Psychology Unit 2

medulla

regulates survival functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing

pons

helps coordinate movement with the crebellum and sleep

the reticular formation

A nerve network that travels through the brain stem into the thalamus; filters incoming stimuli and helps regulate arousal and alertness.

cerebellum

At the rear of the brainstem; attached to the back of he brainstem. coordinates complex movements such as walking or reaching but also processes some sensory information and handles simple forms of learning.

midbrain

Top portion of the brainstem. connects the hindbrain with the forebrain, controls some motor movement, and transmits auditory and visual information. links vision and hearing with ears and eyes

thalamus

sits on top of the brainstem. relay station between the senses and the areas of the cerebral cortex that process sensory information

limbic system

group of neural strucutres located above the brainstem but below the cerebral cortex

hypothalamus

monitors the body’s internal status, watching for changes in temperature, fluid or oxygen level, or energy storage. directs several maintainence activies (eating, drinking), helps govern the endocrine system through the pituitary gland, linked to emotion and reward

hippocampus

helps process new permanent memories

amygdala

2 lima bean sized neural clusters involved in emotions connected to survival

cerebral cortext

layer of tightly packed neurons that covers the outer surface of the brain’s two cerebral hemispheres

occipital lobe

back of the head, includes areas that receive information from visual fields

temporal lobe

around the ears, auditory areas, receiving info from the opposite ear

parietal lobe

living at the top of the head towards the rear; receives sensory input for touch and body

somatosensory cortex

cerebral cortex area aat the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations

frontal lobe

lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and voluntary muscle movement and in making plans and jdugements

association area

not involved in primary motor or sensory functions; rather they are involved in higher functions such as learning, thinking, remembering and speaking

broca’s area

generates spoken and written language

wernicke’s area

comprehends spoken and written languagean

angular gyrus

involved in reading; converts writing into auditory code

hindbrain

consists of medulla, pons, and cerebellum; directs essential survival functions such as breathing, sleeping and wakefulness as well as coordination and balancemi

midbrain

found ontop of the brainstem; connects the hindbrain with the forebrain, controls some motor movement and transmits auditory and visual info

forebrain

consists of the cerebral cortex, thalamus, and hypothalamus; manages complex cognitive activies, sensory and associate functions and voluntary motor activies

brainstem

central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; responsible for automatic survival functions

electroencephalogram

an amplified recording of the wave sof electrical activity sweeping across the braain’s surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp

magnetoencephalography

a brain imaging technique that measures magnetic fields from the brain’s natural eletrical activity

positron emission tomography

a technique for detecting brain activity that displays where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task

magnetic resonance imaging

a technique that uses magnetic fields and radiowaves to produce computer generated images of soft tissue. can show brain anatomyfunc

tion mri

reveals blood flow and brain activity by comparing successive mri scans. can show function and strucutre