ap psych brain parts and functions

Cerebellum

coordination center, voluntary movement and balance

Medulla

involuntary reflexes, breathing, heartbeat and blood pressure.

Occipital Lobe

visiual perception/ areas

Parietal Lobe

bodily perception and sensations, touch and pain

Spinal Cord

Sends signals between brain and rest of body

Brain Stem

oldest part, survival functions (e.g. breathing, heart beat, etc.); includes medulla and pons

Pons

coordination and movement (relays messages between cerebrum and cerebellum); sleep, dreams, and attention

Thalamus

gets info from senses and transmits to the cerebral cortex.

Limbic System

Hippocampus, Amygdala, Pituitary Gland, Hypothalamus; emotion

Hippocampus

forms long term memories ("hippo never forgets")

Amygdala

emotional center, anger or fear

Hypothalamus

body temperature (the body's thermostat), thirst and hunger.

Pituitary gland

"master" endocrine gland, responsible for growth

Corpus Callosum

nerve band that connects left and right hemispheres

Cerebrum

processes info, higher level functions (emotions, memory), outer layer of brain.

Lobes of the cerebrum

Occipital, Temporal, Parietal, Frontal

Temporal Lobe

hearing and understanding speech

Frontal Lobe

problem-solving, reasoning, and motor skills

Ventricles

cerebrospinal fluid, cushions the brain in spinal fluid (and also circulates nutrients, removes waste)

parts of brain only in left hemisphere

angular gyrus, wernickes area, brocas area

angular gyrus

translates writing into speech

wernickes area

language and hearing comprehension

brocas area

produces speech

auditory cortex

hearing, temporal lobe

motor cortex

voluntary movement

sensory cortex

receives sensory input

aphasia

loss of language

split brain

isolation of brain hemispheres

fMRI

reveals blood flow in brain

MRI

magnetic fields to see soft tissue

PET scan

visual display of brain activity

electroencephalogram

record electricity waves in brain

Diencephalon

thalamus and hypothalamus

lower region

automatic functions

middle region

feelings and emotions

upper region

controls thinking, judgment and attitudes

laterlization

specialization of the two hemispheres

Neuroplasticity

the ability within the brain to constantly change both the structure and function of many cells in response to experience or trauma

benefits of exercise

better mood, better focus