Brain Parts and Functions

Neural networks

"work groups" of neurons that form because of repetition of tasks. form because of use. Stronger connections enable greater efficiently

What are two differences between endocrine messages and nervous system messages?

1) It takes longer for a hormone to travel from an endocrine gland to its target tissue, whereas, it takes neurons a fraction of a second. 2) Hormones might linger for awhile

Endocrine System

A System of glands and hormones. Link between the endocrine system and the nervous system is the hypothalamus

Aphasia

A language disorder that affects a person's ability to communicate. Broca's area

fMRI

A special application of MRI. Can reveal the brain's functioning as well as its structure. Can detect lies.

Give names of two chemicals release by adrenal glands

Adrenaline, noradrenaline, epinephrine, norepinephine

What is the refractory period?

After firing, the neuron is incapable of firing for a short period of time

Myelin shealth

Axon is covered by a myellin sheath that speeds neuronal transmission

Neurotransmitters

Axons release neurotransmitters that are chemical messengers that give the next neuron the signal

Visual Cortex

Back of the brain. Located in the Occipital Lobe. Function: Sight

Why is it impossible to cure Parkinson's by injecting dopamine?

Because of the blood-brain barrier which enables the brain to fence out unwanted chemicals circulation in the blood. Giving dopamine cannot help because it cannot pass the blood-brain barrier.

Brain Stem

Between the thalamus and spinal cord. Includes the Pons, medulla, cerebellum and the reticular formation.

Auditory Cortex

By the ears. involved with hearing Located in the Temporal Lobe

Hormones

Chemical messengers of the endocrine system. Move more slowly than neurotransmitters and are carried in the blood stream. When the emergency passes, the hormones; and the feelings of excitement linger awhile. Sex, food, and aggression

Spinal Cord

Connects the brain to the nervous system. Function: Controls reflexes

Thyroid gland

Controls metabolism

Wernicke's Area

Controls the understanding of speech and language. Thinks about what you are going to say. Comprehend

What is the effect of botulin on Ach transmission

Decreases it -antagonist

Neuron

Neurons receive signals (chemical, light, pressure, heat) through the dendrites

Endorphins

Neurotransmitters that relieve pain and elevate mood. Similar in chemical composition of morphine

What are some functions of the association areas of the parietal and temporal lobes?

Parietal- mathematical Temporal- recognize faces

Describe Sperry and Gazzaniga's split brain research

Patients were unable to describe object placed in left hand. This is because the left hand is controlled by the right brain and the speech area is usually on the left. What is seen in the left visual field travels to the right brain. HE ART experiment. Patients said they saw art (Left brain: Speech). Patients pointed to he with the left hand because the right brain controls left hand.

What was discovered by Olds and Milner in their study of rats?

Pleasure centers can control different parts of the brain

What is believed to cause left or right handedness?

Prenatal causes it

What 4 things may stimulate a neuron to fire an impulse?

Pressure, heat, light, or when it's stimulated by chemical messages from other neurons.

Excitatory signal

Show that like pushing a neuron's accelerator

What are the two parts of the peripheral nervous system and what does each control?

Somatic nervous system- enables voluntary control of our skeletal muscles Autonomic nervous system- controls the glands and muscles of our internal organs. (autopilot)

What are the dominant activities of the left hemisphere?

Speech. Language.

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

Studies function. Records brain waves. Used to study sleep and epilepsy

What are the two parts of the autonomic nervous system and what is the function of each?

Sympathetic- arouses us when we are under stress - adrenaline Parasympathetic- calms us when threat is removed

What part of the nervous system controls reflexes?

The spinal cord.

What is the relationship between brain size and intelligence?

There is no correlation

How might research on the motor cortex help paralysis victims?

They can control prosthetics with their brain

Threshold

Threshold is reached when excitatory signals outnumber inhibitory signals

Besides the pituitary and the adrenal glands, name the other 4 glands and describe their main functions?

Thyroid gland: controls metabolism Ovary and testes secrete sex hormones Pancreas: regulates the level of sugar in the blood

MRI

Uses magnets to pull atoms out of alignment, then return. Shows structure of the brain. Good for locating tumors or brain damage. Black and white

What is the difference in brain structure between primitive vertebrates, lower mammals, and humans?

Vertebrates: basic functions like breathing, resting, and feeding Lower mammals: emotion and greater memory Humans: brain processes more information, we are able to foresee

What brain part would we use to remember how to ride a bicycle

cerebellum

Reflex

controlled by the spinal cord

What is the effect of a black widow spider bite on ACh transmission

decreases it - Agonist

Dendrite

detect incoming messages

Action potential

electrical charge travels down axon to axon terminals

Limbic System

includes the amygdala, the hippocampus, hypothalamus, and the pituitary glands

Pituitary glands

is the master gland and controls the other glands in the endocrine system.

Synapse

is the space between neurons where the neurotransmitter combines with receptor sites on the next neuron

How does depolarization occur?

it occurs when gates open and positive sodium ions rush in, changing negative charged axon sections in a "domino effect"

Nerves

responsible for carrying information around your body in the form of electrical impulses

Split Brain

severing connections between the two hemispheres of the brain in order to control epilepsy

Which sense is not relayed to other parts of the brain by the thalamus?

smell

Glial cells

that maintain homeostasis, form myelin, and provide support and protection for neurons in the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system.

