brain things

Medulla

Controls vital automatic functions like heartbeat, breathing, and blood pressure, as well as reflexes like coughing and sneezing.

Pons

Coordinates movement and sleep.

Cerebellum

Known as the "little brain"; controls complex motor movements.

Substantia Nigra

Produces dopamine for smooth muscle movement and walking; functions as part of the reward center.

Thalamus

Acts as the sensory relay station for all sensory messages except smell, directing them to higher brain centers.

Amygdala

Responsible for intense emotional responses like fear and linking emotion to memories.

Hypothalamus

Maintains homeostasis by regulating hunger, thirst, sexual behavior, emotional behavior, and internal body temperature.

Hippocampus

Stores new memories and provides internal navigational mapping skills.

Frontal Lobes

Responsible for voluntary motor movements, thinking, planning, reasoning, and impulse control.

Broca's Area

Located in the frontal lobe; controls the physical ability to speak language.

Parietal Lobes

Contains the somatosensory cortex; processes sensations of touch, pressure, pain, and body placement.

Temporal Lobes

Contains the primary auditory cortex for hearing and controls auditory processing.

Wernicke's Area

Located in the temporal lobe; controls the ability to understand spoken language.

Occipital Lobes

Contains the primary visual cortex responsible for sight.

Corpus Callosum

A thick band of nerve fibers connecting the left and right cerebral hemispheres, allowing them to communicate and synchronize activity.

Educational Psychologist

 research ways to improve educational systems

Developmental Psychologist

how we grow and change throughout the lifespan

Industrial/Organizational Psychologist

behavior in the workplace, effective business practices

Psychometric Psychologists

design and evaluate tests (interest, personality, IQ)

School Psychologist

works with parents, teachers, students to solve problems

Clinical Psychologist

focus on understanding and treating emotional problems, abnormal or dysfunctional behavior

Counseling Psychologist

focus on helping people with adjustment problems and helping people make career choices

Afferent Nerves

carry information to the brain and spinal cord

Efferent Nerves

carry information out of the brain and spinal cord

Central Nervous System

the brain and spinal cord(99% of nerve cells located here)

Peripheral Nervous System

Nerves that connect the CNS to the rest of the body

Somatic NS

nerves under conscious control(motor movements, sense receptors -afferent nerves)

Autonomic NS

controls involuntary actions(heart,glands,digestion)

Neurons

One of two types of cells in the nervous system; neurons are the nerve cells that handle the information-processing function.

glial cells

The second of two types of cells in the nervous system, glial cells (also called glia), provide support, nutritional benefits, and other functions and also keep neurons running smoothly.

cell body

The part of the neuron that contains the nucleus, which directs the manufacture of substances that the neuron needs for growth and maintenance.

dendrites

Treelike fibers projecting from a neuron, which receive information and orient it toward the neuron’s cell body.

axon

The part of the neuron that carries information away from the cell body toward other cells.

myelin sheath

A layer of fat cells that encases and insulates most axons.

Acetylcholine

Muscle movement, learning, memory

Undersupply linked to Alzheimer's disease

Dopamine

Movement, reward/pleasure, motivation, attention

Oversupply linked to schizophrenia symptoms; undersupply linked to Parkinson's disease

Serotonin

Mood, hunger, sleep, arousal

Undersupply linked to depression

Norepinephrine

Alertness, arousal ("fight or flight")

Undersupply linked to depressed mood

GABA

Major inhibitory neurotransmitter — slows down brain activity

Undersupply linked to anxiety, seizures

Glutamate

Major excitatory neurotransmitter; learning and memory

Oversupply linked to migraines/seizures

Endorphins

Pain relief, pleasure

Natural "morphine"