The Brain Project AP Psychology

The limbic System

The Edocrine System

The limbic system is a set of brain structures, including the hippocampus, amygdala, anterior thalamic nuclei, septum, limbic cortex and fornix, which supports many functions like interpreting emotional responses, storing memories, and regulating hormones. The limbic system is also involved with sensory perception, motor function, and olfaction. The system is significant because it supports emotion, behavior, motivation, and long-term memory, which are integral to humans.

The endocrine system controls the hormones traveling through the blood stream in the body. This includes the hypothalamus, hippocampus, the thyroid, the pineal gland, and the pituitary gland. It is significant because the hormones the system secretes regulate the body in such ways as growth, development metabolism, and mood.

The Brain

The locations and functions of parts of the brain

Hippocampus

The Parietal Lobe

The Frontal Lobe

The parietal lobe plays a large part in integrating sensory information from different senses, as well as in the manipulation of objects. Parts of this lobe deal with visual perception. The lobe is also associated with movement, orientation, recognition, perception, and stimuli.

The hippocampus plays a role in consolidating short-term and long-term memory, as well as spacial navigation. It is part of the limbic system.

The frontal lobe deals with conscious thought. It is associated with reasoning and planning, parts of speech, movement, emotions and problem solving. The frontal lobe, if damaged, could result in changes in mood and social differences. The frontal lobe is the most uniquily human of all the brain structures.

Cerebrum (Cerebral Cortex)

Skull

The cerebrum is the grey matter area of the brain. The neurons here are unmyelinated, and form the cortex of the cerebrum. This part of the brain determines intelligence, personality, planning, motor function, organization, and the touch sensation.

The Occipital Lobe

The Occipital lobe deals with the sense of sight, lesions in this lobe can actually cause hallucinations. Visual processing is the main function of this lobe.

Corpus Callosum

Amygdala

The neural bridge connecting the two hemispheres of the brain to eachother, it is located in the center of the brain.

The Temporal Lobe

It is a component of the limbic system. The amygdala is involved in fear, emotion, and memory.

Thalamus

The Temporal lobe is involved with the senses of smell and sound, as well as the facial recognition and setting stimuli. The lobe is also associated with audiotory stimuli, memory, as well as speech.

Hypothalamus

It is the main relay station of the brain. Many of the sensory signals, (sound, visual, somatosensory) move through the thalamus to other parts of the brain to be processed. The thalamus also plays a part in motor control.

The skull surrounds the brain and protects the brain stem, as both are sensitive to damage. The skull is a part of the skeleton.

Controls many of the body's functions. It controls and monitors the internal clock, homeostasis, apetite, thirst, and is also involved with emotions, autonomic functions as well as motor functions

Cerebellum

Pituitary Gland

Secretes hormones to travel through the blood stream. It controls hormone functions like temperature, growth, urine and testosterone production in males, and estrogen production in females

The Cerebellum mainly deals with movement. It regulates and coordinates balance, movement, as well as posture. It also deals with the learning of movement.

Medulla

The Medulla Oblongata helps control involuntary functions such as breathing and blinking. It also relays nerve signals to and from the brain.

Brain Stem

Spinal Cord

It is responsible for basic life functions like breathing, heartbeat, and blood pressure.

Connects the brain to the rest of the body. Information travels up the spinal cord and to the brain, which then sends instructions back.