final paper
IV. The Brain
- Two Regions of the Human Brain:
1. Lower-Level Brain Structures:
Primitive/Outside of awareness
Responsible for survival instincts, respiration, circulation, hunting, mating and fighting.
A) Brainstem
oldest part of the brain
responsible for automatic survival functions
B) Medulla
at base of brain stem
controls heartbeat and respiration
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IV. The Brain
1. Lower-Level Brain Structures (cont.)
C) Reticular Formation
inside the brainstem
nerve network that is important in controlling arousal
D) Thalamus
directs messages from senses (except smell) to receiving areas in cortex and transmits replies to cerebellum and medulla
associated with the senses (sight, hearing, taste, touch)
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Reticular
Formation
(fibers inside)
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IV. The Brain
1. Lower-Level Brain Structures (cont.)
E) Cerebellum (aka: little brain)
at the rear of the brainstem
helps coordinate voluntary movement and balance
F) Limbic System
Brain system associated with emotions such as aggression and fear and drives such as food and sex
3 parts:
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IV. The Brain
F) Limbic System (cont.) 3 parts
1) Amygdala: linked to emotion and influence aggression and fear
2) Hypothalamus: structure beneath the thalamus; directs maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temp); also linked to emotion; thought of as the reward center of the brain
3) Hippocampus: processes memory
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Limbic System
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IV. The Brain
2. Cerebral Cortex -- Wrinkled, convoluted, top 3mm of the brain.
Governs most of the body’s control and information processing
involves thought, language, and reasoning
most evolved; most developed in primates and humans
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IV. The Brain
Four lobes:
Frontal: motor and speech control, ability to plan ahead, initiative, self-awareness
Parietal: sensation and memory of the environment
Occipital: vision, visual perception
Temporal: language, memory, some emotional control
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Frontal Lobe
Parietal Lobe
Occipital Lobe
Temporal Lobe
Cerebellum
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V. Function vs. System View
of the Brain
- Function view
Each part of the brain controls a different part of behavior.
- Systems view
The brain works as a whole and is not a collection of structures, centers, or localizations.
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V. Function vs. System View
of the Brain
- Conclusion
the brain’s systems are localized in particular brain regions but the brain acts as a unified whole coordinating many different areas
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