Ch.4: The Brain

Front 1

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

Back 1

Brainstem

Front 2

the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing.

Back 2

Medulla

Front 3

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

Back 3

Lesion

Front 4

an amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain’s surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp.

Back 4

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

Front 5

a visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task.

Back 5

PET (positron emission tomography) scan

Front 6

a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images of soft tissue. MRI scans show brain anatomy.

Back 6

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)

Front 7

a technique for revealing blood flow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. fMRI scans show brain function.

Back 7

fMRI (functional MRI)

Front 8

the brain’s sensory switchboard, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla.

Back 8

Thalamus

Front 9

a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal.

Back 9

Reticular Formation

Front 10

the “little brain” at the rear of the brainstem; functions include some nonverbal learning, processing sensory input, and coordinating movement output and balance.

Back 10

Cerebellum

Front 11

neural system (including the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus) located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives.

Back 11

Limbic System

Front 12

two lima-bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion.

Back 12

Amygdala

Front 13

a neural structure lying below (hypo) the thalamus; it directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature), helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion and reward.

Back 13

Hypothalamus

Front 14

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

Back 14

Cerebral cortex

Front 15

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

Back 15

Frontal Lobes

Front 16

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

Back 16

Parietal lobes

Front 17

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

Back 17

Occipital lobes

Front 18

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

Back 18

Temporal Lobes

Front 19

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

Back 19

Motor Cortex

Front 20

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

Back 20

Sensory Cortex

Front 21

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, speaking, and integrating information.

Back 21

Association Areas

Front 22

impairment of language, usually caused by left-hemisphere damage either to Broca’s area (impairing speaking) or to Wernicke’s area (impairing understanding).

Back 22

Aphasia

Front 23

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

Back 23

Broca’s area

Front 24

controls language reception; a brain area, usually in the left temporal lobe, that is involved in language comprehension and expression.

Back 24

Wernicke’s area

Front 25

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

Back 25

Plasticity

Front 26

the formation of new neurons.

Back 26

Neurogenesis

Front 27

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

Back 27

Corpus Callosum

Front 28

a condition resulting from surgery that isolates the brain’s two hemispheres by cutting the fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) connecting them.

Back 28

Split Brain