Cognitive Psychology-Chapter 1- The Brain

posterior

(in reference to describing locations in the brain) rear

central nervous system (CNS)

One of two major parts of the nervous system, consisting of the brain and spinal cord

occipital lobes

at rear (posterior) of brain; process visual input from eyes and memory;

Wernicke's area

located in posterior portion of left temporal lobe; crucial for comprehending language

sympathetic nervous system

prepares animal to respond more vigorously and accurately during an emergency - revs up the body; increases heart rate and breathing rate, dilates pupils, causes palms to become moist, reduces digestive functions, relaxes bladder - "fight or flight response"

ventricles

series of connected cavities in the center of the brain that are filled with the same fluid that runs inside the spinal cord.

terminal buttons

small structures at tip of axon which release neurotransmitter

motor neurons

stimulate muscles, causing movements

nucleus accumbens

structure near basal ganglia, sometimes considered to be part of it, plays an important role in learning; signals other brain areas when a reward (pleasant consequence produced by a behavior) occurs, both when it is actually received and when an animal only anticipates receiving it.

subcortical-structures

structures that lie beneath the cortex

gyrus

up-bulging fold of cerebral cortex

pons

"bridge" connecting brainstem to the cerebellum; contributes to functions that both structures perform, such as controlling sleep and forming facial expressions.

cerebral cortex

"gray matter"; interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres; body's ultimate control and information-processing center

superior

(in reference to describing locations in the brain) above

peripheral nervous system (PNS)

One of two major parts of the nervous system, consisting of the skeletal nervous system and the autonomic nervous system (ANS)

synapse

connection between neurons

parasympathetic nervous system

counters sympathetic nervous system; dampens down the fight-or-flight response

sulcus

crease in cerebral cortex

myelin

fatty insulator covering axon that improves transmission

skeletal system

governs striated (very finely "striped") muscles, which are under voluntary control

reticular formation

nerve network in brainstem involved in sleep and alertness; some of the neurons in this structure produce neuromodulators (chemicals that affect far-flung portions of the brain, altering or modulating the functions of neurons)

dendrites

part of neuron that receives input from other neurons (as does cell body)

axon

part of neuron that transmits output to other neurons; usually covered with myelin

autonomic nervous system (ANS)

part of peripheral nervous system that controls some glands and (smooth) muscles of internal organs (such as heart, blood vessels, stomach lining, and intestines). Consists of sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.

cerebral hemispheres

the two halves of the brain (left and right)

basal ganglia

they lie at the outer sides of the thalami; critical for day-to-day life, allowing us to plan movements and to develop habits.

meninges

topmost of three membranes covering the brain

temporal lobes

under the temples; involved in retention of visual memories; receive input from occipital lobes and match visual input to visual memories; process input from the ears; contains Wernicke's area; involved in storing new information in memory, deriving meaning, and in emotion

neurotransmitter

"messenger molecule"; chemical released by neuron via terminal buttons that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons. Depending on receptor, can excite the neuron (making it more active) or inhibit it (damping down o its activity).

inferior

(in reference to describing locations in the brain) below

medial

(in reference to describing locations in the brain) closer to midline (medial views show inside of brain)

anterior

(in reference to describing locations in the brain) front

lateral

(in reference to describing locations in the brain) toward the side, farther away from midline (lateral views of brains how the outside surface of the cerebral cortex)

sensory neuron

activated by input from sensory organs

dorsal (the "back" side)

by convention describes "above", in reference to human brain, because we stand upright.

ventral (the "stomach" side)

by convention describes "below" in reference to human brain, because we stand upright.

hypothalamus

directly under thalamus; controls many bodily functions including maintaining constant body temperature and blood pressure, eating and drinking, keeping heart rate within appropriate limits, and regulating sexual behavior.

lobes

four parts that the each hemisphere is divided into; are named after the bones of the skull that cover them

synaptic cleft

gap in synapse

primary motor cortex

is the most posterior (rear) gyrus in frontal lobes is called primary motor cortex; controls fine motor movements; is organized so different parts of the cortex correspond to different parts of the body; left hemisphere of primary motor cortex controls the right part of body and vice versa.

hippocampus

located at anterior (front) of the temporal lobes, tucked inside. plays central role in entering new information into memory (although is not itself the repository of new memories).

frontal lobes

located at anterior (front) part of the brain, right behind the forehead; involved in managing sequences of behaviors or mental activities; play a major role in producing speech; contains Broca's area; involved in controlling movements; contains primary motor cortex; involved in looking up specific information stored in memory, in planning and reasoning, in storing information briefly in memory so that it can be used in reasoning, in some emotions and in personality.

brainstem

located at base of the brain; contains many structures that receive information from and send information to the spinal cord

cerebellum

located at rear of brainstem; concerned with physical coordination; also involved in some aspects of attention and in estimation of time

parietal lobes

located at superior (upper) posterior part of the brain; crucially involved in representing space and our relationship to it; contains the somatosensory cortex; important for consciousness and attention and are involved in mathematical thinking;

thalamus

located at top of brainstem, in subcortical area; "switching station", regulates flow of information in the brain; parts of it play crucial role in attention (pulvinar nucleus) and it is important in regulating sleep

somatosensory cortex

located in most anterior (front) gyrus of parietal lobes; represents sensations on different parts of the body; is organized so that the different parts of the body are registered by different portions of cortex. Left hemisphere of somatosensory cortex registers sensations on the right side of the body and vice versa.

lateral geniculate nucleus

located in the thalamus; receives messages from retina and passes them on to the primary visual cortex (also known as "striate cortex") in the occipital lobes.

neuron

nerve cell that is the building block of the nervous system

action potential

neural impulse; brief electrical charge that travels down an axon; is produced if excitatory input reaching a neuron is sufficiently greater than inhibitory input; means neuron will fire

limbic system

neural system, includes the amygdala, hippocampus and hypothalamus; associated with regulating emotion, encoding new memories

amygdala

next to the hippocampus; named after it's shape, Greek word for almond; central both in appreciation of emotion in others and in production of behaviors that express our own emotions, especially FEAR.

Broca's area

usually found in third frontal gyrus in left hemisphere in frontal lobe; is crucial for programming speech sounds.

interneurons

vast majority of the neurons in the brain; stand between sensory and motor neurons or between other interneurons; often connected to other interneurons forming vast networks