Unit 3B
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33 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Lesion | tissue destruction. A brain lesion is a naturally or experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue |
| Electroencephalogram (EEG) | an amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain's surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp. |
| CT (computed tomography) scan | a series of x-ray photographs taken from different angles and combined by computer into a composite representation of a slice through the body |
| PET (positron emission tomography) scan | A visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task |
| MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) | a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images that distinguish among different types of soft tissue; allows us to see structures within the brain |
| fMRI (functional MRI) | a technique for revealing bloodflow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. fMRI scans show brain function. |
| brainstem | The oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; the brainstem is responsible for automatic survival functions |
| Medulla | the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing |
| Reticular formation | a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal |
| Thalamus | the brain's sensory switchboard, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla |
| Cerebellum | the "little brain" attached to the rear of the brainstem; it helps coordinate voluntary movement and balance |
| Limbic System | doughnut-shaped neural system located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives |
| Amygdala | two lima bean-sized neural clusters that are components of the limbic system and are linked to emotion |
| Hypothalamus | a neural structure lying below the thalamus; directs eating, drinking, body temperature; helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion |
| Cerebral Cortex | the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells that covers the cerebral hemispheres; the body's ultimate control and information-processing center |
| Glial Cells (Glia) | cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons |
| Frontal Lobes | the portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgments |
| Parietal Lobes | the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; receives sensory input for touch and body position |
| Occipital Lobes | the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes the visual areas, which receive visual information from the opposite visual field |
| Temporal Lobes | the portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each of which receives auditory information primarily from the opposite ear |
| Motor Cortex | an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements |
| Sensory Cortex | the area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations |
| Association Areas | areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions; rather, they are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking |
| Aphasia | impairment of language, usually caused by left hemisphere damage either to Broca's area (impairing speaking) or to wernicke's area (impairing understanding) |
| Broca's area | controls language expression-an aread of the frontal, usually in the left hemisphere, that directs the muscle movements involved in speech |
| Wernicke's area | controls language reception-a brain area involved in language comprehension and expression;usually in the left temporal lobe |
| Plasticity | the brain's ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience |
| Neurogenesis | the formation of new neurons |
| Corpus Callosum | the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them |
| Split Brain | a condition resulting from surgery that isolates the brain's two hemispheres by cutting the fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) connecting them |
| Consciousness | our awareness of ourselves and our environment |
| Cognitive Neuroscience | the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language) |
| Dual Processing | the principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks |
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