Unit 2 AP psych Brain Notes

thalamus

part of the midbrain/limbic system, sensory control center where all sensory messages are received and sent to proper regions of the brain, about senses.

hypothalamus

part of the midbrain/limbic system, controls all drives(4fs)→flight, food, fight, mating(f-ing), the link to the endocrine system

amygdala

part of the midbrain/limbic system, controls extreme emotions, like fear and aggression always on alerts for threats.

Hippocampus

part of the midbrain/limbic system, process of all new memories, forming new memory it is the link to the pituitary system (If you have a hippo on campus your memory would not forget)

Corpus Callosum

part of the midbrain/limbic system, connects the right and left hemispheres.

Cerebral Cortex

it is the outer layer of the cerebrum, most prominent part of the brain. It is a mass of deeply folded convoluted tissue that accounts for 80% of the brain’s total mass, made up of gray mater(does not contain myelin sheath) that covers the inner white matter . It is responsible for most of the sophisticated information processing. It is made up of the 4 major lobes

CAT(CT) scan

combined a series of x-rays images taken from different angles, then created cross-sectional images of the body(bone) and brain.

frontal lobe

Also called the prefrontal cortex, controls high order thinking/problem solving skills,

Phineas Gage, a steel rod entered his skull damaging his frontal lobe when working the railroad. Survived with no speech, motor, or memory impairment, but now just with a rude personality.

What was the Case study of the frontal lobe?

Motor Cortex

Largely responsible for the voluntary movement of parts of the body, located at the back of the frontal lobe. If parts of it are stimulated corresponding movement will follow.

Parietal Lobe

(sensory input) controls functions like spatial reasoning of touch, pressure, or temperature, and pain

Somatosensory Cortex

on the top of your head, largely responsible for perceiving touch and pressure on parts of the body. Located at the front of the pariental lobe. The more surface area of brain of sensory the more the brain is responsible for that area and it is very sensitive.

Temporal Lobe

on the sides of your brain, controls hearing, storing long term memories, speech and language, and understanding hypocampus.

Auditory Cortex

responsible for the sense of hearing on the sides, part of the temporal lobe

Occipital Lobe

controls vision and is on the back of the brain(eyes in the back of your head), it has a particular place on the retina receiving information from that place and put together to reform the whole.

Visual Cortex

receives images from the eyes and transformed into meaningful stimuli which is sent other visual areas in the cortex, part of the occipital lobe.

Association areas

Over 1/2 of cerebral cortex is uncommitted to sensory or muscular activity these ‘areas’ are involved in higher mental functioning. Ex: Broca and Wernicke

Broca’s area

area in the left frontal lobe that directs muscle movements involved in speech

Broca’s Aphasia

(problem) impaired speaking(mumble, slur)

Wernicke’s area

area in the left temporal lobe that is involved in language comprehension and expression.