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Unit #3B -Vocabulary
Terms and Concepts to Remember
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| 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. Also called a CAT scan. |
| 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 of soft tissue. MRI scans show brain anatomy. |
| 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 brianstem 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" at the rear of the brainstem; functions include processing sensory input and coordinating movement output and balance. |
| 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 area, usually in the left frontal lobe, 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 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 corps callosum) connecting them |
| consciousness | our awareness of ourselves and our environment |
| cognitive neuroscience | the inter-disciplinary 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 |
| limbic system | neural system that sits between the brain's older parts and its cerebral hemisphere. its hypothalamus controls the pituitary gland |
| amygdala | two lima bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system that's linked to emotion |
| hypothalamus | neural structure lying below the thalamus that directs maintenance activities like eating, drinking and body temperature. it helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland and is linked to emotion and reward |
| cerebral cortex | the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres; it's the body's ultimate control and information-processing center |
| glial cells | cells in the nervous center that support, nourish, and protect neurons |
| frontal lobes | part of the cerebral cortex directly behind the forehead; used in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgments |
| parietal lobes | part of the cerebral cortex at the top and rear of the head; it receives sensory input for touch and body position |
| occipital lobes | part of the cerebral cortex at the back of the head; includes areas that receive information from the visual fields |
| temporal lobes | part of the cerebral cortex around each ear that includes the auditory areas that receive information mainly from the opposite ear |
| motor cortex | area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movement |
| sensory cortex | area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations |
Created by:
AP Psychology 2011