AP Psychology Topic 1.4 - The Brain

Amygdala

A part of the brain that helps process emotions, especially fear and pleasure

Aphasia

A condition that affects a person's ability to communicate, often due to brain damage

Association area

Regions of the brain that integrate information from different senses and are involved in higher cognitive functions.

Brain Stem

The part of the brain that controls basic life functions like breathing and heart rate.

Broca’s area

A region in the frontal lobe that is important for speech production.

Cerebellum

The part of the brain that coordinates movement and balance.

Cerebral Cortex

The outer layer of the brain involved in complex thought processes and sensory perception.

Contralateral hemispheric organization

The concept that each hemisphere of the brain controls the opposite side of the

Corpus callosum

A bundle of nerve fibers that connects the two hemispheres of the brain and allows communication between them.

Cortex specialization

The idea that different areas of the cortex are specialized for different functions

Epilepsy

A neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures.

Executive Function

High-level cognitive processes, like planning, decision-making, and controlling impulses.

Frontal Lobe

The part of the brain responsible for reasoning, motor control, emotion, and language.

Hemisphere

One half of the brain, which has specialized functions.

Hippocampus

A part of the brain that plays a vital role in forming new memories and learning.

Hypothalamus

A small region of the brain that regulates many bodily functions, including hunger, thirst, and temperature

Limbic System

A group of structures in the brain that deal with emotions and memory.

Lobe

A division of the brain's cortex

Medulla Oblongata

The part of the brain stem responsible for regulating vital functions such as heart rate and blood pressure.

Motor cortex

The area of the cerebral cortex that controls voluntary muscle movements.

Nucleus

A cluster of neuron cell bodies in the brain that perform a specific function.

Occipital Lobe

The part of the brain that processes visual information.

Parietal Lobe

The area of the brain that processes sensory information such as touch, temperature, and pain.

Pituitary gland

A small gland at the base of the brain that releases hormones to regulate various bodily functions

Plasticity

The brain’s ability to change and adapt in response to experience

Prefrontal Cortex

The area of the frontal lobe involved in complex behaviors such as planning and decision-making.

Procedural Learning

Learning skills and tasks that can be performed automatically after practice.

Reticular Activating System

A network in the brain that regulates wakefulness and sleep

Reticular Formation

A set of interconnected nuclei that are important for regulating sleep-wake cycles and filtering incoming stimuli.

Reward Center

Areas of the brain that reinforce behaviors by providing feelings of pleasure.

Somatosensory cortex

The part of the brain that processes sensory input from the body.

Split Brain

A condition resulting from severing the corpus callosum, affecting how the two hemispheres communicate.

Temporal lobe

The area of the brain responsible for processing auditory information and is involved in memory.

Thalamus

The brain's relay station that directs incoming sensory information to the appropriate areas.

Wernicke’s area

A region involved in language comprehension.

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

A test that measures electrical activity in the brain

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

A technique that measures brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow.

Lesion/Lesioning

Damage to a part of the brain, typically used in research to study the effects of specific brain areas on behaviors and functions.