AP Psychology Unit 1

Heredity and the Environment, The Nervous system, 8 major neurotransmitters, The Brain, Drugs, Sleep, The Senses

Substance P

Neurotransmitter, sends pain signals

Endorphins

Neurotransmitter, Supresses painand promotes feelings of pleasure.

Acetylcholine

Neurotransmitter involved in muscle action, learning, and memory.

Dopamine

A neurotransmitter that plays a key role in reward, motivation, and the regulation of movement.

Glutamate

A neurotransmitter that is the main excitatory chemical in the brain, playing a critical role in cognition, memory, and learning.

GABA

A neurotransmitter that functions as the main inhibitory chemical in the brain, helping to regulate anxiety and promote relaxation. Counters Glutamate

Serotonin

A neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood, sleep, digestion, and various other bodily functions.

Norepinephrine

A neurotransmitter that plays a key role in the body’s “fight-or-flight” stress response by increasing alertness, focus, blood pressure, and heart rate.

Brain Stem

Regulates heartbeat, breathing, and other vital organs

Limbic System

Responsible for emotions, learning/memory, reward/motivation

Cerebral Cortex

Responsible for higher mental functions. Regulating attention, feelings, and desires, complex reasoning, abstract thoughts, imagination, language, empathy.

Amygdala

Processes emotions, especially fear and aggression. It plays a role in detecting threats and forming emotional memories.

Cerebellum

Coordinates voluntary movements, balance, and posture. It also plays a role in motor learning and fine-tuning movements.

Hippocampus

Essential for the formation and consolidation of new memories, particularly explicit (declarative) memories. It also plays a role in spatial navigation

Somatosensory Cortex

Processes sensory input from the body, such as touch, pressure, and pain. Located in the parietal lobe.

Motor Cortex

Controls voluntary muscle movements. Located in the frontal lobe, directly in front of the somatosensory cortex.

Thalamus

Acts as the brain's sensory relay station, directing sensory information (except smell) to the appropriate areas of the cerebral cortex.

Medulla

Regulates vital autonomic functions, including heartbeat, breathing, and blood pressure.

Reticular Activating System (Reticular Formation)

Plays a role in arousal, attention, and regulating sleep-wake cycles. It filters incoming stimuli to focus attention on important sensory information.

Hypothalamus

Regulates homeostasis (hunger, thirst, body temperature, sexual drive) and links the nervous system to the endocrine system via the pituitary gland. 

Occipital Lobe

Processes visual information, including recognition of shapes, colors, and motion.

Temporal Lobe

Handles auditory information and is involved in language comprehension (Wernicke's area). Also important for memory and recognizing faces.

Parietal Lobe

Processes sensory input from the body (touch, temperature, pain) and is involved in spatial awareness and navigation.

Frontal Lobe

Associated with decision-making, problem-solving, planning, and voluntary motor control. Contains Broca’s area for speech production.

Association Areas

Integrate and interpret sensory and motor information. They allow for higher-order thinking, such as learning, remembering, and reasoning.