1.
amygdala: Two almond-sized neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion.
2.
angular gyrus: Involved in reading; transforms visual representations into an auditory code.
3.
aphasia: Impairment of language, usually caused by left hemisphere damage either to Broca's area (impairing speaking) or to Wernicke's area (impairing understanding).
4.
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.
5.
brainstem: The oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; this is responsible for automatic survival functions.
6.
Broca's area: Controls speaking (language expression)---an area, usually in the left frontal lobe, that directs the muscle movements involved in speech.
7.
CAT scan (computed tomography): a series of x-ray photographs taken from different angles and combined by computer into a composite representation of a slice through the body.
8.
cerebellum: The "little brain" at the rear if the brainstem; functions include porcessing sensory input and coordinating movement output and balance.
9.
cerebral cortex: The intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres; the body's ultimate control and information-processing center.
10.
cognitive neuroscience: The interactive disciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language).
11.
consciousness: Our awareness of ourselves and our environment.
12.
corpus callosum: The large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them.
13.
dual processing: The principle that information if often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks.
14.
EEG (electroencephalogram): 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.
15.
fight, flight, feed, and f***: What are the 4 F's?
16.
fMRI (functional MRI): A technique for revealing blood flow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. These scans show brain function.
17.
frontal lobes: Portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgments; motor cortex.
18.
glial cells (glia): Cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons.
19.
hypothalamus: A neural structure lying below the thalamus; it directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature), helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion and reward; the center of the "4 F's"
20.
lesion: Tissue destruction; One of these in the brain is a naturally or experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue.
21.
limbic system: Doughnut-shaped neural system (including the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus) located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives.
22.
medulla: The base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing.
23.
motor cortex: An area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements.
24.
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging): A technique that uses magnetic fields a radio waves to produce computer-generated images of soft tissue. These scans show brain anatomy.
25.
neurogenesis: The formation of new neurons.
26.
occipital lobes: Portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes area that receive information from the visual fields; visual cortex.
27.
parietal lobes: Portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; receives sensory input for touch and body position; sensory cortex.
28.
PET scan (positron emission tomography): A visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task.
29.
plasticity: The brain's ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience.
30.
pons: A structure in the brainstem that coordinates the left and right sides of your body which helps you maintain balance.
31.
reticular formation: A nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal.
32.
sensory cortex: Area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations.
33.
split brain: A condition resulting from surgery the isolates the brain's two hemispheres by cutting the fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) connecting them.
34.
temporal lobes: Portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes auditory areas, each receiving information primarily from the opposite ear; auditory cortex.
35.
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.
36.
Wernicke's area: Controls understanding (language reception)---a brain area involved in language comprehension and expression; usually in the left temporal lobe.
