brain and behavior exam 1

behavior

coordinated and complex response of animals/humans to environment

2 possible pathways of behaviors

1. localized in specific brain regions

2. products of combined activity of the entire brain

phrenology

discipline that correlates personality and character with the shape of the skull

Pierre Flourens

experimentally tested Gall’s ideas and found the brain is equipotential

Paul Broca

discovered that damage to the left frontal lobe of the cerebral hemisphere makes it impossible for a person to speak

Carl Wernicke

discovered that damage to the posterior part of the cerebral hemisphere makes it impossible for a person to understand speech

Karl Lashley’s principles for the nervous system

equipotentiality and mass actioneq

equipotentiality

all parts of the cortex contribute equally to learning; one part can substitute for another part

mass action

the cortex works as a whole, performance improves when more of the cortex is involved

Wilder Penfields experiments

helped to associate memory function with the temporal lobe

fMRI

functional magnetic resonance imaging-images blood flow to highlight the most “active” brain regions

PET scan

positron emission tomography-X-ray images of the emissions of radionucleotides

What is the difference between CNS and PNS?

the CNS is the brain and spinal cord, the PNS is cranial and spinal nerves

What are the functions of the somatic and autonomic nervous system?

somatic-controls skeletal muscles, conscious control; autonomic-balances internal organs, nonconscious control

What’s the difference between sensory and motor function?

sensory- get and integrate information about the world and create a sensory reality

motor- control movements

What is plasticity?

adapting to the world by changing its physical or chemical properties and functions to adapt to environmental change or to compensate for injury

What are some ways we can visualize postmortem and alive brains?

dead brain - sliced with a knife to see brain structures

live brain - optically sliced via CT, MRI, or PET scans

What are the three brain divisions on surface features?

cerebrum, cerebellum, brain stem

what are the three brain divisions based on brain development and evolution?

forebrain, midbrain, hindbrain

forebrain structures

end brain (cortex, corpus callosum, limbic system, basal ganglia, olfactory bulb)

between brain (thalamus, hypothalamus)

midbrain structures

tectum, tegmentum

hindbrain structures

pons, cerebellum, medulla

major subdivisions of the cortex

frontal lobe, temporal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe

sulcus

groove in brain matter

gyrus

small protrusion or bump formed by the folding of the cerebral cortex

what are the general functions of the 3 types of cortex? which type accounts for 90% of cortex?

motor, sensory, association (90%)

primary motor cortex

precentral gyrus in frontal lobe; initiate and control voluntary movements

somatosensory cortex

postcentral gyrus in parietal love; touch, balance, joint position, pain

auditory cortex

in temporal lobe; hearing

association cortex

in all lobes; integrate and interpret info

What are some of the major functions of the prefrontal cortex?

planning actions, decision making, control of emotions

What type of cortex is in the PFC?

association cortex

frontal lobe

largest lobe and in the front of the brain; planning, signaling movements, working memory, inhibition of inappropriate behaviors

temporal lobe

bottom part of brain; memory, hearing, language comprehension

parietal lobe

middle part of brain; somatosensory, late-stage vision

occipital lobe

back part of brain; early-stage vision

corpus callosum

connects the two cerebral hemispheres, consists of white matter

hippocampus

medial temporal lobe; involved in memory consolidation and provide the organism’s context

amygdala

anterior medial temporal lobe; coordinates autonomic responses in with emotional states

basal ganglia

deep within cerebral hemispheres; group of interconnected structures that control voluntary, smooth movements

nucleus accumbens

basal forebrain; brain’s reward system

thalamus

center of the diencephalon, above the brainstem; gateway for channeling sensory information, allows cortex to focus on selective sensory signals and diminishes the significance of others, processing of visual, auditory, somatosensory, and gustatory info

hypothalamus

located below the thalamus; regulates the ANS, regulates hormone release

pituitary gland

beneath the hypothalamus; links NS with endocrine system, hormone release

pineal gland

posterior diencephalon; sleep control, releases melatonin

midbrain tectum

roof of midbrain; sensory processing and produces orienting movements

substantia nigra

ventral midbrain; parkinson’s disease, tourette’s syndrome, neurons produce dopamine

ventral tegmental area (VTA)

midline of midbrain; addiction, neurons produce dopamine

cerebellum

posterior to brainstem; controls complex movements of the body, performs motor error correction

medulla

most caudal part of brainstem; regulates vital functions, respiratory center

What would happen if the primary motor cortex were damaged?

