AP Psych Brain Questions

Describe the roles of the hippocampus and cerebellum in memory formation, and explain
how damage to each of these brain structures might affect an individual's memory
abilities.

The hippocampus helps form and store new explicit memories such as facts and events while the cerebellum is involved in procedural and motor memory like skills and habits. Damage to the hippocampus can cause difficulty forming new memories, also known as anterograde amnesia, while damage to cerebellum can impair coordination and learned motor tasks.

Describe the role of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) in regulating bodily functions.
Differentiate between the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions of the ANS, and
provide examples of how each division affects physiological processes in response to

The autonomic nervous system regulates involuntary bodily functions like heart rate digestion and respiration. The sympathetic division activates the fight or flight response, increasing heart rate and energy, while the parasympathetic division promotes rest and digest functions, slowing heart rate and conserving energy.

Discuss the functions of the frontal lobe, occipital lobe, temporal lobe, and parietal lobe
in the brain. How might damage to each of these lobes affect an individual's behavior or
cognitive abilities?

The frontal lobe controls decision making planning and personality, damage may cause impulsivity or poor judgment. The occipital lobe processes visual information, damage leads to vision loss. The temporal lobe handles hearing and memory, damage causes memory issues or language problems, and the parietal lobe manages sensory input and spatial awareness, damage may affect perception or coordination.

What are neurotransmitters? Pick 2 (serotonin, dopamine, ACh,
norpinephrine) and describe their function and how an imbalance might impact
psychological health

Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that transmit signals between neurons. Serotonin regulates mood and sleep, low levels can cause depression. Dopamine influences motivation and reward, imbalances can lead to schizophrenia or parkinson’s disease.

Briefly describe how one neuron transmits an impulse to another neuron using
the
following terms correctly to describe the process of neural transmission: Axon, action
potential, terminal branches of axon, neurotransmitter, synapse, receptor site, dendrite.

A neuron transmits an impulse when an action potential travels down the axon to the terminal branches, releasing a neurotransmitter into the synapse. The neurotransmitter then binds to a receptor site on the receiving neuron, passing along the signal.