| A | B |
|---|
| tissue destruction, naturally or experimentally caused | leison |
| amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain’s surface | electroencephlogram (EEG) |
| a technique for revealing blood flow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. MRI scans show brain anatomy; fMRI scans show brain function. | fMRI (functional MRI) |
| a visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task | PET positron emission tomography |
| a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images that distinguish among different types of soft tissue; allows us to see structures in the brain | MRI magnetic resonance imaging |
| the oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; | brainstem |
| the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing | medulla |
| a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal | reticular formation |
| 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 | thalamus |
| the “little brain” attached to the rear of the brainstem; it helps coordinate voluntary movement and balance | cerebellum |
| a doughnut shaped system of neural structures at the border of the brainstem and cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions such as fear and aggression and drives such as those for food and sex. | limbic system |
| two almond-shaped neural clusters that are components of the limbic system and are linked to emotion | amygdala |
| a neural structure lying below 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 | hypothalamus |
| the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells that cover the cerebral hemispheres; the body’s ultimate control and information-processing center | cerebral cortex |
| cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons | glial cells |
| the portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking, muscle movements and in making plans and judgments | frontal lobes |
| the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; includes the sensory cortex | parietal lobes |
| the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes the visual areas, which receive visual information fro the opposite visual field | occipital lobes |
| the portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each of which receives auditory information primarily from the opposite ear | temporal lobes |
| an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements | motor corteex |
| the area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body sensations | sensory cortex |
| areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary or sensory functions; rather, they are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking | association areas |
| impairment of language, usually caused by left hemisphere damage either to Broca’s area (impairing speaking) or to Wernicke’s area (impairing understanding) | aphasia |
| controls language expression-an area of the frontal lobe, usually in the left hemisphere, that directs the muscle movements involved in speech | Broca's Area |
| controls language reception-a brain area involved in language comprehension and expression; usually in the left temporal lobe | Wernicke's Area |
| the brain’s capacity for modification, as evident in brain reorganization following damage (especially on children) and in experiments on the effects of experience on brain development | plasticity |
| the large ban of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them | corpus callosum |
| a condition in which the two hemispheres of the brain are isolated by cutting the connecting fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) between them | split brain |
