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| The oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; the brainstem is responsible for automatic survival functions. |
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| The base of the brainstem; controls the heartbeat and breathing. |
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| A nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal. |
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| The brains sensory switchboard, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla. |
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| The “little brain” attached to the rear of the brainstem; it helps coordinate voluntary movement and balance. |
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| A doughnut-shaped system of neural structures at the border of the brainstem and cerebral hemisphere; associated with emotions such as fear and aggression and drives such as those for food and sex. Includes the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus. |
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| Two almond-shaped neural clusters that are components of the limbic system and are linked to emotion. |
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| A neural structure lying below (hypo) the thalamus; it directs several maintenance activities( eating, drinking, body temperature), helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion. |
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| The intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells that covers the cerebral hemispheres; the body’s ultimate control and information-processing center. |
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| Cells in the nervous system that are not neurons but that support, nourish, and protect neurons. |
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| The portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgments. |
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| The portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; registers body sensations/perception. |
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| The portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes the visual areas, which receive visual information from the opposite visual field. |
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| The portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each of which receives auditory information primarily from the opposite ear. |
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| An area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements. |
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| The area at the front of the parietal loves that registers and processes body sensations. |
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| An area of the frontal lobe, usually in the left hemisphere, that directs the muscle movements involved in speech. |
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| A brain area involved in language comprehension and expression; usually in the left temporal lobe. |
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| The large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them. |
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