AP Psychology
The Brain!
EQ: How do different brain areas influence our
physical behavior?
9/16/13
Pinky & the Brain
• One of those stupid videos teachers like to
show from when they were growing up…
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snO68aJT
OpM
Sections of the brain
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Older sections
Limbic system
Cerebral cortex
Language centers
Brainstem
• Brainstem is the oldest & lowest part of the
brain (fits with evolution).
• Made up of the medulla & pons.
Medulla Oblongata
• Lower section of brainstem—controls
autonomic functions (heartbeat, breathing,
blood pressure, etc.)
Pons
• Pons means “bridge”—connects brainstem
(Medulla) & brain (Thalamus)
• Regulates sleep, dreaming cycle, etc.
Reticular formation
• Reticular = “netlike”
• Neural system primarily responsible for
arousal from sleep & alertness
• Coma cat
Thalamus
• Little eggs on top of the brainstem
• Routes information to proper places in the
brain—makes sense, as it is the first thing
after the brainstem
Cerebellum
• “Little brain”
• Primarily motor control—does not initiate, but
it influences coordination, precision, and
timing of movements.
• Motor learning
Limbic System
• Emotions & memory
Amygdala
• Bean-sized neural clusters
• Aggression & fear
• Messing with animals…
Hypothalamus
• Influences temperature, hunger, thirst, sleep,
etc.
• Extremely important for homeostasis
• Works with pituitary gland
• “Pleasure center”
Hippocampus
• Means “sea horse”
• Extremely important in converting short- to
long-term memory (Patient HM)
• Spatial memory & navigation
Cerebral Cortex
• Frontal lobe
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrULrWRl
GBA)
• Parietal lobe
• Occipital lobe
• Temporal lobe
Frontal Lobe
• Planning, deciding, perceiving,
personality/temperament (Phineas Gage)
• Motor cortex—inside frontal lobe
Parietal Lobe
• Specialize in sensation (touch, temperature,
pain, pressure)
• Somatosensory (sensory) cortex—inside
parietal lobe
• Which body parts take up the most space in
the motor & sensory cortexes?
Occipital Lobe & Temporal Lobe
• Occipital: back of brain…visual
• Temporal: side of brain…sound
• Remember Avatar fMRI
• They (mostly) correspond with location of
eyes/ears.
Cerebral Cortex
• Motor cortex
• Sensory cortex
• Association areas
Association areas
• Large difference between humans and animals
• Sensory inputs tied to memory
Language centers
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Visual cortex
Angular gyrus
Wernicke’s area
Broca’s area
Motor cortex
Language centers (functions)
• Visual cortex
Processes written info
• Angular gyrus
Turns written info into auditory info
• Wernicke’s area
Interprets auditory info
• Broca’s area
Controls speech muscles in motor cortex
• Motor cortex
Words are pronounced
Aphasia
• How would damage to Wernicke’s area &
Broca’s area lead to different forms of
aphasia?
• Wernicke’s: no motor issues, but
comprehension issues
• Broca’s: major motor issues, but
comprehension issues may be intact
Corpus Callosum
• Connects the two hemispheres
• Can be cut…
Brain posters…
• Pick 1 part of the brain (everyone needs a
different one).
• Your poster should have these parts:
1. Picture of the brain with location labeled
2. General overview of its function
3. What happens if the section is lesioned
4. At least 1 extra fact (preferably interesting)
5. Some tips for classmates on how to remember
the information
Present posters
Yay!
A legion of lesions…
• Jot down a list of each part of the brain and
what would happen if it was lesioned.
Brain plasticity
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaDlLD97
CLM
• What is plasticity? What happens to it over
time?
• What is the relationship between brain
plasticity and behavior?
Brain hemispheres
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFs9WO2
B8uI
• Cerebral dominance (certain tasks, but
hemispheres cooperate)
• Wernicke’s area & Broca’s area: 95% only have
them in left hemisphere
• Plasticity shows the brain can compensate in
the case of a hemispherectomy
Right/left handedness
• http://www.nytimes.com/1991/04/04/us/bei
ng-left-handed-may-be-dangerous-to-lifestudy-says.html
Homework
• Pages 95-106 in Myers