AP Psych - Brain Functions

corpus callosum

relay between hemispheres

frontal lobe

thought process, judgement, reasoning, decision making, motor skills

temporal lobe

hearing

occipital lobe

sight

parietal lobe

sensory switchboard (cortex)

amygdala

rage and anger

thalamus

relay system between brain and senses (except smell)

hypothalamus

regulates homeostasis (temperature, internal activities)

hippocampus

houses certain memories

cerebellum (“little brain”)

controls nonverbal learning and memory and motor/balance control

midbrain

relays visual, auditory, pain, movement, and sleep information

medulla

heartbeat and breathing

pons

movement coordination, sleep

reticular activating system (RAS)

bundle of neurons that filters sensory information and regulates sleep/wake transitions

Broca’s area

controls speech

Wernicke’s area

understanding speech

right hemisphere

creative/multifunctioning

left hemisphere

logical

motor cortex

plans, initiates, and executes voluntary movements

sensory cortex

processes sensory information in the body