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Thalamus
specializes in the relay of signals coming from any area to the cerebral cortex; has traveling axons traveling to areas of cerebral cortex with efferent signals going to sensory areas & afferent signals arriving from conscious senses
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hypothalamus
main visceral control center and controls the autonomic NS, emotional responses, regulates body temperature, regulates hunger and thirst, controls behavior and sleep-wake cycles, as well as the endocrine system and formation of memory.
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epithalamus
secretes melatonin which signals the nighttime stage of the sleep-wake cycle
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pituitary gland
part of the endocrine system and releases hormones.
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What are the diencephalon structures?
thalamus, hypothalamus, epithalamus, pituitary gland
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brain stem
- produce automatic behavior needed for survival
- passage way for fiber tracts to exit brain
- contains 10 of the 12 cranial nerves
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midbrain
relays tracts that connect midbrain to cerebellum & another set to spinal cord and is also divided by cerebral aquaduct into superior cerebral peduncles and corpora quadrigemina
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periaqueductal gray matter
gray matter that the midbrain has that send signals involved in "fight or flight" response as well as mediate visceral pain response
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corpora quadrigemina
involved in visual & auditory reflexes
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pons
forms a ventral bridge between the halves of the cerebellum
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medulla oblongata
holds sensory nuclei & nuclei for control of autonomic visceral functions (heartbeat rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, actions like coughing, sneezing, hiccups, swallowing)
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pyramids
area where most of pyramidal tracts cross over
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cerebellum
has two lobed hemispheres connecting via vermis
- coordinates movement & makes it smooth
- helps in maintaing posture & equilibrium
- involved in cognition
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cerebellar peduncles
connect medulla oblongata to cerebellum
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Limbic system
- found in each cerebral hemisphere & diencephalons
- emotional brain
- contains amygdala, cingulated gyrus
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amygdala
processes fear, threatening facial expression, & direction of a gaze
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cingulated gyrus
controls thought shifts, pain interpretations, & conflict resolutionn & also involved in memory processing
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Reticular Formation
clusters of neurons (white matter) that run through the core of the brainstem; involved in maintaining brain alert; arouses brain from sleep
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protection of brain
- protected by blood brain barrier & meninges
- cushion by cerebral spinal fluid
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Meninges
- bones of the skull that protects the brain
- line brain & spinal cord
- enclose blood vessels
- contain CSF
- cover & protect brain & spinal cord
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Dura matter
outermost & toughest
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arachnoid matter
middle layer that has subarachnoid space filled with CSF
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pia matter
has fine blood vessel & closest to brain
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What are the layers of meninges?
dura matter, arachnoid matter, pia matter
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Cerbrospinal fluid
- serves as cushion
- gives buoyancy to brain
- nourishes brain
- removes waste
- produced in choroid plexus from blood plasma
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blood brain barrier
protects brain & does not allow toxins to cross from capillaries into brain (note: anything fat soluble may cross this barrier)
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