AP Psychology Brain

Central Nervous System

transmits information through the body

spinal chord + brain

Peripheral Nervous System

all nerves in the body other than the brain and spinal chord

Brain

cognative functions

Spinal Chord

connects the body to the brain (central nervous system)

Somatic Nervous System

Voluntary movement

Efferent Neurons

carries information from the brain to the body

Afferent Neurons

carries information from the body to the brain

Autonomic Nervous System

Involuntary processes (breathing, swallowing, heartbeat, etc.)

Parasympathetic nervous system

“rest and digest” - brake petals on stress

Sympathetic nervous system

“fight or flight” - sparks reaction to stress (increased heartbeat, breathing)

Temporal Lobe

lobe of the brain responsible for the auditory processing

located at the temples

Frontal Lobe

lobe of the brain responsible for planning, judging, strategizing, and self-control

located in the front of the brain

Parietal Lobe

lobe of the brain responsible for sensation and the sensory cortex

located at the top of the forebrain

Occipital Lobe

lobe of the brain responsible for visual processing

located at the back of the brain

Thalamus

part of the brain that is the relay station for all senses EXCEPT smell

Corpus Callosum

part of the brain that connects the right and left hemispheres

Hypothalamus

part of the brain responsible for animalistic behaviors

4 f’s: feeding, fighting, fleeing, and “flirting”

controls body temperature

Pituitary Gland

the master gland that controls the endocrine system

Cerebellum

part of the brain that controls balance and voluntary movement

engaged with behaviors that are practiced

VERY FAST

Wernicke’s Area

part of the brain responsible for speech comprehension

damage causes aphasia

Broca’s Area

part of the brain responsible for speech production

damage causes aphasia

Medulla

part of the brain responsible for automatic functions (sneezing, coughing, swallowing)

Cerebrum

part of the brain responsible for higher order thinking

located under the cerebral cortex

Cerebral Cortex

the wrinkly outer layer of the brain

Reticular Formation

part of the brain responsible for attention, arousal, and sleep

Prefrontal Cortex

part of the brain responsible for higher order thinking and cognitive processing

Motor Cortex

part of the brain that controls outgoing signals to muscles

Pons

part of the brain that controls sleeping and dreaming

Amygdala

part of the brain that controls basic emotions, such as fear, aggression, and rage

Hippocampus

part of the brain that controls learning and memory

short term→long term memory