Brain Structures & Functions

Cerebral Cortex

The outer layer of the brain, involved in complex mental processes such as thinking

Frontal Lobes

Involved in decision-making, problem-solving, and controlling behavior

Prefrontal Cortex

Part of the frontal lobes involved in planning complex behaviors and expressing personality

Executive Functioning

Higher order processes including planning, organizing, and regulating behavior

Motor Cortex

Controls voluntary movements

Parietal Lobes

Processes sensory information like touch and spatial awareness

Somatosensory Cortex

Area of the brain that processes sensory input from various body parts

Occipital Lobes

Responsible for vision

Temporal Lobes

Involved in hearing, memory, and understanding language

Corpus Callosum

Thick band of nerve fibers that connects the two brain hemispheres

Brainstem

Supports basic life functions, including heart rate, breathing, and sleeping

Medulla

Part of the brainstem that controls vital life-sustaining functions like heartbeat and breathing

Reticular Activating System

Regulates wakefulness and sleep-wake transitions

Cerebellum

Coordinates voluntary movements like posture, balance, and coordination

Limbic System

Involved in emotion, motivation, and memory

Reward Center

Brain areas that regulate the experience of pleasure

Thalamus

Relay motor and sensory signals to the cerebral cortex

Hypothalamus

Regulates body temperature, hunger, thirst, and other homeostatic systems

Pituitary Gland

The master gland of the endocrine system that regulates other glands

Hippocampus

Essential for learning and memory

Amygdala

Involved in emotion processing, particularly fear and aggression