AP Psychology: BioPsych

neural centers in the limbic system linked to emotion

amygdala

a structure in the limbic system linked to memory

hippocampus

axon fibers connecting the two cerebral hemispheres of the brain

corpus callosum

relays motor and sensory messages to the cerebral cortex

thalamus

hunger, thirst, body temp, emotion, endocrine, pleasure

hypothalamus

controls heartbeat and breathing

medulla

regulates growth, metabolism, and reproduction through the hormones it produces

pituitary

arousal/helps control arousal

reticular formation

controls voluntary movement and balance

cerebellum

responsible for the higher-level processes of the human brain, including language, memory, reasoning, thought, learning, decision-making, emotion, intelligence and personality

cerebral cortex

in the left frontal lobe, muscle movements in speech

Broca’s area

in left temporal lobe, language comprehension

Wernicke’s area

secretes female sex hormones

ovaries

secretes male sex hormones

testis

regulates the level of sugar in the blood

pancreas

inner part helps trigger the “fight-or-flight” response

adrenal glands

affects metabolism

thyroid gland

helps regulate the level of calcium in the blood

parathyroids

secretes many different hormones, some of which affect other glands

pituitary gland

process where a computer uses 2D x-ray slices and can then create 3D images out of series of slices of many slices

CT Scan

to help diagnose tumors, investigate internal bleeding, or check for other internal injuries or damages

CT scans

has advantage due to their short study time with high quality images

CT Scan

this scan produces far more detailed images of the structure of a patient’s blood vessels, nerves, bones, and organs; it can be better than CT scans when looking at fluid-filled parts of the brain which would be helpful in diagnosing schizophrenia

MRI Scan

this scan allows researchers to see moving structures like the heart or lungs, which can help pinpoint abnormal valves or blood vessels that wouldn’t stand out in a still image

fMRI Scan

scan that reveals how your tissue and organs are working by using a radioactive drug (tracer), can sometimes detect diseases before it shows up in other imaging tests

PET scan

a test that detects electrical activity in your brain using small metal discs (electrodes) attached to your scalp, can diagnose epilepsy or other seizure disorders

EEG scan

this scan is noninvasive and painless. With no injections, radioactivity or strong magnetic fields, MEG is safe for children and adults. Unlike with some imaging tests, the machinery is quiet and almost never produces a feeling of claustrophobia

MEG Scan