Unit 1 #3 Flashcards
(28 cards)
brain stem
the lower part of the brain that connects the cerebrum to the spinal cord, controlling vital bodily functions like breathing, heart rate, and consciousness, and consisting of the midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata
medulla
The medulla controls critical functions in the body like breathing and heartbeat
reticular activating system
The reticular formation is involved in various physiological functions, including pain sensitization, alertness, fatigue, sleep, and motivation.
reward center
a complex network of neural circuits that help regulate motivation, reinforcement, and pleasure responses
cerebellum
primarily responsible for the coordination of movement, and maintaining posture and balance
cerebral cortex
plays a key role in memory, thinking, learning, reasoning, problem-solving, emotions, consciousness and functions related to your senses
limbic system
a group of structures in your brain that regulate your emotions, behavior, motivation and memory
thalamus
serves as an effective relay station filtering impulses between the body and the brain.
hypothalamus
Monitor levels for hunger, thirst, sex, body temp
“thermostat for our body”
pituitary gland
the “master gland” of the endocrine system
hippocampus
Memory formation and learning
amygdala
Almond shaped structure- highlight things that are threating and attractive
corpus callosum
Fibers that allow your brain’s left and right hemispheres to communicate. “bridge between two hemispheres”
occipital lobes
visual processing
temporal lobes
understanding language
parietal lobes
responsible for processing sensory information from various parts of the body, including spatial sense and navigation.
frontal lobes
responsible for higher cognitive functions including reasoning, problem-solving, judgment, and motor function.
Broca’s area
responsible for speech production and language comprehension
Wernicke’s area
a region in the brain that plays a key role in language comprehension and forming cohesive sentences
aphasia
a communication disorder caused by brain damage, which impairs a person’s ability to speak, write, or understand language, effectively hindering their ability to communicate effectively with others
split-brain research
a line of study where researchers examine the cognitive abilities of individuals who have had their corpus callosum severed, effectively separating the left and right hemispheres of the brain
contralateral hemispheric organization
the brain’s structure where each hemisphere primarily controls the opposite side of the body
brain plasticity
the brain’s ability to change its structure and function throughout life by forming new neural connections and adapting to experiences
EEG
a neuroimaging technique that measures brain activity by detecting electrical signals produced by the brain through electrodes placed on the scalp
