Cogs 17: Neurobiology of Cognition - Lecture 1a

Vocabulary flashcards covering foundational concepts, anatomical terminology, divisions of the nervous system, support structures, and brain regions from Lecture 1a of Cogs 17: Neurobiology of Cognition.

Dualism

The philosophical position associated with Descarte (1600s) asserting that the brain is physical and does not equal the mind (or soul), which is immaterial.

Monism

The prevalent contemporary stance asserting that the brain does equal the mind, defining the mind as the activity of the physical brain.

The Hard Problem

The question addressing why consciousness should exist and what the physical nature of consciousness is.

Dorsal

Anatomical term meaning toward the back of the body and, in the human head, toward the top.

Ventral

Anatomical term meaning toward the stomach and, in the human head, toward the bottom.

Rostral / Anterior

Anatomical term meaning toward the front end.

Caudal / Posterior

Anatomical term meaning toward the rear end.

Superior

Anatomical directional term meaning located above another part.

Inferior

Anatomical directional term meaning located below another part.

Lateral

Anatomical directional term meaning toward the sides, away from the midline.

Medial

Anatomical directional term meaning toward the midline, away from the sides.

Coronal Plane

Plane through the brain as seen from the front ("Corona" meaning "Crown").

Saggital Plane

Plane through the brain as seen from the side (named after Sagittarius, the Archer).

Horizontal Plane

Plane through the brain as seen from above, sometimes referred to as the Transverse Plane.

Ipsilateral

Making a connection on the same side (left/right) of the Nervous System.

Contralateral

Making a connection on the opposite side (left/right) of the Nervous System.

Central Nervous System (CNS)

The division of the nervous system consisting of the Spinal Cord and Brain, encased in bone (skull, spinal column) and sheathed in the three-layered Meninges.

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

Nerves outside the CNS, consisting of two subsystems: the Somatic Nervous System and the Autonomic Nervous System.

Somatic Nervous System

Subsystem of the PNS responsible for interaction with the external environment (Sensory/Motor).

Autonomic Nervous System

Subsystem of the PNS that regulates the internal environment by controlling internal organs.

Dura Mater

The thick outer layer of the Meninges immediately under the bone, meaning "Tough mother".

Arachnoid Mater

The spider-web-like spongy middle layer of the Meninges ("Spider mother") containing the Subarachnoid Space filled with CSF.

Pia Mater

The pliant inner layer of the Meninges ("Pious mother") that conforms to the surface of the brain and spine and includes blood vessels.

Ventricles

Hollow, inter-connected cavities in the brain that produce Cerebral Spinal Fluid (CSF).

Hydrocephalus

A condition ("water on the brain") resulting from blocked CSF flow from the Ventricles; it may be surgically drained.

Blood-Brain Barrier

A semi-permeable barrier formed by specialized capillary cells tightly joined without gaps, assisted by Astrocytes, that strictly controls the brain's chemical environment.

Hindbrain

Ancient, posterior division of the brain consisting of the Medulla, Pons, and Cerebellum.

Medulla

Hindbrain structure (Medulla Oblongata) controlling breathing, heart-rate, vomiting, coughing, and other vital reflexes.

Pons

Hindbrain structure ("Bridge") that relays info between Cortex and Cerebellum and between Brain and Spinal Cord; contains Cranial Nerves V through XII, the Reticular Formation, and the Raphe System.

Cerebellum

Hindbrain structure ("Little Brain") responsible for motor programs, organizing online sensory input to guide movement, timing actions, and shifting attention.

Brain Stem

Structures along the center-most section of the brain consisting of the Hindbrain (not including the Cerebellum), the Midbrain, and the Diencephalon of the Forebrain.

Tectum

Part of sensory pathways in the Midbrain ("Roof") consisting of the Superior Colliculus (Vision) and Inferior Colliculus (Audition).

Tegmentum

Midbrain motor pathway structure ("Covering" or "Rug") lying below the Tectum; includes the Red Nucleus, Substantia Nigra, Cranial Nerves III and IV, and part of the Reticular Formation.

Thalamus

Paired central structures in the Diencephalon atop the Midbrain that serve as the primary source of sensory and motor input (except olfaction) to the Cerebral Cortex.

Hypothalamus

Small Diencephalon structure with many nuclei ventral to the Thalamus that oversees the "4 Fs" (Feeding, Fighting, Fleeing, and Sex), temperature, clock, and controls the Endocrine system via the Pituitary Gland.

Limbic System

Telencephalic structures ("Border") surrounding central brain areas involved in motivational and emotional behavior; includes the Hippocampus, Amygdala, Cingulate Gyrus, Olfactory Bulb, and Hypothalamus.

Hippocampus

Limbic structure ("Seahorse") posterior and inferior to the Thalamus/Hypothalamus that is important in forming new memories and active in spatial mapping.

Amygdala

Limbic structure ("Almond") at the anterior end of the Hippocampus in the temporal lobe, important in emotional expression (especially anger and fear) and in interpreting emotion in others.

Cingulate Gyrus

Limbic cortex forming a layer immediately inferior to the Cerebral Cortex; operates as a re-entrant system assessing good and bad (+/- evaluation).

Olfactory Bulb

Structure extending on a stalk toward the nasal cavity that receives input from smell receptors and sends axons directly to the Olfactory Cortex in the Orbitofrontal area.

Basal Ganglia

Complex set of sub-cortical structures (Caudate Nucleus, Putamen, Globus Pallidus) connected to the Frontal Cortex that controls movement, planned sequential behaviors, and task-setting.

Basal Forebrain

Cortical area just anterior to the Hypothalamus that is the brain's main source of acetylcholine (ACh) and GABA, serving critical roles in attention and cortical arousal.