The Brain Flashcards
What are the three primary parts of the brain?
Hindbrain, forebrain, midbrain
What is the hindbrain?
Part of the brain continuous with the spinal cord that coordinates information coming into and out of the spinal cord, and controls basic functions like respiration, alertness and motor skills.
What are the three basic structures that make up the hindbrain?
Pons, cerebullum and medulla
What is the medulla?
An extension of the spinal cord into the skull that coordinates heart rate, circulation and respiration. Contains part of the reticular formation, which regulates sleep, wakefulness and arousal.
What is the pons?
A structure that relays information from the cerebellum to the rest of the brain.
What is the cerebullum?
A large structure of the hindbrain that controls fine motor skills.
Where is the midbrain located?
On top of the hindbrain
What structures are located in the midbrain?
Tectum and tegmentum
What is the tectum?
Receives stimulus from the eyes, ears and skin and moves the organism in a coordinated way toward the stimulus
What is the tegmentum?
Is involved in movement and arousal
What is the forebrain?
Highest level of the brain – controls complex cognitive, emotional, sensory and motor function. Divided into two main sections, the cerebral cortex and the subcortical structures.
What is the purpose of the thalamus? (subcortical)
Relays and filters information from all the senses except smell and transmits the information to the cerebral cortex. Gives more weight to some inputs than others. Closes information pathways during sleep.
What does Thalamic syndrome entail?
Severe pain, extreme sensitivity to touch
What is the purpose of the hypothalamus? (subcortical)
Regulates body temperature, thirst, hunger and sexual behaviour. Electric stimulation can lead to intense pleasure or aggressive behaviour, and lesioning can lead to overeating or starvation.
What structures are in the limbic system? (Subcortical)
Hippocampus and amygdala
What is the purpose of the hippocampus?
Critical in the creation and integration of new memories.
What happens if there’s damage to the hippocampus?
Can acquire new information but only keep it in awareness for a few seconds. Specific to memories about facts and events, so motor skills can be learned, but no memory of how they were learned.
What’s the purpose of the amygdala?
Plays a central role in many emotional processes, particularly the formation of emotional memories. Attaches significance to previously neutral events and when situations are emotionally arousing, it stimulates hippocampus to remember the details.
Which subcortical structure is highly implicated in anxiety?
The amygdala
What is the purpose of the basal ganglia (subcortical)?
Directs intentional movements - receive input from the cerebral cortex and send output to the motor centres in the brain stem.
What purpose does the striatum of the basal ganglia serve?
Involved in the control of posture and movement – Parkinson’s: depletion of dopamine in the striatum
What is the purpose of the pituitary gland? (Subcortical)
The master gland of the body’s hormone-producing system, which releases hormones that direct the functions of many other glands in the body.
What are the gyri?
Raised smooth parts in cerebral cortex
What are the sulci?
Indentations or fissures in cerebral cortex
