PSYCH 240 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Corpus Callosum, Medulla Oblongata, Cerebral Cortex
Document Summary
Cerebral cortex: thinking, sensing, voluntary movement (80% of brain) Gray matter on top, white matter in middle. Basal ganglia: collections of neurons important to motor function. Limbic system: emotion, motivation, memory, learning (adapt behaviors, suppress instincts) Species survival mechanisms: mating, fighting, fleeing, eating. Reticular formation (also ras): regulation of consciousness (sleep, wake, heartbeat, breathing, arousal, attention) Composed of hypothalamus, thalamus, midbrain, and hindbrain. Determination of brain death based on this. Medulla oblongata: juncture where nerves cross from one side of body to other side of brain. Pons: consciousness, neural transmissions ( bridge ), facial nerves. Cerebellum: balance, coordination, muscle tone, memory w procedure related movements. Contralateral: info transmission from one side to the other. Ipsilateral: info transmission on same side of brain. Corpus callosum: dense aggregate of neural fibers connecting the two cerebral hemispheres allows transmission of information back and forth. Language is highly lateralized but most functioning even language depends on integration of the two hemispheres.
