PSYC 1 Chapter Notes - Chapter 6 & 7: Brainstem, Cerebellum, Neurogenesis
Document Summary
Psyc 1 textbook notes module 6: tools of discovery and older brain structures, Module 7: the cerebral cortex and our divided brain. The tools of discovery: having our head examined. Electroencephalogram (eeg): amplified recording of electrical activity in the brain; measured by electrodes on scalp. Positron emission tomography (pet) scan: depicts brain activity by following glucose. Magnetic resonance imaging (mri): using magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images of soft tissue. Functional mri (fmri): comparing successive mri scans. Brainstem: oldest and innermost region of the brain; begins where spinal cord swells slightly after entering skull; controls survival functions. Medulla: slight swelling where spinal cord enters skull; controls heartbeat and breathing. Thalamus: pair of egg-shaped structures; sensory control center (except smell) Reticular formation: neuron network; from spinal cord through thalamus; filters stimuli for important information and then relays it; enables arousal.