affect voluntary movement on the opposite side of the body

T or F? Cortical neurons can generally regrow if damaged

false

Sulci are _ on the cortex and gyri are _.

groove, bump

The _ of neurons form gray matter and the _ form white matter.

cell bodies, fibers

Why does the cortex appear gray?

made up of neuron cell bodies, lacks myelin coating

Severance of which brain structure can be done to treat severe epilepsy?

corpus callosum

T or F? The corpus callosum which connects the two cerebral hemispheres consists of gray matter.

false, consists of white matter

What are the structures of the limbic system?

amygdala, hippocampus, limbic cortex

What are the main functions of the limbic system?

emotion and memory

Other than emotional processing, what is an important role of the hippocampus?

memory

What are the structures of the basal ganglia?

striatum and nucleus accumbens

What would happen if the basal ganglia are damaged?

movement disorders, parkinson’s disease or tourettes syndrome

Are the basal ganglia white matter or gray matter structures?

gray matter

What are the components of the between brain (diencephalon)?

thalamus, hypothalamus, pituitary gland, pineal gland

What is the major function of the thalamus?

gateway for channeling sensory info to the cortex

What are some of the general functions of the hypothalamus?

regulate body temp, salt-water balance, hunger, thirst, energy metabolism, reproductive behaviors, emotional response

What is cortisol? Is it always a good thing?

stress response; excess can lead to damage to the brain and body

Compare and contrast hormones, NTs, and enzymes

• hormones: work on a distance; carried by blood; control body organs

• NTs: work in the synaptic cleft; help neuronal cells communicate

  • enzymes: change hormones and NTsW

What is the function of the pineal gland?

sleep control, release of melatonin

List the hindbrain structures and some of their functions

• cerebellum: controls complex movements of the body, error correction

• pons: bridge of communication between parts of the brain

• medulla: regulates vital functions

What happens when there is cerebellar dysfunction? Is there complete paralysis?

problems with motor control, motor activity is less precise, erratic movements

The medulla has an important function that plays a role in some forms of drug overdose. What is this function? What sort of drugs suppress this function?

respiratory center can be suppressed by alcohol, barbiturates, benzos, opioids

How does the medulla act as a vomiting center? What region of the medulla is responsible for vomiting?

monitors the blood content and can initiate vomiting to rid the digestive system of a poison that has been ingested; area postrema

What are the three meninges?

dura mater, arachnoid layer, pia mater

dura mater

tough outer layer of fibrous tissue

arachnoid layer

thin sheet of delicate connective tissue

pia mater

moderately touch inner layer that clings to brain’s surface

What is meningitis?

infection of the meninges and CSF

What is a ventricle?

a cavity in the brain that contains CSF

Where are the four ventricles generally located?

• two lateral ventricles (left and right hemispheres)

• third ventricle (between brain)

• fourth ventricle (hindbrain)

Which ventricles are connected by the cerebral aqueduct?

3rd and 4th

Why is CSF so important?

protects the brain and aids exchange of nutrients and waste products between brain and blood

What is the difference between cranial and spinal nerves?

• cranial nerves connect brain with the organs in the head and neck region

• spinal nerves connect spinal cord with the skeletal muscles

How many segments does the spinal cord consist of?

30

How are the gray and white matter organized in the spinal cord?

gray matter is surrounded by white matter

What are the major functions of the ANS?

• regulates internal environment by innervating smooth muscles of intestines bladder, cardiac muscle, and glands

• controls digestion, bp, body temp

sympathetic nervous system

dominates during times of stress, excitement, and exertion; “fight or flight”; increases heart rate and blood pressure, stimulates secretion of adrenaline, and increases blood flow to skeletal muscles

parasympathetic nervous system

dominates when energy reserves can be conserved and stored for later use; increases salivation, digestion, and storage of glucose and other nutrients, slows heart rate and decreases respiration

What do neurons of the ANS release?

norepinephrine and acetylcholine