AP Psych Parts of the Brain, Hormones, and Neurotransmitters

Parts of the Brain

Medulla

Located at the base of the brain-stem, it controls heartbeat and breathing.

Pons

Locted under the thalamus, these connect different brain regions and is responsible for facial expressions.

Reticular Formation

Located inside the brain-stem, this controls sleep arousal.

Thalamus

Located on top of the brain-stem, this sends messages to the sensory cortex and transmits them to the cerebellum and medulla.

Cerebellum

Located in the back of the brain-stem, this is in charge of voluntary movements and procedural or explicit memory.

Hippocampus

Located within the temporal lobe, this is linked to explicit memory

Amygdala

Neural clusters that are lima-bean sized that control fear, pain, and anger.

Hypothalamus

Located below the thalamus, this controls the pituitary gland, and controls maintenance functions such as eating, and is linked to reward and emotions.

Pituitary Gland

Known as the “master gland”, this brain part has numerous functions including influencing blood pressure, thirst, contractions of the uterus, sexual behavior, and body growth. Produces growth hormones and oxytocin.

Corpus Callosum

Connects the two brain hemispheres, and acts as an interpreter for the 2 hemispheres.

Frontal Lobe

Located in the forehead, this is in charge of complex thinking and decision making. It also helps with creativity.

Broca’s Area

Located on the left side of the forehead, this is the area of the Brain that produces speech., *Boca is mouth in Spanish*

Motor Cortex

Located in the rear of the frontal lobes, this is in charge of muscular movements.

Parietal Lobe

This lobe is located in the top to the rear of the head, and it processes sensory information.

Sensory Cortex

Sends and receives information from the skin’s surface and the sense organs.

Occipital Lobe

Located in the back of the head, this lobe is responsible for processing visual information.

Visual Cortex

Located in the back of the head, this cortex receives written words as visual information.

Temporal Lobe

Located in the sides of the head, this lobe is responsible for auditory processing and implicit memory processing.

Wernicke’s Area

Located in the temporal lobe, this controls the ability to understand the meaning of words.

Cerebral Cortex

The intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells that covers the cerebral hemisphere. Considered the body’s control and info processing center.

Acetylcholine

An excitatory neurotransmitter that is released by motor neurons. It stimulates muscle contraction and controls general intellectual functioning. Deficits cause Alzhimers and Surplus causes severe muscle spasms.

Dopamine

An inhibitory neurotransmitter that controls pleasurable sensations involved in voluntary movement, attention, and learning. Deficits cause parkinson’s and Surplus causes Schizophrenia and Drug Addiction.

Serotonin

An inhibitory neurotransmitters that regulated mood, hunger, sleep, and wakefulness. Deficits cause depression and mood disorders, and Surplus causes autism.

Norepinephrine

An excitatory neurotransmitter that is used for arousal in flight or flight responses, and plays a key role in memory retrieval. Deficits cause mental disorders like depression, and Surplus causes anxiety.

GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)

An inhibitory neurotransmitters that helps offset excitatory messages and regulates sleep-wake cycles. Deficits cause anxiety, seizures, tremors, and insomnia. Surplus causes sleep and eating disorders.

Endorphins

Inhibitory neurotransmitters that are involved in pain perception and positive emotions. A deficit in these causes the body to experience pain, while a surplus causes artificial highs and no warning of pain.

Glutamate

An excitatory neurotransmitter that helps messages cross the synapse more efficiently. A surplus of this and too little GABA can cause epileptic seizures.

Adrenaline

A hormone similar to epinephrine. It is made in your adrenal glands when you are stressed, scared, or excited. It is the body’s “natural boost”

Leptin

A hormone found in the hypothalamus. It regulates hunger and helps maintain energy balance.

Ghrelin

This is found in the hypothalamus and controls appetite and promotes fat storage. This is the brain’s reward system.

Melatonin

A hormone found in the pineal gland, and is known as the sleep hormone. This hormone regulates the sleep-wake cycle which is also known as the circadian rhythm. Deficits can cause insomnia and jet lag.

Oxytocin

Made in the hypothalamus and is released by the pituitary gland. It plays a major role in social bonding and forming relationships. It is known as the “love hormone.”