Brain Structure

15 flashcards · Biology · by lakesare

1. What's white matter VS grey matter?

   grey matter - contains numerous cell bodies and relatively few myelinated axons white matter - contains relatively few cell bodies and is composed chiefly of long-range myelinated axons White matter is the tissue through which messages pass between different areas of gray matter within the central nervous system.

2. Why is white matter white?

   Because of the fatty substance (myelin) that surrounds the nerve fibers (axons).

3. What's this?

   Thalamus

4. What's this?

   Hypothalamus

5. What's this?

   The cerebrum is a large part of the brain containing: cerebral cortex as well as several subcortical structures, including the hippocampus, basal ganglia, and olfactory bulb.

6. What's the function of thalamus?

   In particular, every sensory system (with the exception of the olfactory system) includes a thalamic nucleus that receives sensory signals, and sends them to the associated primary cortical area. For the visual system, for example, inputs from the retina are sent to the lateral geniculate nucleus of the thalamus, which in turn projects to the visual cortex in the occipital lobe. The thalamus is believed to both process sensory information as well as relay it—each of the primary sensory relay ar…

7. What is gyrus and sulcus in the brain?

   gyrus - ridge in the cerebral cortex sulcus - depression in the cerebral cortex

8. What is sulcus?

   A groove or furrow, especially one on the surface of the brain. Mid 17th century from Latin, ‘furrow, wrinkle’.

9. Where is cerebral cortex?

   The top layer of the cerebrum.

10. Where is the occipital lobe?

    The name derives from the overlying occipital bone, which is named from the Latin ob, behind, and caput, the head.

11. Name 4 lobes of the cerebral cortex.

12. What's that?

    Pineal gland

13. What's the function of the pineal gland?

    It produces melatonin. The pineal gland is a small endocrine gland in the brain of most vertebrates. The pineal gland produces melatonin, a serotonin-derived hormone which modulates sleep patterns in both circadian and seasonal cycles. The shape of the gland resembles a pine cone from which it derived its name.

14. What happens during a lobotomy?

    The surgical separation of a portion of the frontal lobe from the thalamus. A survey of all patients who underwent leukotomy in England and Wales from 1942 to 1954 (Tooth et al 1961) documented 10,365 single leukotomy operations. An additional 762 patients underwent more than one operation. A follow-up study covering 9,284 of the above mentioned patients showed that 41% had recovered or were greatly improved while 28% were minimally improved, 25% showed no change, 2% had become worse and 4% had…

15. What's this?

    Cerebellum.