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Unit 3B AP Psych
Question | Answer |
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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 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 field 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 brainstem is responsible for automatic survival functions. |
Medulla | The base of the brainstem; controls the 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. |
Limbic System | Doughnut-shaped neural system (including the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus) located below the cerbral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives. |
Amygdala | Two lima bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion. |
Hypothalamus | A neural structure lying below ("hypo") 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. |
Cerebral Cortex | The intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering 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 | Portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgments. |
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. |
Occipital Lobes | Portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes areas that receive information from the visual fields. |
Temporal Lobes | Portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each receiving information primarily from the opposite ear. |
Motor Cortex | An area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements. |
Sensory Cortex | 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 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 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. |