Glossary
- Amygdala
- nucleus deep in the temporal lobe of the cerebrum that is related to memory and emotional behavior
- Basal Forebrain
- nuclei of the cerebrum related to sensory stimuli and attention, loss of which is related to Alzheimer's disease
- Basal Nuclei
- nuclei of the cerebrum that are responsible for assessing cortical movement commands and comparing them with the general state of the individual through activity of dopamine neurons; largely related to motor functions, as seen in the symptoms of Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases
- Broca's Area
- region of the frontal lobe associated with the motor commands necessary for speech production and located only in the cerebral hemisphere responsible for language production
- Caudate
- nucleus deep in the cerebrum that is part of the basal nuclei
- Central Sulcus
- surface landmark of the cerebral cortex that marks the boundary between the frontal and parietal lobes
- Cerebral Cortex
- outer gray matter covering the forebrain, marked by wrinkles and folds known as gyri and sulci
- Cerebrum
- region of the adult brain that develops from the telencephalon and is responsible for higher neurological functions such as memory, emotion, and consciousness
- Cerebellum
- region of the adult brain connected primarily to the pons that developed from the metencephalon (along with the pons) and is largely responsible for comparing information from the cerebrum with sensory feedback from the periphery through the spinal cord
- Corpus Callosum
- large white matter structure that connects the right and left cerebral hemispheres
- Epithalamus
- region of the diecephalon containing the pineal gland
- Frontal Lobe
- region of the cerebral cortex directly beneath the frontal bone of the cranium
- Gyrus
- ridge formed by convolutions on the surface of the cerebrum or cerebellum
- Hippocampus
- gray matter deep in the temporal lobe that is very important for long-term memory formation
- Hypothalamus
- major region of the diencephalon that is responsible for coordinating autonomic and endocrine control of homeostasis
- Inferior Colliculus
- part of the brain stem auditory pathway
- Inferior Olive
- nucleus in the medulla that is involved in processing information related to motor control
- Lateral Sulcus
- surface landmark of the cerebral cortex that marks the boundary between the temporal lobe and the frontal and parietal lobes
- Limbic System
- structures at the edge (limit) of the boundary between the forebrain and hindbrain that are most associated with emotional behavior and memory formation
- Longitudinal Fissure
- large separation along the midline between the two cerebral hemispheres
- Occipital Lobe
- region of the cerebral cortex directly beneath the occipital bone of the cranium
- Parietal Lobe
- region of the cerebral cortex directly beneath the parietal bone of the cranium
- Postcentral Gyrus
- ridge just posterior to the central sulcus, in the parietal lobe, where somatosensory processing initially takes place in the cerebrum
- Precentral Gyrus
- primary motor cortex located in the frontal lobe of the cerebral cortex
- Prefrontal Lobe
- specific region of the frontal lobe anterior to the more specific motor function areas, which can be related to the early planning of movements and intentions to the point of being personality-type functions
- Premotor Area
- region of the frontal lobe responsible for planning movements that will be executed through the primary motor cortex
- Putamen
- nucleus deep in the cerebrum that is part of the basal nuclei
- Reticular Formation
- diffuse region of gray matter throughout the brain stem that regulates sleep, wakefulness, and states of consciousness
- Somatosensation
- general senses related to the body, usually thought of as the senses of touch, which would include pain, temperature, and proprioception
- Substantia Nigra Pars Compacta
- nuclei within the basal nuclei that release dopamine to modulate the function of the striatum; part of the motor pathway
- Sulcus
- groove formed by convolutions in the surface of the cerebral cortex
- Superior Colliculus
- responsible for aligning visual, auditory, and somatosensory spatial perceptions
- Tectum
- region of the midbrain, the roof of the cerebral aqueduct, which is subdivided into the inferior and superior colliculi
- Temporal Lobe
- region of the cerebral cortex directly beneath the temporal bone of the cranium
- Thalamus
- major region of the diencephalon that is responsible for relaying information between the cerebrum and the hindbrain, spinal cord, and periphery
Grant and Other Information
Except where otherwise noted, this work by The Community College Consortium for Bioscience Credentials is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Text from BioBook licensed under CC BY NC SA and Boundless Biology Open Textbook licensed under CC BY SA.
Other text from OpenStaxCollege licensed under CC BY 3.0. Modified by Alice Rudolph, M.A. and Andrea Doub, M.S. for c3bc.
Instructional Design by Courtney A. Harrington, Ph.D., Helen Dollyhite, M.A. and Caroline Smith, M.A. for c3bc.
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