part of the brainstem, comprising the cerebellum, pons, and medulla oblongata, responsible for basic life functions and motor coordination.

Midbrain

A small part of the brain above the pons that integrates sensory information and relays it upward.

Forebrain

The largest and most complex region of the brain, including the thalamus, hypothalamus, limbic system, and cerebrum.

Association Areas

Areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions; rather, they are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking.

Brain stem

The oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; it is responsible for automatic survival functions.

Medulla

Located at the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing.

Reticular activating system

A nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal and alertness.

Cerebellum

The "little brain" at the rear of the brainstem; functions include processing sensory input and coordinating movement output and balance; also involved in implicit/procedural memory.

Cerebral cortex

The intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres; the body's ultimate control and information-processing center.

Limbic system

Neural system located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives.

Thalamus

The brain's sensory switchboard, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex.

Hypothalamus

A neural structure lying below the thalamus; it directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature) and helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland.

Pituitary gland

The endocrine system's most influential gland; under the influence of the hypothalamus, the pituitary regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands.

Hippocampus

Directs memories for storage.