biology Flashcards
(48 cards)
Postmortem Brain Specimen
brain of a deceased person, can see 4 lobes of the brain
EEG
recording device measuring electrical activity at the level of the cerebral cortex.
wave patterns correspond to certain states of consciousness
NOT images
PET scan
patient is injected with radioactivity tagged glucose, the glucose is metabolized in the brain (fuel!)
shows brain FUNCTION, not structure
MRI
view of the brain split down the middle
uses magnetic fields and radio waves. provides a picture of STRUCTURE, not function
Functional MRI
shows BOTH structure and function, combining PET and MRI
CAT scan
cross-sectional images of the brain
using x-ray, shows STRUCTURE not function
HINDBRAIN: Medulla
-life support system
-body functions like Heart rate, blood pressure, blood circulation
HINDBRAIN: Pons
-“bridge” between higher and lower levels of the nervous system
-sends messages!
HINDBRAIN: Cerebellum
-controls muscle movement, coordination, and balance
-affected by alcohol !!
HINDBRAIN: Thalamus
-the relay center for sensory information
-related to sensory processing, everything other than smell
LIMBIC SYSTEM: Hypothalamus
-internal regulator for hunger, thirst, body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate.
-in charge of the pituitary gland! hormones
LIMBIC SYSTEM: Amygdala
-controls emotion, aggression, and fear
LIMBIC SYSTEM: Hippocampus
-learning and memory (the SAVE button for remembering things)
Cerebral Cortex
control and information-processing center
Cerebral Cortex: Frontal Lobe
thinking, planning, and characteristics
Cerebral Cortex: Parietal Lobe
sense of TOUCH
Cerebral Cortex: Occipital Lobe
sense of sight, VISION
Cerebral Cortex: Temporal Lobe
hearing and language comprehension, SOUND
Corpus Callosum
Think band of nerve fibers that connects left and right hemispheres of the brain
Split Brain patients
no corpus callosum, things that enter in left visual field cannot be processes in right side of brain. Example: sees an apple on the right side, cannot say out loud that it is an apple
Left side of the brain
Language, speech, verbal memory
Right side of the brain
visual memory, spacial abilities, music
Wernicke’s Area
language comprehension
Broca’s Area
speech production
