Biological Psychology Flashcards
What are the three major regions of the brain?
forebrain, midbrain, hindbrain
Forebrain
contains cortex and subcortical structures
Midbrain
above brain stem
Hindbrain
back of brain
Cerebellum main function
involved in motor coordination/control and balance
*one of first parts of brain impacted by alcohol
Medulla main function
regulating cardiovascular and respiratory systems, such as heart rate, circulation, respiration
Reticular Formation main function
involved in regulating sleep, wakefulness, and arousal
Pons main function
bridge to the cerebellum and relays information from cerebellum to the rest of the brain
Midbrain function
orienting in response to stimuli
e.g. towards a loud noise or flashing lights
What parts of the brain are part of the hindbrain (4)?
- Cerebellum
- Medulla
- Reticular Formation
- Pons
Thalamus main function
filters and transmits information from the sense to the cortex
e.g auditory stimulants go here first and then are sent to the corresponding location
Hypothalamus main function
regulates the 4 Fs - fighting, fleeing, feeding, fornicating
Amygdala main function
plays a role in emotional processes
Hippocampus main function
creating and integrating new memories
*located on both sides of the brain
anterograde amnesia
difficulty creating new memories
retrograde amnesia
difficulty recalling old memories
Basal Ganglia main function
directs intentional movements, plays a role in reward processing
Cerebral Cortex
large surface area folded so it can be placed in the limited area of the skull
4 lobes of the cerebral cortex
- Occipital Lobe
- Temporal Lobe
- Parietal Lobe
- Frontal Lobe
Occipital Lobe main function
visual information is first processed here
Temporal Lobe main function
processes auditory information
*located on left and right side by the temples
Parietal Lobe main function
processing of sensory information (tactile sensory information)
*located on the top of the brain towards the back
Somatosensory Cortex
-registers and processes touch, pain, visual, and auditory sensations
-located in the parietal lobe
What part of the brain develops last and when?
prefrontal cortex, not until 20-25 years old
*problem solving and risk avoidance
What do different colors on the brain scan indicate?
reds/yellows = less mature
purple/blue = fully mature
Motor cortex
-located in the frontal lobe
-voluntary motor control
Contralateral organizations
oppositely mapped
*right side of the body is controlled by the left part of the somatosensory and motor cortexes and vice versa
Broca’s Area main function
language production
*damage here can make speech production difficult, but the speakers can still understand (known as Broca’s Aphasia)
located on left hemisphere of the brain
Wernicke’s Area main function
speech comprehension
*people with Wernicke’s Aphasia can produce sentences but have difficulty understanding speech
*located on left hemisphere of the brain
Aphasia
loss of ability to use or understand speech or language
At what age is there greater brain plasticity?
in younger people
split brain
the corpus callosum, which connect both sides of the brain, is cut in surgery
Corpus Callosum main function
sends information quickly between sides of the brain
*with a split brain, information can’t be sent
