VCE Psychology Unit 1 AOS1 Brain Flashcards | Knowt (2024)

Mind-body problem

the question of whether our mind and body are distinct, separate entities or whether they are one and the same thing

Phrenology

the study of the relationship between the skull's surface features and a person's personality and behavioural characteristics

Electrical stimulation of the brain (ESB)

stimulation or detection of electrical activity in the brain using an electrode

Split-brain surgery

cutting the band of nerve tissue connecting the two hemispheres of the brain

Neuroimaging technique

a technique that captures a picture of the brain

MRI

uses harmless magnetic fields to vibrate atoms in the brain's neurons and generate a computer image of the brain

fMRI

detects and records brain activity by measuring oxygen consumption across the brain

Central nervous system

consists of the brain and spinal cord

Brain

an intricate network of cells that plays a vital role in processing information received through nerve pathways from the body and in directing responses

Spinal cord

the long, thin bundle of nerve tissue that extends from the base of the brain to the lower back

Peripheral nervous system

the entire network of nerves located outside the CNS that transmits information to and from the CNS

Somatic nervous system

a network of nerves that carry sensory information to the CNS and motor information from the CNS

Autonomic nervous system

a network of nerves that carries messages between the CNS and the heart, lungs and other internal organs and glands

Sympathetic nervous system

arouses the body when we experience an extreme emotion or feel threatened

Parasympathetic nervous system

calms or restores the body to its normal state of functioning after an extreme emotion subsides or a threat has passed

Neuron

an individual nerve cell

Dendrite

a thin extension of a neuron that receives information from other neurons and transmits it to the soma (the listener)

Soma

integrates the neural information received from the many dendrites and sends it to the axon

Axon

a single, tubelike, extension that transmits neural information away from the soma to other neurons or cells (the talker)

Axon terminals

structure at the end of an axon

Myelin sheath

a white, fatty substance that coats and helps insulate the axon from the activity of other nearby axons

Synapse

the place where communication occurs between a neuron sending information and a neuron receiving information

Sensory neurons

also called afferent neurons. They receive and carry sensory information to the Primary somatosensory cortex

Motor neurons

also called efferent neurons. They carry messages from the CNS to the cells in skeletal muscles, organs and glands to stimulate activity (from the primary motor cortex)

Glial cells

provide insulation, nutrients and support for neuronal function, as well as aiding repair of neurons and eliminating waste materials

Hindbrain

a collection of lower level brain structures that include the cerebellum, medulla and pons

Cerebellum

the cauliflower-shaped structure located at the base of the brain that looks like a mini-brain. It coordinates fine muscle movements and regulates posture and balance

Medulla

controls vital bodily functions such as swallowing, breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, vomiting, salivating, coughing and sneezing, all of which occur automatically and are essential for survival

Pons

involved in sleep, dreaming and arousal from sleep, as well as helping control breathing and coordination of some muscle movements

Midbrain

a collection of structures involved with movement, processing of visual, auditory and tactile sensory information, sleep and arousal

Reticular formation

helps screen incoming information so as not to overload the brain, alerts higher brain centres to important information, helps maintain consciousness, and regulates arousal and muscle tone

Forebrain

a collection of upper level structures that include the hypothalamus, thalamus and cerebrum

Hypothalamus

helps maintain the body's internal environment by regulating release of hormones and influences behaviours associated with basic biological needs

Thalamus

filters information from almost all the sense receptor sites, then passes it to relevant areas of the brain for further processing

Cerebrum

largest and most complex part of the brain with the cerebral cortex as its outer layer and areas involved in complex mental abilities

frontal lobe

associated with reasoning, planning, parts of speech, movement, emotions, and problem solving

primary motor cortex

the section of the frontal lobe responsible for voluntary movement

Broca's area

Controls language production - an area of the frontal lobe, usually in the left hemisphere, that directs the muscle movements involved in speech.

temporal lobe

A region of the cerebral cortex responsible for hearing and language.

Wernicke's area

a brain area involved in language comprehension and expression; usually in the left temporal lobe

parietal lobe

A region of the cerebral cortex whose functions include processing sensory information about touch.

occipital lobe

A region of the cerebral cortex that processes visual information

Synaptogenesis

the process by which neurons form synapses with other neurons, resulting in trillions of connections

Myelination

the process by which axons become coated with myelin, a fatty substance that speeds the transmission of nerve impulses from neuron to neuron

synaptic pruning

a process whereby the synaptic connections in the brain that are used are preserved, and those that are not used are lost

sprouting

the growth of additional branches on axons or dendrites to enable new connections

Rerouting

when an undamaged neuron that has lost a connection with an active neuron seeks a new active neuron and connects with it instead

Adaptive plasticity

ability of the brain to compensate for lost function and/or to maximise remaining functions following injury

insidious onset

develop gradually over an extended period

sudden onset

started all at once

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