structure of the brain

cerebral cortex

The outer layer of the brain responsible for complex perception, movement, emotion, and thought.

cortex

Short form of cerebral cortex.

hemisphere

One of the two halves of the cerebral cortex.

contralateral

Relating to the opposite side of the body.

commissure

A bundle of axons connecting corresponding areas of the two brain hemispheres.

corpus callosum

The largest bundle of fibers connecting the two cerebral hemispheres.

axon

The long part of a neuron that carries signals away from the cell body.

cortical area

A specific region of the cerebral cortex with a particular function.

lobe

One of the four major regions of each cerebral hemisphere.

specialized

Designed or adapted for a particular function.

occipital lobe

The lobe at the back of the brain that processes visual information.

visual information

Information received and processed through the visual system.

primary visual cortex

The cortical area that initially processes visual information.

visual stimulus

Anything that produces visual information, such as an object or movement.

extract

To identify or pull out particular information from something.

parietal lobe

The lobe involved in processing touch and other information about the body.

somatosensory

Relating to bodily sensations such as touch, pressure, temperature, and pain.

somatosensory cortex

The area of the cortex that processes information about bodily sensations.

sensation

The process of detecting physical stimulation through sensory systems.

sensory receptor

A specialized cell that detects physical stimuli.

skin area

A region of the body's surface represented in the somatosensory cortex.

homunculus

A distorted body map showing how much cortical space is devoted to different body parts.

motor cortex

A cortical area that initiates and controls voluntary movement.

motor control

The ability to control bodily movement.

voluntary movement

Movement that is intentionally controlled.

muscle group

A group of muscles that work together to produce movement.

initiate

To begin or cause something to begin.

motor neuron

A neuron that carries signals to muscles to produce movement.

temporal lobe

The lobe involved in hearing, language, and recognizing objects.

auditory

Related to hearing.

primary auditory cortex

The area that initially processes information from the ears.

speech

Spoken language.

language processing

The mental processing involved in understanding and producing language.

meaningful units

Parts of information that have recognizable meaning, such as words.

object recognition

The ability to identify and recognize objects.

frontal lobe

The lobe involved in movement, planning, judgment, memory, and complex thinking.

abstract thinking

Thinking about ideas or concepts that are not directly physical.

planning

Organizing actions in order to achieve a future goal.

judgment

The ability to evaluate situations and make decisions.

executive

In psychology, a system or function that coordinates and controls complex mental processes.

retrieve

To bring stored information back into awareness or memory.

anticipate

To expect or predict something that may happen in the future.

social interaction

Interaction or communication between people.

behavioral regulation

The process of controlling behavior according to goals, rules, or situations.

processing

The process of receiving, analyzing, and interpreting information.

processing stage

A step in the process of analyzing information.

hierarchy

An organization in which some levels are simpler or lower and others are more complex or higher.

primary area

A brain area that performs relatively basic or initial processing of information.

association area

A brain area that combines information and helps give it meaning.

neuron

The basic functional cell of the nervous system.

feature

A particular characteristic or element of a stimulus.

orientation

The direction of an object or feature, such as horizontal or vertical.

stimulus

Anything that produces a response in an organism.

interpret

To determine or construct the meaning of information.

perception

The process of organizing and interpreting sensory information.

meaning

The significance or interpretation assigned to information.

register

To detect or receive information.

integrate

To combine different pieces of information into a unified whole.

context

The surrounding information or situation that helps give something meaning.

mirror neuron

A neuron that is active when performing an action and when observing a similar action.

mirror-neuron system

A network of brain areas involving mirror neurons.

observe

To watch or examine something carefully.

behavior

An action or response that can be observed or measured.

goal

A desired outcome that a person or organism is trying to achieve.

purpose

The reason or intended outcome behind an action.

neuroimaging

Techniques used to examine brain structure or activity.

impairment

A reduction or difficulty in a particular ability or function.

controversy

Disagreement among researchers or experts about an issue.

interpretation

An explanation of what evidence or findings mean.

plasticity

The brain's ability to change its organization or function in response to experience or injury.

neuroplasticity

Another term for the brain's ability to change and reorganize.

adapt

To change in response to new conditions or experiences.

sensory input

Information entering the nervous system through the senses.

cortical representation

The area of the cortex devoted to representing a particular body part or function.

reorganization

The rearrangement of how brain areas or functions are organized.

reassign

To give a different function or role to something.

environment

The external conditions and experiences surrounding an organism.

compete

To attempt to obtain the same limited resource or representation.

stimulation

Activation caused by exposure to a stimulus.

input

Information entering a system.

amputation

The removal of a body part, usually through surgery or severe injury.

amputee

A person who has undergone an amputation.

phantom limb syndrome

The experience of sensations, movement, or pain in a limb that has been amputated.

phantom sensation

A sensation experienced as coming from a missing body part.

phantom pain

Pain that feels as though it is coming from a missing limb.

elicit

To cause or produce a particular response.

brain scan

An image or measurement of brain structure or activity.

activate

To cause a brain region or neuron to become active.

practice

Repeated performance of an activity.

repeated experience

Experiencing the same activity or type of stimulation repeatedly.

virtuoso

A person who is extremely skilled at a particular activity, especially music.

navigation

The process of finding and following a route through an environment.

spatial

Relating to location, distance, or the arrangement of objects.

spatial navigation

The ability to understand locations and move through physical space.

overdeveloped

More developed than usual.

refined

Made more precise, skilled, or accurate through practice.

synapse

The junction where neurons communicate with each other.

synaptic

Relating to synapses or communication between neurons.

neurogenesis

The formation or development of new neurons.

hippocampus

A brain structure important for learning and memory.