Cerebellum

the "mind brain." Located behind the brain stem. Functions: Controls memory of movement and balance. Repeated actions. Muscle Memory. Autopilot. Neuron Networks

Central nervous system

the brain and spinal cord. Contains interneurons that can communicate between sensory and motor neurons

Plasticity

the brain's capacity for modification

Phrenology

theory that claimed bumps on the skull could reveal out mental abilities and our character traits

Medulla

In the Brain Stem. Function: Controls vital functions - pulse, breathing

Reticular Formation

In the Brain Stem. In Pons. Function: Controls alertness and arousal. And falling alseep

Association Areas

In the Cerebrum. Function: combines infer from other areas

Angular Gyrus

In the Parietal Lobe. Function: is for reading. Transforms visuals to what you hear

Somatic nervous system

In the Peripheral. controls voluntary movements and receives sensory input

Serotoin

Inhibitory. Affects mood, hunger, sleep

GABA

Inhibitory. Calms you down. (alcohol)

Hypothalamus

Is located in the limbic system Functions: Body Temperature, hunger, thirst, sex drive. "Animal" like instincts.

What are clinical observations?

Is the oldest method of studying brain-mind connections. Observes the effects of specific brain diseases and injuries.

What important activities are carried out by the association ares in the frontal lobe?

Judge, plan, and process raw memories

In what way is a rat's cortex different from a human (p. 79)

Less association areas

Occipital Lobe

Located in the Cerebrum. Contains the Visual Cortex. Deals with sight

Parietal Lobe

Located in the Cerebrum. Function: Controls incoming messages of touch

Motor Cortex

Located in the Frontal Lobe. Function: controls outgoing messages of movement

Broca's Area

Located in the Frontal Lobe. Left side of the brain ONLY. Function: Controls the movement of speech; formation of words. (speaking out loud).

Pituitary Gland

Located in the Limbic System. "Master Gland." Function: controls endocrine system. CONTROLLED by the hypothalamus.

Amygdala

Located in the Limbic System. Function: Involved in emotions like fear and anger. Negative emotions

Frontal Lobe

Located in the front of the brain. Contains the Motor Cortex and the Broca's Area. Function: higher level thinking, decision making

Hippocampus

Located in the limbic system Functions: Involved with factual memory

Temporal Lobe

Located on the side of the Cerebrum. Contains the Auditory Cortex and Wernicke's Area

Cerebral Cortex

Makes up the outer layer of the of the brain. The right and left sides are connected by the corpus Callosum. Contains the Frontal, Pariental, Temporal, and Occipital lobes. Functions: thought, voluntary movement, language, reasoning, perception

How does the brain react when a person takes heroin and morphine?

Morphine bound to receptors in areas linked with mood and pain sensations. The brain has endorphins that are similar to morphine. Taking these drugs will cause the brain to stop producing its own opiates.

Acetylchoine (ACh)

Most important. Excitatory. afects muscle movement and memory

What does recent research show about human ability to make new brain cells?

Motor stem cells can develop into any type of brain cell

Antagonist

Drugs that block a neurotransmitter by occupying its receptor site - come from outside the body

Agonist

Drugs that mimic a neurotransmitter and have a similar effect - come from outside the body

What is reuptake?

Excess neurotransmitters are reabsorbed by the sending neuron

Dopamine

Excitatory. Learning, attention, emotion

What are the dominant activities of the right hemisphere

Following orders. Function is simple requests and perceiving objects. It is better at copying drawings, recognizing faces, perceiving differences and expression emotions.

Thalamus

Functions: The thalamus receives sensory information from other areas of the nervous system and sends this information to the cerebral cortex. The thalamus is also important for processing information related to movement. The "post office" of information.

Norepinephrine

Helps control alertness and arousal. Can depress mood.

Corpus Callosum

How each hemisphere communicates with each other. Connects the two hemispheres. Is a bundle of nerves.

What are the four maintenance duties performed by neural networks in the hypothalamus?

Hunger, sexual behavior, thirst, body temp

Autonomic Nervous system

In Peripheral. Controls internal organs and glands. You don't have to tell your heart to beat, or to breath

Sympathetic nervous system

In the Autonomic Nervous system. Arouses us when we are under stress. To prepare us for emergencies. Flight or Fight.

Parasympathetic nervous system

In the Autonomic Nervous system. Calms us when threat is removed. rest and digest

Pons

In the Brain Stem. Contains Reticular Formation.

Inhibitory signal

Pushing on the neurons brake

PET scan

Read's body's consumption of radioactive glucose. Shows which part of brain is active when doing certain tasks. Function. Different colors

Interneurons

Receive information and they travel up the spinal cord and give it to the brain

Adrenal glands

Release adrenaline and trigger the fight or flight response

What are 3 ways scientists can manipulate the brain?

Scientists can electrically, chemically, or magnetically stimulate various parts of the brain

Lesion

Scientists can selectively lesion (destroy) tiny clusters of normal or defective brain cells, leaving the surroundings unharmed

What is the charge (pos/neg) of a resting axon

The axon starts with a negative charge and in order for the axon to open its gates and let action potential through, it needs to have a greater positive charge.

What two parts make up the central nervous system?

The brain and spinal cord

The oldest region of the brain

The brainstem

How do we detect the intensity of a stimulus?

The more neurons that equal the greater intensities.

What happens to the neuron in the disease multiple sclerosis and what symptoms does it cause?

The myelin breaks down, causing eventual paralysis

Nervous system

The nervous system is made up of two parts, the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system

When are our brains most plastic?

When we are young

What is reward deficiency syndrome?

Where you don't get pleasure from rewards?

How does the hypothalamus influence the endocrine system?

by controlling the pituitary gland

Peripheral nervous system

carries messages from the brain to the body and from the body to the brain. Contains motor and sensory neurons

Sensory neurons (afferent)

carry incoming messages of touch and pain. Send information from the body's tissues and sensory organs inward to the central nervous system;s brain and spinal cord

Motor neurons (efferent)

carry outgoing messages of movement. The central nervous system sends instructions out to the body's tissues via this.