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- Glossary
Temporal lobe
The temporal lobe is one of the four lobes of the cerebrum and is located laterally (on the side) at the bottom. It contains important areas such as the auditory cortex and parts of Wernicke's area, as well as areas for higher visual processing; deep within it lies the medial temporal lobe with structures such as the hippocampus.
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- Glossary
Temporo-parietal junction
The transition between the temporal and parietal lobes – i.e., the temporal and parietal lobes – of the cerebral cortex. Here, in the posterior region of the Sylvian fissure, information from the limbic system, the thalamus, and the visual, auditory, and somatosensory cortex is integrated. Accordingly, the temporo-parietal junction forms an anatomical and functional hub of the brain that helps us develop complex abilities, including the ability to recognize biological movement or the ability to empathize with other people.
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- Glossary
Dorsal thalamus
The thalamus is the largest structure in the diencephalon and is located above the hypothalamus. The thalamus is considered the "gateway to consciousness" because its nuclei are the transit station for all information to the cortex (cerebral cortex) – except for olfactory information, which first reaches the olfactory areas of the brain directly. At the same time, they also receive massive cortical inputs so it might be better to regard this a thalami-cortical system. The nuclei of the thalamus are grouped together. The term "gateway to consciousness" also refers to attention control, sleep-wake regulation, and consciousness modulation by the intralaminar nuclei.
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- Glossary
Thermoreceptor
Free nerve endings that serve as receptors for temperature sensations in the skin.
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- Glossary
Olfactory tract
Smell information travels via the olfactory tract from the olfactory bulb, located just above the nose, to the primary olfactory cortex.
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- Glossary
Trajectory
A physical term that describes the trajectory, or path, of an object – for example, a thrown object.
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- Glossary
Transducin
A G protein found in the photoreceptors of the retina. It is activated when a photon hits a photopigment and causes the cation channels in the photoreceptor to close. It is therefore an important component of the visual signal transduction cascade.
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- Glossary
Transcranial direct current stimulation
A therapeutic procedure in which a weak electrical current is conducted from the outside into the brain with the aid of electrodes. This is intended to stimulate the formation of new connections there. Transcranial direct current stimulation was originally developed for the treatment of brain trauma. Today, neurologists also use it to relieve migraine attacks and headaches. However, the effectiveness of the procedure is controversial.
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- Glossary
Trigeminal nerve
In accordance with its literal translation, "triple nerve," the trigeminal nerve consists of three main branches: the ophthalmic branch, the maxillary branch, and the mandibular branch. The trigeminal nerve originates in the brain, where it is connected to four different nerve nuclei – three sensory and one motor. It reaches large parts of the head via the three branches. The sensory and motor fibers supply the face, nasal and oral cavities, and masticatory muscles.
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- Glossary
Olfactory trigone
At the trigonum olfactorium, the tractus olfactorius divides – forming a triangle – into the stria olfactoria lateralis and medialis.
