IB Psychology - Parts of the Brain and Their Functions

IB Psych

Medulla - Function and Location

Part of the hindbrain that controls heartbeat, breathing, and swallowing

Without the Medulla we would...?

Not be able to live without extreme amounts help, probably die

Pons - Function and Location

Part of the hindbrain that relays messages between the cerebellum and the cortex, coordinates movements and sleep, processes auditory info, and regulates breathing

Without the Pons we would...?

Have poor sleep quality and poor coordination

Reticular Formation - Function and Location

A system of nerves running from the hindbrain and through the midbrain to the cerebral cortex, controlling arousal and attention, located in the brainstem

With out the Reticular Formation we would...?

Be unconscious (go into coma) and would die

Thalamus - Function and Location

Relays messages between lower brain centers and cerebral cortex

With out the Thalamus we would...?

Have issues with processing things that involve a sense of touch, hearing, and sight; coordinating movements with both sides of body would be difficult

Cerebellum - Function and Location

Coordinates voluntary movement and balance and supports learning and memories of such, implicit memories are processed

With out the Cerebellum we would...?

You would lack mobility, lose muscle memory, your bodily functions would be impacted in general and cannot comprehend new information or memories

Hypothalamus - Function and Location

Controls maintenance functions such as eating; helps with the endocrine (releases hormones into the bloodstream) system; linked to emotion and reward and is a part of the limbic system

With out the Hypothalamus we would...?

Struggle with knowing if you were hot, cold, hungry, and happy. Puberty would abnormal, failure to create sharp and crisp memories (like flashbulb memories), dopamine receptors would be messed up as well as the production of dopamine

Amygdala - Function and Location

Linked to emotion (such as fear, anger, hostility), part of the limbic system

With out the Amygdala we would...?

Be emotionally tranquil/flat; aggression, anger, fear would be nonexistent within someone, cannot provoke someone

Hippocampus - Function and Location

Linked to conscious memory, processes explicit LTM memories but doesn't store it, part of limbic system

With out the Hippocampus we would...?

Wouldn't have a functioning tong-term memory, can't retrieve or rehearse it after it "escapes" short-term memory

Frontal Lobe - Function and Location

Suppresses the social inappropriate behavior, predicts consequences of actions, plays a role in the choice between good and bad, controls impulsivity and personality

With out the Frontal Lobe we would...?

Lack of self awareness, get more repercussions, can't see what is morally wrong or right

Parietal Lobe - Function and Location

Assists with the interpretation of touch, plays a role in the knowledge of numbers and their relationship, helps with the understanding of objects, shapes, and space.

With out the Parietal Lobe we would...?

Lack sense of touch, understanding of math concepts, lack of awareness and surroundings

Occipital Lobe - Function and Location

Processes and makes sense of visual information (DOES NOT HELP YOU SEE, processes what your eyes see)

With out the Occipital Lobe we would...?

Not be able to visually process information that eyes have recorded/seen

Temporal Lobe - Function and Location

Assists with perception and interpretation of sound, plays a role in the recognition of objects and visual memory

With out the Temporal Lobe we would...?

Struggle to remember/follow through auditory tasks and understand environment

Motor Cortex - Function and Location

Right hemisphere section: Controls left side of the body

With out the Motor Cortex we would...?

Lose control of facial and bodily functions in the left side of the body

Sensory Cortex - Function and Location

Left hemisphere section: Receives input from bodies left side and controls right side

With out the Sensory Cortex we would...?

Failure to control right side of body and receive input from motor cortex

Corpus Callosum - Function and Location

Connects left and right hemispheres of the brain

With out the Corpus Callosum we would...?

Failure to connect both hemisphere, meaning lack of neurons passed between them, more likely for brain death