PSY 340 wk 1 - worksheet

University of Phoenix Material

Brain Structures and Functions Worksheet

Below you will see two columns: Brain Structure and Function(s). Items listed under the column, “Brain Structure” will list a region of the brain, while items under the column titled “Function(s)” will describe the general behavior, skill, and/or activity of the associated brain structure.

Fill in the blank for each of the statements below, either listing the brain structure responsible for the function described, or providing the general function (behavior, skill, and/or activity) of the associated brain structure.

Brain Structure	Function(s)
Meninges	The three membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord.
Skull	Protective bone around the central nervous system
Lateral Ventricles	Hollow spaces in the brain filled with cerebral spinal fluid (CSF)
Occipital Lobe	The posterior lobe of each cerebral hemisphere, having the shape of a three-sided pyramid and containing the visual center of the brain.
Frontal Lobe	The lobe involved in organization, planning, and inhibition control
Temporal Lobe	The lobe involved in hearing, language comprehension, and memory
Parietal Lobe	The division of each hemisphere of the brain that lies beneath each parietal bone
Lymbic System	A “system” (also known as the piriform lobe or 5th lobe) involved in complex emotion behaviors
Spinal Cord	The thick, whitish cord of nerve tissue that extends from the medulla oblongata down through the spinal column and from which the spinal nerves branch off to various parts of the body.
Optic Chiasm	A point near the thalamus and hypothalamus at which portions of each optic nerve cross over.
	Provides the brain with oxygen and nourishment (food)
Corpus Callosum	The arched bridge of nervous tissue that connects the two cerebral hemispheres, allowing communication between the right and left sides of the brain.
Cranial Neves	These 12 structures receive and send sensory and motor signals between the body and brain
Hippocampus	Involved in learning, short term memory, spatial memory, and damaged by Alzheimer’s disease
Thalamus	a small structure in the front of the cerebral hemispheres that serves as a way station that receives sensory information of all kinds and relays it to the cortex; it also receives information from the cortex.
Hypothalamus	The part of the brain that lies below the thalamus, forming the major portion of the ventral region of the diencephalon and functioning to regulate bodily temperature, certain metabolic processes, and other autonomic activities.
Nervous System	“System” divided into two main parts: the somatic nervous system and autonomic nervous system
Medulla Oblongata	Controls basic functions like breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure
Olfactory nerve (Cranial Nerve I)	One of a pair of nerves associated with the sense of smell. The olfactory nerve is the first cranial nerve. The olfactory sensory endings are modified epithelial cells and the least specialized of the special senses.
Cerebellum	Latin for “little brain” this structure is involved in balance, posture, and movement
Medulla	The caudal-most part of the brainstem and contains many sensory (ascending) and motor (descending) tracts.
REM	Involved in sleep and dreams
Cerebrospinal fluid	Fluid which nourishes the brain, excretes waste, provides cushion, and buoyancy to the brain
Cerebral cortex	The extensive outer layer of gray matter of the cerebral hemispheres, largely responsible for higher brain functions, including sensation, voluntary muscle movement, thought, reasoning, and memory.
Neurons	Cells of the nervous system that send messages through electrochemical signals
Dendrite	short fiber that conducts toward the cell body of the neuron
Axon	A threadlike process of a neuron, especially the prolonged axon that conducts nerve impulses.
Pheromone	Chemical messenger released from the neuron that are involved in all types of behavior/activity
Soma	a nerve agent easily absorbed into the body; a lethal cholinesterase inhibitor that is highly toxic when inhaled
Terminal	An extreme illness that is not curable.