AP Psych Unit One (Full)

What is the Limbic System?

A network of interconnected structures located in the brain that regulates emotion, memory, and basic behavioral drives.

• Includes:

  • Hypothalamus.

  • Amygdala.

  • Hippocampus.

• CEO of brain.

What is the Amygdala?

A part of the brain that controls fear and anger, it is two Lima bean sized neural clusters, fight or flight, and responds to the Sympathetic Nervous System.

• Fight or Flight.

What is the Amygdala hijack?

This is when your amygdala temporarily shuts off your prefrontal cortex when you come in contact to a threat. This causes rash decisions and not completely thinking through ideas.

What is the Hippocampus?

A small structure with two, “arms,” that wrap around the thalamus. This helps short term memory turn into long term memory.

• Hug the Thalamus.

• Short term —> Long Term.

What is the Hypothalamus?

This is a part of your brain that controls your hunger, thirst, etc drive. It can also be known as your brains reward system.

• Reward.

What is the Angular Gyrus?

It is a part of the brain that transforms visual representation into auditory code. In a simpler way it makes your brain recognize and decode symbols and letters into a way that we can understand.

• Symbols.

What is the Medulla?

This part of the brain keeps your heart beating, lungs breathing, and eyes blinking without you having to do it yourself, and it is the base of the brain stem.

• Being able to live.

What is the Corpus Callosum?

It is a network of fibers that connects the two hemispheres of the brain, and this allows for communication between the two sides. Can be cut as a treatment for epilepsy.

• Communication.

What is the Pituitary Gland?

This is the primary gland, controlled by the hypothalamus and is responsible for the release of hormones throughout the body controlling all endocrine.

• Hormones.

What is Pons?

This is a part of the brain that is right above the Medulla that controls sleep, unconscious movements, and breathing.

• Sleep.

What is Reticular Formation?

This is a nerve network that travels through the brainstem into the Thalamus. This helps control arousal (wakes you up) and filters stimuli (selective attention).

• Focus in and out and gets up awake.

What is the Cerebral Cortex?

This is a fabric of interconnected neural cells. It is the body's ultimate control and information processing center.

• Controls:

  • Memory.

  • Attention.

  • Thinking.

  • Speaking.

  • Consciousnesses.

• The region of thought.

What is the (Primary) Motor Cortex?

It is a vital brain region that controls voluntary movements, mapping the motor cortex, neural prosthetics, and when speaking it helps you move your mouth to pronounce words.

• Moving.

What is the Frontal Lobe?

It makes executive functions such as:

• Recognizes future consequences.

• Judgments.

• Planning and decision making.

• Personality.

• Abstract thoughts.

What is the Prefrontal Cortex?

A specific region in the frontal lobe that controls many things such as decision making, impulse control, and working memory.

• A specific part for being smart.

What is Broca’s Area?

This is a part of the brain that controls speech muscles within the motor cortex. It is important for articulating (actually speaking) words.

• When speaking actual action.

What is Wernicke’s Area?

This part of the brain is responsible for language comprehension. It interprets auditory code, may result it being able to speak words but the words being spoken may not make a sentence or make sense to the conversation.

• Making sense when speaking.

What is the Somatosensory Cortex?

This is a motor cortex that registers information from senses in the body and processes body sensations.

• Feeling hot or cold.

What is the Parietal Lobe?

This is a part of the brain responsible for spatial reasoning of where your body parts are in relation to itself and things around it. As well it receives sensory input for touch sensations (pain, pressure, and tempature), and body pressure.

• The region to feel the world around you.

What is the Occipital Lobe?

This is located at the back of the head and above the cerebellum. It receives information from visual fields of opposite eyes for visual processing. It is the visual cortex, and this is why when you get hit in the back you may see stars.

• The seeing lobe.

What is the Temporal Lobe?

This region of the brain assists with memory. It is located above the ears and includes auditory areas each receiving input from the opposite ear. This is typically also the auditory cortex.

• The hearing lobe.

What is the Brainstem?

This is located at the bottom of the brain and it is stem-like and it connects the cerebellum to the spinal cord. It is the master of control for almost all of your bodies automatic life functions to keep you alive.

• Keeping your body generally alive.

What is Cerebellum?

It is located at the rear of the brain stem. The cerebellum is used for processing sensory input, coordinating movement and balance, (non-verbal learning and memory).

• Agility.

What are the 8 different neurotransmitters?

1. Dopamine

2. Serotonin

3. Norepinephrine

4. Glutamate

5. GABA

6. Endorphins

7. Substance P

8. Acetylcholine (Ach)

What is the function of Dopamine?

