Brain Structure and Function Flashcards

Flashcards covering key brain structures, their locations, functions, and significance.

Hindbrain

The lower part of the brainstem, connecting to the spinal cord, responsible for vital functions like breathing and heart rate.

Medulla Oblongata

A structure in the hindbrain that regulates vital functions such as breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure.

Pons

Part of the hindbrain that relays signals from the forebrain to the cerebellum and plays a role in breathing, swallowing, and sleep.

Cerebellum

A hindbrain structure that coordinates movement, balance, and posture.

Midbrain

The middle part of the brainstem that serves as a relay station for sensory and motor information.

Tectum

A part of the midbrain involved in processing visual and auditory information.

Tegumentum

A structure in the midbrain involved in motor control, including eye movements.

Forebrain

The most anterior part of the brain, responsible for higher-level cognitive functions and includes the cerebrum, thalamus, and hypothalamus.

Cerebrum

The largest part of the brain, responsible for higher-level cognitive functions.

Cerebral Cortex

The outer layer of the cerebrum, responsible for conscious thought, memory, and language.

Frontal Lobe

Part of the brain involved in planning, decision-making, and voluntary movement.

Parietal Lobe

Part of the brain that processes sensory information, including touch, temperature, and pain.

Temporal Lobe

Part of the brain that processes auditory information and plays a role in memory and language.

Occipital Lobe

Part of the brain that processes visual information.

Thalamus

A structure that relays sensory information to the cerebral cortex.

Hypothalamus

Regulates body temperature, hunger, thirst, and emotions.

Corpus Callosum

A thick band of nerve fibers connecting the two cerebral hemispheres and facilitating communication between them.

Higher-level cognitive functions

Functions such as conscious thought, memory, language, and decision-making that are primarily associated with the forebrain.