Brain Notes Part 1

Forebrain

Contains the cerebral cortex and subcortical structures like thalamus, hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and limbic system.

Frontal Lobe

Involved in reasoning, motor control, emotion, and language; contains the motor cortex.

Motor Cortex

Responsible for planning and coordinating movement.

Parietal Lobe

Processes information from the body's systems and contains the somatosensory cortex for sensory information.

Temporal Lobe

Responsible for hearing, memory, emotion, and language; houses the auditory cortex and Wernicke's area.

Occipital Lobe

Primary visual cortex.

Thalamus

Acts as a sensory relay for the brain, routing senses (except smell) for processing.

Limbic System

Processes emotions, memories, and smell; includes hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus.

Reticular Formation

Regulates sleep/wake cycle, arousal, alertness, and motor activity.

Substantia Nigra and VTA

Produce dopamine critical for movement, mood, reward, and addiction.

Hindbrain

Contains medulla, pons, and cerebellum; controls the autonomic nervous system.

Autonomic Nervous System

Controls internal organs and glands; includes sympathetic (fight or flight) and parasympathetic (routine operations) divisions.

Peripheral Nervous System

Connects CNS to muscles, organs, and senses; includes somatic and autonomic systems.

Endocrine System

Series of glands producing hormones; includes adrenal gland, pancreas, pituitary gland, and thyroid.

Hormones

Chemical messengers released by endocrine glands affecting cells with receptors; controlled by hypothalamus and pituitary gland interactions.