Brain Regions And There Functions Flashcards
Medulla oblongata
- Most of motor axons that descend from the cortex cross over the midline and now continue their descent on the contralateral (opposite) side. This crossover point is called the PYRAMIDAL DECUSSATION.
- Respiratory center : controls rate of respiration
- Cardiovascular centers: regulation of heart rate and blood vessels diameter
- Reticular formation: controls consciousness and arousal
Injury can thus impair consciousness, and severe damage can cause coma or a persistent vegetative state. - Vomiting center or area postrema (no BBB)
Pons
- Respiratory center: pontine respiratory center helps regulate skeletal muscles for breathing
- sensory and motor tracts: located here connect to brain and spinal cord
- Cranial nerves; VIII, VII, VI, V
Midbrain or mesencephalon
- Corpora quadrigemina (Latin for “quadruplet bodies”) consists of superior and inferior colliculi
a) Superior colliculus: visual reflexes
b) Inferior colliculus: auditory reflexes - Red nucleus: controls erector spinae group muscles (Muscles of the back – maintains posture)
- Substantia nigra : dopamine production (it is a neurotransmitter)
Role of dopamine
a) Reward seeking
b) Addiction
c) Learning
d) Motor planning - Cerebral peduncles: descending motor tracts
Cerebellum
Coordinates voluntary movements such as posture, balance, coordination, and speech, resulting in smooth and balanced muscular activity
Damage to the cerebellum can lead to: 1) loss of coordination of motor movement 2) the inability to judge distance and when to stop 3) the inability to perform rapid alternating movements 4) movement tremors (intention tremor), 5) staggering, wide based walking
Epithalamus
Pineal gland
The pineal gland is endocrine gland , produces melatonin, which helps maintain circadian rhythm
Thalamus
Relays sensory impulses from receptors in various parts of the body to the cerebral cortex. A sensory impulse travels from the body surface towards the thalamus, which receives it as a sensation. This sensation is then passed onto the cerebral cortex for interpretation as touch, pain or temperature. The only sensory information that is not relayed by the thalamus into the cerebral cortex is information related to smell (olfaction).
“Information filter”
Hypothalamus
- Master control of Autonomic Nervous System
- Master control of Endocrine nervous system
- Production of Antidiuretic Hormone (ADH)
- Production of oxytocin (hormone)
- Regulation of body temperature
- Control of food intake
- Control of water intake
- Control of melatonin production (melatonin is produced by pineal gland)
- Control of mood and sex drive
Cerebrum Gray matter
Cerebral nuclei:
Caudate nucleus
Putamen
Globus pallidus
Helps produce pattern and rhythm of walking movements
Helps control muscular movements at subconscious level
Amygdala
Cerebral cortex
Sensory areas •Primary Sensory Cortex – makes you aware of a sensation •Association areas – give meaning to/make associations with a sensation
Motor areas – allow you to act upon a sensation
Expression of emotion, control of behavioral activities, moods
Frontal lobe
Precentral gyrus
Primary motor cortex : voluntary control of the skeletal muscles. Motor homunculus
Prefrontal cortex
Intelligence
Social behavior
Judgment
Problem solving
Broca’s area
Motor speech area
Occipital cortex
Primary visual cortex
Visual association area
Parietal cortex
Postcentral gyrus: somatosensory, sensory homunculus (see image above)
primary sensory cortex (general senses: touch, pressure, pain, temperature)
association area: allows to recognize object, distinguish size and shape solely by touch
Temporal cortex
Primary auditory center
Association area
