Overview of Brain Structures and Their Functions

Brainstem

Oldest brain part; controls automatic survival functions.

Medulla

Base of brainstem; regulates breathing and heartbeat.

Pons

Connects spinal cord to brain; regulates sleep-wake cycle.

Reticular Formation

Part of Pons; controls arousal and consciousness.

Thalamus

Sensory control center; relays information to cortex.

Cerebellum

Coordinates fine motor control, posture, and balance.

Cerebellum (Learning)

Involved in learning and remembering motor skills.

Cerebellum (Alcohol Effects)

Alcohol impairs coordination and balance functions.

Limbic System

Processes emotions and long-term memory.

Amygdala

Processes fear and aggression; triggers fight-or-flight.

Hippocampus

Stores long-term and spatial memories.

Hypothalamus

Regulates autonomic nervous system and bodily functions.

Lateral Hypothalamus

Regulates hunger; damage causes lack of hunger.

Ventromedial Hypothalamus

Regulates satiety; damage causes lack of fullness.

Cerebral Cortex

Wrinkled outer brain layer; increases surface area.

Frontal Lobes

Involved in executive functions like judgment and planning.

Prefrontal Cortex

Responsible for moral judgment and personality.

Motor Cortex

Controls voluntary movements; precise areas occupy more space.

Broca's Area

Speech production center; located in left frontal lobe.

Broca's Aphasia

Difficulty producing speech; comprehension typically intact.

Parietal Lobes

Processes sensory signals; aids spatial orientation.

Somatosensory Cortex

Processes body touch and movement sensations.

Temporal Lobes

Involved in hearing, language processing, and memory.

Primary Auditory Cortex

Main site for auditory perception and processing.

Wernicke's Area

Involved in language comprehension; located in temporal lobe.

Wernicke's Aphasia

Difficulty understanding language; fluent but disorganized speech.

Right Fusiform Gyrus

Recognizes human faces; related to prosopagnosia.

Occipital Lobes

Processes visual information; specialized for shapes and movement.

Corpus Callosum

Connects left and right hemispheres; facilitates communication.