divisions of the brain

Question 1

Where is the Diencephalon?

Answer 1

located between telencephalon and mesencephalon (midbrain).

it surrounds the 3rd ventricle

Question 2

what are the 2 main structures of the diencephalon?

Answer 2

Thalamus and hypothalamus

Question 3

what is the role of the thalamus?

Answer 3

it relays sensory information, auditory info, visual, and somatosensory signals
controls sleep, awaken states, motor control, memory, emotions

Question 4

what is the role of the hypothalamus?

Answer 4

controls many autonomic functions of the PNS and connects endocrine systems to NS
involved in emotions, memories, and the limbic system.
indireclty controls anterior pituitary gland via hormones

Question 5

Role of Thalamic nuclei

Answer 5

some nuclei involved in general excitability of cerebral cortex
others act as relay stations for sensory and non sensory information

each side of the thalamus contains 6 groups of nuclei

Question 6

what is the structure of the thalamus

Answer 6

dorsal part of diencephalon and is split into 2 lobes which are connected via a bridge of grey matter going through the 3rd ventricle,

Question 7

what is the Telencephalon

Answer 7

Also known as the cerebrum
it is part of the forebrain
it is divided into left and right cerebral hemispheres which function contralaterally.

Question 8

What are the sub regions of the telencephalon?

Answer 8

cerebral cortex, basal ganglia, limbic system

Question 9

Cerebral cortex function and structure/

Answer 9

thin outer layer of neural tissue
role- higher order functions
Its surface area is x3 by folding

Question 10

explain the following features within the cerebral cortex
gyrus
sulcus
fissure

Answer 10

gyrus- buldges in the brain
sulcus- small groove
fissure- large groove

Question 11

What are the lobes in the cerebral cortex?

Answer 11

frontal
parietal
occipital

Question 12

what is the prefrontal cortex

Answer 12

frontal part of the frontal lobe

receives sensory info and communicates with other areas of the brain to enact a response

higher order functions
needed for planning and strategies, personality, impulse, mood

Question 13

What are the 3 main sensory cortices in the cerebral cortex?

Answer 13

1. the primary visual cortex= occipital lobe
2. the primary auditory cortex- temporal lobe
   3- primary somatosensory cortex- parietal lobe

also the primary motor cortex- frontal lobe

each primary sensory cortices receive info and communicate with their association cortices.

Question 14

what is lateralisation?

Answer 14

specific functions are located to one hemisphere
left hem= info analysis, recognising serial events, controlling sequences of behaviour

right hem- synthesis of info

corpus collosum is a large bundle of axons that allows left and right hem to communicate

Question 15

What is the limbic system?

what are the primary components?

Answer 15

part of the brain concerned with behavioural and emotional consequences.

the primary components= hippocampus, amygdala, cingulate gyrus. includes the fornix ( bundle of axons connecting hippocampus to brain regions)

Question 16

Structure and function of the amygdala

Answer 16

a set of nuclei involved in many aspects of emotion, decoding emotion, role in fear, aggression, self defence, stress.

also involved in decision making and loss aversion which is the avoidance of choices which can lead to losses despite larger gains are available
people with an impaired amygdala wont have loss aversion so wont be afraid to gamble on choices

Question 17

Hippocampus function

Answer 17

learning and memory
storing and retrieving explicit memories
e.g. HM

Question 18

How the hippocampus and amygdala work together

Answer 18

amygdala receives connections from hypothalamus- showing strong emotions can be triggered by memories e.g. PTSD
PTSD can be caused by reduced Hippocampus volume, increased amygdala activity

Question 19

Basal ganglia function

Answer 19

basal ganglia is a group of subcortical nuclei and is tightly connected to be involved in the control of movement.
its function is the process info from several regions of the cerebral cortex to then return this info to motor cortex via thalamus