AP Psych Parts of Brain

amygdala

A brain structure within the limbic system that processes emotions, particularly fear and emotional memory.

aphasia

A language disorder resulting from damage to brain areas responsible for speech production or comprehension.

association areas

Brain regions in the parietal lobes that process and organize sensory and cognitive information.

brain plasticity

The ability of the brain to rewire itself, modify existing connections, or create new connections throughout development to compensate for damage or support learning.

brain stem

The region of the brain that controls basic life functions such as breathing and heart rate.

brain's reward center

The brain region that processes reward and reinforcement, influencing learning, cognition, and emotional responses.

Broca's area

A region in the left hemisphere responsible for speech production.

cerebellum

A brain structure that controls coordination of muscle movement, balance, and procedural learning.

cerebral cortex

The outer layer of the brain divided into two hemispheres, containing the limbic system and lobes that process sensory information and control higher-order functions.

contralateral hemispheric organization

The brain's organization in which each hemisphere processes sensory information from the opposite side of the body.

corpus callosum

A bundle of nerve fibers connecting the left and right hemispheres of the brain, allowing communication between them.

EEG

Electroencephalography; a brain imaging technique that measures electrical activity of the brain.

fMRI

Functional magnetic resonance imaging; a brain imaging technique that measures blood flow to identify active brain regions.

frontal lobes

Brain lobes located just behind the forehead that control linguistic processing, higher-order thinking, and executive functioning, including the motor cortex.

hippocampus

A brain structure within the limbic system that is essential for forming and consolidating memories.

hypothalamus

A brain structure within the limbic system that regulates hormones, temperature, hunger, and other homeostatic functions.

lesioning

A surgical procedure that damages or removes a specific brain area to study its function.

limbic system

A group of brain structures including the thalamus, hypothalamus, pituitary gland, hippocampus, and amygdala that regulate emotion, memory, and motivation.

medulla

A structure within the brain stem that regulates vital functions including breathing and heart rate.

motor cortex

A region located at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls most types of skeletal movement.

occipital lobes

Brain lobes located at the rear of the cerebral cortex that process visual information.

parietal lobes

Brain lobes located near the back crown of the cerebral cortex that contain association areas for processing and organizing information and the somatosensory cortex for touch sensitivity.

pituitary gland

An endocrine gland within the limbic system that releases hormones controlling growth, metabolism, and other bodily functions.

prefrontal cortex

A region of the frontal lobes responsible for executive functioning, decision-making, and higher-order thinking.

reticular activating system

A network of neurons in the brain that controls voluntary movement, eye movement, and influences learning, cognition, and emotion.

somatosensory cortex

A region in the parietal lobes that processes touch sensitivity and tactile information.

split brain research

Research conducted on patients with severed corpus callosums that reveals specialization of the left and right brain hemispheres.

temporal lobes

Brain lobes located on the sides of the cerebral cortex that process auditory and linguistic information.

thalamus

A brain structure that processes most sensory information before it reaches the cerebral cortex; the olfactory system bypasses this structure.

Wernicke's area

A region in the left hemisphere responsible for speech comprehension.