The Brain
The most primitive and 'old' part of the brain that connects the brain to the spinal cord and controls basic survival functions.
What is the Brain Stem?
Cells in the nervous system that act as interconnected information processors, essential for all tasks in the nervous system/
What are Neurons?
The fatty substance that insulates axons and increases the speed of message transmission.
What is the Myelin Sheath?
Also called the cell body, contains the DNA and life support of the cell.
What is the Soma?
The most important part of the endocrine system controls growth hormones and puberty.
What is the Pituitary Gland?
This part of the brain involves organization, planning, creative thinking, personality, delayed gratification and more.
What is the Frontal Lobe?
The small gap between two neurons where communication occurs.
What is the Synapse?
This part of the brain controls hunger, thirst, motivation, and sexual behavior.
What is the Hypothalamus?
After a railroad accident, this was the most famous person to have survived traumatic brain damage, taught us about how function is localized in the brain.
Who is Phineas Gage?
What is age 25?
The lobe of the brain that functions in auditory perception or sound, speech, hearing, and visual perception.
What is the Temporal Lobe?
This contains the brain and spinal cord.
What is the Central Nervous System?
The difference between neurotransmitters and hormones is this.
What is they operate at very different speeds?
60% of the brain is composed of this
What is Fat?
The fear response includes these four responses.
What is Fight, Flight, Freeze, and Fawn?
Sensory information goes to this part of the brain - all the senses except smell
What is the Thalamus?
A tree-like extension of the neuron cell body that receives impulses and information from other neurons
What are Dendrites?
Located at the bottom of the brain, this helps coordinate balance.
What is Cerebellum?
The brain is composed of these two types of 'matter'
What is White Matter and Grey Matter?
An average adult brain weighs about this much.
What is Three Pounds?
This small part of the brain is involved in memory and emotions but also plays an important role in fear.
What is the Amygdala?
Dopamine, glutamate, and serotonin are examples of this
What are Neurotransmitters?
This part of the brain is key in memory formation.
What is the Hippocampus?
A pseudoscience that involves mapping the skulls to predict mental traits or personality.
What is Phrenology?
Exercise releases these four neurotransmitters and hormones.
What is Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, and Endorphins?
At the base of the brainstem. Responsible for life-maintaining processes such as breathing and heartbeat, and also swallowing.
What is the Medulla?
A long, single nerve fiber that transmits messages via electrochemical impulses. This carries the impulses away from the cell body towards the dendrites of the next neuron.
What is the Axon?
Too much of this neurotransmitter in the form of MSG can cause migraines and seizures.
What is Glutamate?
Complete the Elle Woods quote: "Exercise gives you ___________, __________ make you happy, and happy people don't shoot their husbands. They just don't."
What are Endorphins?
List at least two brain imaging methods.
What are MRI, fMRI, CT, PET scan, etc.?
This part of the brain is responsible for the comprehension of language and speech, transforming letters into language.
What is Wernicke's Area?
This part of the brain is responsible for language production and fluency, it is the part of the brain that regulates breathing patterns while speaking and vocalizations for speech.
What is Broca's Area?
This thick band of neural fibers connects the two hemispheres of the brain.
What is the Corpus Callosum?
The 'fight-or-flight' hormone released by the adrenal glands that is chemically identical to the neurotransmitter epinephrine.
What is Adrenaline?
This neurotransmitter has many functions including lowering blood pressure, reducing muscle spasms, and managing mood. It is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system.
What is GABA?