• Reward pathway

• Voluntary movements

• Influences learning

What is a good way to remember Dopamine?

Dopey on dopamine.

What are the malfunctions of Dopamine?

• Too much: schizophrenia

• Too little: Parkinson’s

What is the function of Serotonin?

Mood, sleep, and hunger.

What is a good way to remember Serotonin?

Serotonin sets the emotional TONE.

What are the malfunctions of Serotonin?

• Too much: anxiety

• Too little: depression to a lesser degree OCD and eating disorders.

What is Norepinephrine?

• Alertness and arousal

• Active alone with epinephrine during SNS response.

What is a good way to remember Norepinephrine?

EIP pin makes you alert.

What are the malfunctions of Norepinephrine?

• Too much: panic attacks, chronic anxiety, and mania.

• Too little: depression.

What is Glutamate?

• Involved in learning and memory.

• Serves as widely distributed excitatory neurotransimitter

What is a good way to remember Glutamate?

GLUES the brain’s gas pedal down to learn excitedly!

What are the malfunctions of Glutamate?

• Too much: seizures and migraines

• Too little: linked to concentration problems

What is GABA?

• Sleep/calm/slow down

• Makor inhibitory neurotransmitter.

What is a good way to remember GABA?

SLOW Gaba Gaba.

What are the malfunctions of GABA?

• Too much: sedation, lethargy, impaired reflexes.

• Too little: seizures, severe insomnia, and panic.

What are Endorphins?

Reduce pain.

What is a good way to remember Endorphins?

ENDURE pain.

What are the malfunctions of Endorphins?

• Too much: can make people anxious or wired.

• Too little: pain hypersensitivity and low mood.

What is Substance P?

It is found in the brain and spinal cord that plays a role in transmitting pain signals.

What are the malfunctions of Substance P?

• Oversupply: chronic pain.

• Undersupply: reduces pain sensitivity.

What is Acetylcholine (Ach)?

Muscle Actions and Attention; specifically used in learning.

What is a good way to remember Acetylcholine (Ach)?

AAA: Attention, Activity, Alzheimers

What are the malfunctions of Acetylcholine (Ach)?

• Too much: muscle spasms, severe tremors, paralysis.

• Too little: Alzheimer’s - deterioration of Ach - producing neurons.

What is Leptin?

A hormone that inhibits hunger when it doesn't need energy (calories).

What is Melatonin?

A hormone which is primarily responsible for regulating the brains circadian rhythm (inner clock/sleep schedule).

• Pineal responds to light, more light less melatonin.

What is Oxytocin?

A hormone used for facilitating lactation and improve relationships.

• Bonding hormone.

What is Cortisol?

A hormone used for 6-maintaining homeostasis.

• Stress hormone.

What is Adrenaline?

Prepare body for emergency.

• Fight or flight response.

What do Dendrites do?

Receive signals from other cells

What does the cell body do?

Organizes and keeps the cell functional

What does the nucleus do?

Controls the entire neuron.

What does the Axon do?

Transfers signals to other cells and organs

What does the Myelin Sheath do?

Increases the speed of the signal and keeps signals in the cell.

What is the Agonist?

• This mimics/boosts neurotransmitter action.

• Imposter

• Can be compared to a fake key.

• It fires cell response.

• An example is morphine (an endorphin that blocks pain)

What is an antagonist?

• Blocks or reduces neurotransmitter action.

• Can be compared to a broken key that jams the lock.

• Stops cell response.

• An example is Naloxone/Narcan (blocks receptors to halt overdose to save peoples lives).

What are psychoactive drugs and how to they impact the brain?

• These are chemical substances that alter perceptions and moods.

• Some when used in moderation they can lead to help with concentration and happiness.

• Others can lead to addiction called substance use disorder.

What do depressants do?

Slow body functions and suppress neural activities.

• Stops ability to form memories.

• Reduces self-awareness and control.

• Slows activity in the brains judgement area.

What are types of depressants?

• Alcohol.

• Tranquilizers.

• Etc.

What are stimulants?

These speed up the body’s functions and excites neural activity.

What are types of stimulants?

• Amphetamines.

• Nicotine.

• Caffeine.

What are Hallucinogens?

These distort perception and evoke sensory experience.

What is the endocrine system?

This is the body’s slow chemical communication system.

• Consists a series of glands that secrete hormones into the blood stream.

• The nervous system has quicker reaction, but the sensation fades quickly, while the endocrine has a slower response but has longer lasting affects.