AP Psychology - The Brain

Brainstem

• Oldest part and central core of the brain

• Begins where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull

• Responsible for automatic survival functions

Medulla

• Located at the base of the brainstem

• Control basic life-support functions

  • I.e. heartbeat & breathing

• Damage in this area can lead to death

Reticular Formation

• A nerve network in the brainstem

  • Extending up and down the spinal cord

• Plays an important role in controlling wakefulness and arousal (level of alertness)

• Damage to this area can cause a coma

Thalamus

• “Inner Chamber” in Greek

• Located on top of the brainstem

• Brain’s sensory switchboard (taste, feel, etc)

  • Directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex

Cerebellum

• The “little brain” attached to the rear of the brainstem

• Helps coordinate voluntary movements and balance

• Damage to this area could cause loss of fine coordination skills (can still perform basic movements)

Limbic System

• A ring of structures at the border of the brainstem and cerebral cortex

• Helps regulate important functions

  • I.e. memory, fear, aggression, hunger, and thirst

• Includes the hypothalamus, hippocampus, and amygdala

Hypothalamus

• A neural structure lying below the thalamus

• Helps regulate many maintenance activities

  • I.e. eating, drinking, and body temperature

• Also linked to emotion

  • Plays a role in emotions, pleasure, and sexual function

Hippocampus

• A neural center located in the limbic system that wraps around the back of the thalamus

  • Looks like a seahorse (“horse” in Greek)

• Helps process new memories for permanent storage

Amygdala

• An almond-shaped neural cluster

• Controls emotional responses, mostly negative

  • I.e. fear and anger

Cerebral Cortex

• The intricate fabric of interconnected neurons that form the body’s ultimate control & information-processing center

• Covers the brain’s lower level structures

  • Contains an estimated 300 billion nerve cells

• Divided into four lobes

  • Frontal

  • Parietal

  • Occipital

  • Temporal

Longitudinal Fissure

• The long crevice that divides the cerebral cortex into the left and right hemisphere

Corpus Callosum

• The large band of neural tissue that connects the two brain hemispheres

  • Allows the two halves to communicate with each other

• Sometimes is cut to prevent seizures caused from life-threatening epilepsy

Frontal Lobes

• The portion lying just behind the forehead

• Involved in judgment and planning (executive functions)

• Includes the motor cortex

Motor Cortex

• A strip of brain tissue at the rear of the frontal lobes

• Controls voluntary movements

  • Different parts control different parts of the body

  • Left hemisphere controls the right side of the body and vice versa

Parietal Lobes

• The portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear

• Includes the somatosensory cortex & general association areas

• Important for general processing of information

  • I.e. mathematical reasoning

• Designated as the association lobes

Somatosensory Cortex

• A strip of brain tissue at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body sensations

Occipital Lobes

• The portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head

• Includes the primary visual processing area of the brain

Temporal Lobes

• The portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears

• Includes the auditory (hearing) areas of the brain

  • Sound information is processed

Right Hemisphere

• Houses the brain’s spatial abilities

  • Allows us to perceive or organize things in a given space, judge distances, etc

• Helps in making connections between words

Left Hemisphere

• For most people, language functions in this hemisphere

Broca’s Area

• A brain area in the left frontal lobe

• Directs the muscle movements involved in speech

  • Damage in this region can lead to difficulty speaking

Wernicke’s Area

• A brain area of the left temporal lobe

• Involved in language comprehension and expression

  • Damage in this region can lead to difficulty comprehending speech and language