Psychology

Medulla

having this area intact can keep a person alive as heart rate, breathing and swallowing is regulated here

Corpus Callosum

while splitting this band of fibers can decrease the severity of seizures in epileptic patients, it literally creates two brains in the individual

Hypothalamus

ties in with our instinctual drives such as hunger, thirst, emotion and sex drive

Pituitary Gland

this part is responsible for not only activating puberty in the individual, it also plays a part in the body’s biochemistry including metabolism

Thalamus

 CPU of the nervous system/brain connection; sensory messages arrive here and are processed to determine necessary motor response

Cerebrum

one of the most important areas of the brain; serves as a kind of storage area for learning, remembering, thinking, emotion, voluntary movements, sensations and consciousness

Pons

plays key role in taking the body through the stages of sleep and arousal; also serves as the bridge between the medulla and other brain areas

Cerebellum

no wonder a sense of dizziness is associated with earaches as this area of the brain is found about where our ears lie; responsible for balance, coordination and even muscle tone

Amygdala

part of the brain that is activated when an individual is stressed or afraid; releases hormones that deal with “fight or flight;” also ties in with strong emotions for memories

Basal Ganglia

hands on learners most likely have this area highlighted since it is responsible for movement and learning

Hippocampus

damage to this area would make it difficult to retrieve long term memories and information

Midbrain

conduction and switching center of the brain

Reticular Formation

postal system of the brain, it directs messages as they come in and directs others out; also involved with arousal, attention, movement and reflexes

Cerebral Cortex

during a brain operation, this is the area underneath the top of the skull; 3 mm thick, it also is used to described the outer layer of the cerebrum

Spinal Cord

superhighway of the body’s nervous system relaying sensory and motor messages

Central nervous system

consists of the brain and spinal cord; the center of the body

Peripheral nervous system

spider web of nerves that extend from the central nervous system to all other areas of the body

Autonomic nervous system

works with the other two main nervous systems to run the internal organs and regulate hormones of the glands of the body

Sympathetic nervous system

serves as an alarm system for the body and brain as it creates the response of “fight or flight” during times of danger or high emotion

Parasympathetic nervous system

when a person is trying to calm down after a period of anxiety, this nervous system steps in; helps to regulate heart rate, breathing and digestion

Parietal lobe

bodily sensations register here such as touch, temperature, pressure and other somatic sensations

Occipital lobe

weird that this is the primary visual area considering its location

Frontal lobe

removal of this part of the brain would leave the person unable to process information, reason, move, show emotion or any personality traits

Temporal lobe

if an injury were sustained here, not only would the person’s hearing be affected, but also his/her ability to process language and express oneself

Limbic system

tie to our instinctual past, this area plays a major role in producing emotion and motivated behavior