BRAIN PARTS AP PSYCH

Medulla

Autonomic control — heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, digestion

Pons

Links cerebellum ↔ cerebrum; regulates REM sleep

Midbrain

Part of the reticular activating system; relays sensory‑motor signals

Cerebellum

Motor coordination, balance, procedural learning (e.g., riding a bike)

Thalamus

Sensory relay (all senses except smell) to cortex

Hypothalamus

Homeostasis (hunger, thirst, temperature, sexual behavior); endocrine regulation via pituitary

Pituitary gland

“Master” hormone‑secreting gland (growth, metabolism, etc.)

Hippocampus

Formation of explicit long‑term memories (doesn’t store them)

Amygdala

Emotion processing—especially fear & aggression; emotional memory

Occipital lobe

Visual processing and interpretation

Temporal lobe

Auditory processing & language comprehension (Wernicke’s area)

Parietal lobe

Sensory integration, spatial awareness (somatosensory cortex)

Frontal lobe

Executive functions, decision‑making, impulse control, speech production (Broca’s area), voluntary movement