AP Psychology Brain Structures and Functions

Cerebrum

consists of lobes. Thought and action/higher brain function.

Hypothalamus

thirst, hunger, and sex drive.

Pituitary Gland

growth hormone production, storage of hormones produced by hypothalamus, produces hormones for endocrine system.

Pons

arousal, controls autonomic functions, relaying information between cerebrum and cerebellum, sleep.

Medulla

controls blood pressure, heart rate, breathing, and vital functions.

Corpus Collosum

fibers that connect left and right hemispheres.

Ventricle

bathe brain and spinal cord with CSF to protect and fight wastes and diseases.

Thalamus

relays signals from most sense organs to higher levels of the brain, processes and makes sense of this information.

Cerebellum

controls finely coordinated movements and stores memories about movements. impulse control, emotion, and language. sleep and wakefulness.

Brain Stem

alertness, arousal, breathing, blood pressure, digestion, heart rate, relays information between peripheral nerves and spinal cord to the upper brain.

Broca's Area

produces language, speech production, facial neuron control, language processing.

Wernicke's Area

speech/language comprehension.

Frontal Lobe

decision making, personality, reasoning, planning, problem solving, speech. Slow to develop, between 18-21.

Occipital Lobe

vision/eyes

Parietal Lobe

attention, spatial location and orientation.

Temporal Lobe

sound processing, language comprehension, entering new info in memory.

Cerebral Cortex

the outer surface of the brain.

Amygdala

linked with emotion, identifies is dangerous or threatening. emotional memory.

Hippocampus

associated with formation of new memories. spatial navigation.

Limbic Center

regulates emotion and memory.

Forebrain

most highly developed part of the brain. Responsible for the most complex aspects of behavior and mental life.

Midbrain

associated with vision and hearing