Psych brain parts

oldest part of brain, automatic survival functions

Brainstem

heart rate, O2/CO2 levels, blood pressure, sneezing/coughing

Medulla Oblongata

coordinate voluntary movement, motor functions (balance, muscle memory, timing), language, cognition, emotional regulation

Cerebellum (“little brain”)

facial expressions, sleep-wake cycle

Pons (“bridge” - connects hindbrain, midbrain, forebrain)

“netlike”, nerve network in brainstem, alertness, arousal, process pain signals, damaged → coma

Reticular Formation

“switchboard”, receives info and sends to area of brain, controls all sensory except smell

Thalamus (in forebrain)

emotional control center of the brain; Amygdala, Hippocampus, Hypothalamus, Cingulate Gyrus

Limbic System

fear, anxiety, depression, works w/ hippocampus for memory formation

Amygdala

memory formation, emotional response, memory processing

Hippocampus

homeostasis, fight/flight response, endocrine system in pituitary gland

Hypothalamus

emotion, pain response

Cingulate Gyrus

speaking, muscle movements, memory, planning, problem solving, social interaction

Frontal lobe

visual pathways, temp, spatial awareness, touch/pain, reading, math/numbers

Parietal lobe

visual input/processing, size/depth/distance awareness, object recognition

Occipital lobe

sound processing, speech comprehension, language, emotion

Temporal lobe

sense of smell

Olfactory Cortex

creativity, intuition, emotion, and holistic thinking, managing art, music, spatial awareness, and recognizing faces

Right brain

logic, language, analysis, and detail, handling tasks like math, speech, and sequential processing

Left brain