3.2 Our Brains Control Our Thoughts, Feelings, and Behavior

Question 1

cerebral cortex

Answer 1

Humans have a very large and highly developed outer layer that provide more advanced functions— for instance, better memory, more sophisticated social interactions, and the ability to experience emotions.

Question 2

brain stem

Answer 2

• the oldest and innermost region of the brain

- controls the most basic functions of life, including breathing, attention, and motor responses

Question 3

medulla

Answer 3

the area of the brain stem that controls heart rate and breathing

Question 4

pons

Answer 4

a structure in the brain stem that helps control the movements of the body, playing a particularly important role in balance and walking

Question 5

reticular formation

Answer 5

Running through the medulla and the pons is a long, narrow network of neurons

Question 6

thalamus

Answer 6

the egg-shaped structure above the brain stem that applies still more filtering to the sensory information that is coming up from the spinal cord and through the reticular formation, and it relays some of these remaining signals to the higher brain levels

Question 7

limbic system

Answer 7

a brain area, located between the brain stem and the two cerebral hemispheres, that governs emotion and memory. It includes the amygdala, the hypothalamus, and the hippocampus.

Question 8

amygdala

Answer 8

consists of two almond-shaped‖ clusters (amygdala comes from the Latin word for “ almond”) and is primarily responsible for regulating our perceptions of, and reactions to, aggression and fear

Question 9

hypothalamus

Answer 9

a brain structure that contains a number of small areas that perform a variety of functions, including the important role of linking the nervous system to the endocrine system via the pituitary gland

Question 10

hippocampus

Answer 10

consists of two “horns” that curve back from the amygdala. The hippocampus is important in storing information in long-term memory

Question 11

cerebral cortex

Answer 11

• the outer bark-like layer of our brain that allows us to so successfully use language, acquire complex skills, create tools, and live in social groups
• divided into two hemispheres, and each hemisphere is divided into four lobes, each separated by folds known as fissures

Question 12

corticalization

Answer 12

the folding of the cerebral cortex

Question 13

glial cells (glia)

Answer 13

cells that surround and link to the neurons, protecting them, providing them with nutrients, and absorbing unused neurotransmitters

Question 14

frontal lobe

Answer 14

responsible primarily for thinking, planning, memory, and judgment

Question 15

parietal lobe

Answer 15

extends from the middle to the back of the skull and which is responsible primarily for processing information about touch

Question 16

occipital lobe

Answer 16

at the very back of the skull, which processes visual information

Question 17

temporal lobe

Answer 17

responsible primarily for hearing and language

Question 18

contralateral control

Answer 18

the brain is wired such that in most cases the left hemisphere receives sensations from and controls the right side of the body, and vice versa

Question 19

motor cortex

Answer 19

the part of the cortex that controls and executes movements of the body by sending signals to the cerebellum and the spinal cord

Question 20

somatosensory cortex

Answer 20

an area just behind and parallel to the motor cortex at the back of the frontal lobe, receives information from the skin’s sensory receptors and the movements of different body parts

Question 21

visual cortex

Answer 21

the area located in the occipital lobe (at the very back of the brain) that processes visual information

Question 22

auditory cortex

Answer 22

responsible for hearing and language

Question 23

association areas

Answer 23

sensory and motor information is combined and associated with our stored knowledge

Question 24

Neuroplasticity

Answer 24

refers to the brain’s ability to change its structure and function in response to experience or damage

Question 25

neurogenesis

Answer 25

the forming of new neurons

Question 26

brain lateralization

Answer 26

the idea that the left and the right hemispheres of the brain are specialized to perform different functions

Question 27

corpus callosum

Answer 27

the region that normally connects the two halves of the brain and supports communication between the
hemispheres