PYSC 1100 ; Brain - General Psychology Lecture 3 Notes

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to the brain and its functions as discussed in the general psychology lecture.

Phrenology

A 19th-century pseudoscience that claimed personality traits and mental faculties could be determined by measuring skull shape and bumps.

Neurons

Nerve cells that process and transmit information in the brain, approximately 86 billion in the human brain.

Synapse

The connection between neurons where communication takes place, involving a junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron.

Neurotransmitter

Chemical messengers that transmit signals across a synapse from one neuron to another.

Cerebral Cortex

The outer layer of the brain involved in complex functions such as sensory perception, cognition, and motor control.

Frontal Lobe

The part of the brain located at the front, responsible for executive functions such as planning, decision-making, and speech production.

Parietal Lobe

Located at the top/middle of the brain, it processes sensory information related to touch, temperature, and pain.

Temporal Lobe

Located on the sides of the brain, it is involved in auditory processing, language comprehension, and memory formation.

Occipital Lobe

The back part of the brain that is responsible for visual processing.

Corpus Callosum

A thick bundle of neural fibers that connects the left and right cerebral hemispheres.