Unit 3: Biological Psychology
Essential Task 3-5a.Describe the subdivisions and functions of the Central Nervous System
A. Brain
i. Brain Stem
Medulla, Pons, Reticular Formation, Cerebellum, and the Thalamus
ii. Limbic System
Hypothalamus, Amygdala, and the Hippocampus
iii. Cerebral Cortex (Left and Right Hemispheres and the corpus callosum)
Occipital Lobe, Parietal Lobe, Temporal Lobe, and the Frontal Lobe
Primary Motor Cortex and Primary Sensory Cortex
Wernicke's Area and Broca's Area
B. Spinal Cord
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Nervous System
Central Nervous System
Brain
Brain Imaging
Peripheral Nervous System
Building Blocks
Genetics
Evolutionary
Endocrine System
Neurotransmitters
Somatic
Autonomic
Sympathetic
Parasympathetic
Biological Psychology
Spinal Cord
Neurons
Sensory
Motor
Essential Task 3-5: CNS
A. Brain
i. Brain Stem
Medulla, Pons, Reticular Formation, Cerebellum, and the Thalamus
ii. Limbic System
Hypothalamus, Amygdala, and the Hippocampus
iii. Cerebral Cortex
(Left and Right Hemispheres and the corpus callosum)
Occipital Lobe, Parietal Lobe, Temporal Lobe, and the Frontal Lobe Primary Motor Cortex and Primary Sensory Cortex Wernicke's Area and Broca's Area
B. Spinal Cord
The Brain Stem (Autonomic Functions)
Brain Structure | Primary Function | Secondary Function |
Medulla | Respiration, blood pressure, heart rate | Vomiting |
Pons | Puts you to sleep | |
Reticular Formation | Attention, regulates awareness | |
Cerebellum | Balance and coordination | |
Thalamus | Directs sensory information to the rest of the brain | |
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Older Brain Structures
The Brainstem is the oldest part of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells and enters the skull. It is responsible for automatic survival functions.
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Brain Stem
The Medulla [muh-DUL-uh] is the base of the brainstem. It controls autonomic functions and relays nerve signals between the brain and spinal cord.
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Brain Stem
Pons and inside that the (Reticular Formation) is a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal.
The Reticular Formation controls:
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Brain Stem
The Medulla [muh-DUL-uh] is the base of the brainstem that controls heartbeat and breathing.
Reticular Formation is a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal.
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Brain Stem
The Thalamus [THAL-uh-muss] is the brain’s sensory switchboard, located on top of the brainstem. It directs messages to the sensory areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla.
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Cerebellum
The “little brain” attached to the rear of the brainstem. It helps coordinate voluntary movements and balance.
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Limbic System (Emotion Center)
Brain Structure | Primary Function | Secondary Function |
Hypothalamus | Drives: Hunger, Thirst, Sex | Temperature control |
Amygdala | Fight or Flight | |
Hippocampus | STM (memory) to LTM | |
The Limbic System
The Limbic System is a doughnut-shaped system of neural structures at the border of the brainstem and cerebrum, associated with emotions such as fear, aggression and drives for food and sex. It includes the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus.
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Amygdala
The Amygdala [ah-MIG-dah-la] consists of two almond-shaped neural clusters linked to the emotions of fear and anger.
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Hypothalamus
The Hypothalamus lies below (hypo) the thalamus. It directs several maintenance activities like eating, drinking, body temperature, and control of emotions. It helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland.
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Reward Center
Rats cross an electrified grid for self-stimulation when electrodes are placed in the reward (hypothalamus) center (top picture). When the limbic system is manipulated, a rat will navigate fields or climb up a tree (bottom picture).
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Sanjiv Talwar, SUNY Downstate
Cerebral Cortex
Brain Structure | Primary Function | Secondary Function |
Occipital Lobe | Visual Processing | |
Parietal Lobe | Spatial Reasoning | |
Frontal Lobe | Decision Making | |
Temporal Lobe | Auditory sensory information | |
Motor Cortex | Movement | |
Sensory Cortex | Sensation | |
Wernicke’s Area | Understanding Speech | |
Broca’s Area | Producing Speech | |
The Cerebral Cortex
The intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells that covers the cerebral hemispheres. It is the body’s ultimate control and information processing center.
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Structure of the Cortex
Each brain hemisphere is divided into four lobes that are separated by prominent fissures. These lobes are the frontal lobe (forehead), parietal lobe (top to rear head), occipital lobe (back head) and temporal lobe (side of head).
Functions of the Cortex
The Motor Cortex is the area at the rear of the frontal lobes that control voluntary movements. The Sensory Cortex (parietal cortex) receives information from skin surface and sense organs.
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Pinky and the Brain Video
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Visual Function
The functional MRI scan shows the visual cortex is active as the subject looks at faces.
Auditory Function
The functional MRI scan shows the auditory cortex is active in patients who hallucinate.
Association Areas
More intelligent animals have increased “uncommitted” or association areas of the cortex.
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Language
Aphasia is an impairment of language, usually caused by left hemisphere damage either to Broca’s area (impaired speaking) or to Wernicke’s area (impaired understanding).
Specialization & Integration
Brain activity when hearing, seeing, and speaking words
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The Spinal Cord
The Spinal Cord