Brain parts

Hindbrain

Posterior part of the brain

Contains the medulla, pons, and cerebellum

Medulla

Controls vital reflexes—heart rate, breathing, coughing, sneezing

Pons

Sleep, dreaming, breathing, respiration

Cerebellum

Organizes sensory information which guides movement, shifting attention, balance, coordination, and rhythm

Midbrain

Middle part of the brain

Contains tectum, tegmentum, substantia nigra

Tectum

Sensory processing

Has two swellings on each side

• Superior Colliculus—vision

• Inferior Colliculus—hearing

Tegmentum

Basic body and limb movements

Substantia Nigra

Facilitates readiness for movement—deteriorates in Parkinson’s Disease

Forebrain

Most anterior and prominent part of the brain

Contains: cerebral cortex, limbic system, thalamus, hypothalamus, pituitary gland, basal ganglia, basal forebrain, hippocampus

Cerebral cortex

Higher thought processes, including speech and decision making

Limbic system

Emotional and motivational behaviors such as eating, drinking, sex, anxiety, aggression

Thalamus

Sensory switchboard, main source of sensory input to cerebral cortex (except sense of smell)

Hypothalamus

6 F’s: fight, flight, fornication, fear, food, fever

Pituitary gland

Synthesizes and releases hormones into the bloodstream (growth hormone, oxytocin)

Basal Ganglia

Movement, memory, reasoning, attention

Includes 3 major structures: Caudate Nucleus, Putamen, Globus pallidus

Deterioration is prominent in Parkinson’s Disease and Huntington’s Disease

Basal forebrain

Arousal, wakefulness, attention

Deterioration is prominent in Parkinson’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease

Hippocampus

Memory storage, especially memories for individual events

Central nervous system (CNS)

Contains the brain and spinal cord

Peripheral nervous system (PNS)

Made up of nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord/connects the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body

Has two parts: the somatic NS and the autonomic NS

Somatic nervous system

Part of the PNS, nerves that convey messages from sense organs to the CNS and from the CNS to muscles and glands

Autonomic nervous system

Part of the PNS, controls the body’s organs (heart, intestines, etc.)

Divided into the sympathetic NS, the parasympathetic NS, and the enteric NS

Sympathetic nervous system

Causes an aroused state, expends energy, when we experience fight/flight, tend/befriend (because of oxytocin which is linked to bonding)

The primary neurotransmitter is norepinephrine

Parasympathetic nervous system

Causes a relaxed state, conserves energy, rest and digest

Primary neurotransmitter is acetylcholine

Occipital lobe

At the posterior end of the cortex. The main target for visual information

Parietal lobe

Receives sensory information from sense receptors all over the body (in the skin, muscles, joints, organs, taste buds); also involved in spatial abilities. There are emotional consequences. Provides info about touch/body location. Helps identify objects. Damage on one side makes the person ignore the opposite side of the body

Lies between the occipital lobe and the central sulcus, a deep groove in the surface of the cortex

Primary somatosensory cortex (postcentral gyrus)

Registers sensory messages from the entire body

Temporal lobe

The primary target for auditory information. Involved in some complex visual tasks (perception of movement and facial recognition). Helps with balance. Regulates emotions. Strong role in understanding language

• Tumor here will cause auditory or visual hallucinations

Temporoparietal junction

Where the parietal lobe and temporal lobe meet. Its functions include attention, body awareness, and social cognition

Frontal lobe

Coordinates messages from the other cerebral lobes. Involved in complex problem-solving tasks. Involves fine motor movement, decision making, impulsivity, shifting attention.

Contains primary motor cortex and working memory

Primary motor cortex (precentral gyrus)

Part of the frontal lobe; sends messages to muscles and glands. Specialized for the control of fine movements, such as moving a finger. Mostly controls the contralateral side of the body