AP Psychology Unit 3 Part 2

-consists of structures in the top part of the spinal cord
-controls basic biological functions that keep us alive
-primitive part of brain

(hindbrain)
-regulates heart rate, b.p., breathing, etc.

(hindbrain)
-connects the hindbrain with the mid and fore brains.
-involved in control of facial expressions

(hindbrain) "little brain"
-coordinates voluntary movement and balance
-damaged in people with autism

-located just above the spinal cord, and hindbrain, below forebrain
-small in humans
-coordinates simple movements with sensory info.
-contains reticual formation: nerve network in brain stem
-plays role in controlling arousal
-if damaged, coma results

(midbrain)
-body movements and speech
-overactive: Tourrette's, under-active= Parkinson's

(midbrain)
-plays central role in rewards, laughter, sexuality, etc.
-high concentration of serotonin and dopamine pathways

(forebrain)
-located on top of brain stem
-responsible for receiving sensory signals and sending them to appropriate ares in the forebrain.
-all senses except smell

(forebrain)
-small structure below thalamus
-controls metabolic functions: body temp., hunger, thirst, endocrine system, libido

(forebrain)
-almond shaped near the front of brain
-involved in the arousal and regulation of emotion and initial reaction to sensory info

(forebrain)
-involved in storage of new info, memories

-made up of thalamus, hypothalamus, amygdala, and hippocampus
-deals with emotions and memory

-grey, wrinkled surface that is densely packed with neurons
-located in upper forebrain
-connections between neurons grow as we learn and develop
-surface is wrinkled to increase surface area (convolutions)

-logic and reasoning (detail oriented)
-number manipulation, arithmetic
-language (grammar skills)
-right handed touch, movement.

-spatial construction, non-verbal imagery
-face recognition
-more "big picture" oriented (initiative)

-large area, 1/2 of brain
-goal oriented behavior, future planning
-believed responsible for abstract thought and emotional control
-contains Broca's area: controls muscles involved in speech
-thin,vertical strip at back of cortex, motor cortex: sends signals to our muscles; involuntary movement

-located behind frontal lobe
-contains somato-sensory cortex: thin, vertical strip, receives incoming touch sensations
-both the motor and somato-sensory cortices are organized similarly: top receives sensations from bottom of body; and vice-versa.
-involved in math/spatial skill

-located at the very back of brain, farthest from eyes
-however, one major function is to interpret messages from eyes into visual cortex.
-impulses from right half of each retina are processed in the visual cortex of the left side, and vice-versa.

-processes sound sensed by ears
-sound waves processed, turned into neural impulses and interpreted in auditory cortex.

-system of glands that secrete hormones that affect many different biological functions in body
-controlled by hypothalamus

-produces adrenaline

-regulates biological rhythm, i.e. sleep
-controlled by pineal gland
-inhibited by light, increased by dark

-identical twins

-fraternal twins

-studied 100 identical twins, who were raised separately.