WHS AP Psychology

Unit 3: Biological Psychology

Essential Task 3-5a.Describe the subdivisions and functions of the Central Nervous SystemA. Brain

i. Brain StemMedulla, Pons, Reticular Formation, Cerebellum, and the Thalamus

ii. Limbic SystemHypothalamus, 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 CortexWernicke's Area and Broca's Area

B. Spinal Cord

We are here

Nervous SystemCentral

Nervous System

Central Nervous System

Brain

Brain Imaging

Peripheral Nervous System

Peripheral Nervous System

Building Blocks

Building Blocks

GeneticsGenetics

EvolutionaryEvolutionaryEndocrine

SystemEndocrine

System

Neurotransmitters

SomaticAutonomic

Sympathetic Parasympathetic

Biological Psychology

Spinal Cord

Neurons

SensoryMotor

Essential Task 3-5: CNS

A. Brain i. Brain StemMedulla, Pons, Reticular Formation, Cerebellum, and the Thalamusii. Limbic SystemHypothalamus, Amygdala, and the Hippocampusiii. 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 AreaB. Spinal Cord

Outline

The Brain Stem (Automatic 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.•respiration•blood pressure •heart rate •reflex arcs •vomiting

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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.•It is involved in motor control and sensory analysis... for example, information from the ear first enters the brain in the pons. It has parts that are important for the level of consciousness and for sleep.

The Reticular Formation controls:•Attention •Cardiac Reflexes •Motor Functions •Regulates Awareness •Relays Nerve Signals to the Cerebral Cortex •Sleep

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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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The “little brain” attached to the rear of the brainstem. It

helps coordinate voluntary movements

and balance.

Cerebellum

Limbic System (Emotion Center)

Brain Structure Primary Function Secondary Function

Hypothalamus Drives: Hunger, Thirst, Sex

Temperature control

Amygdala Fight or Flight

Hippocampus STM to LTM

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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.

The Limbic System

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AmygdalaThe 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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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).

Reward CenterS

anjiv Talw

ar, SU

NY

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Cerebral Cortex

Brain Structure Primary Function Secondary Function

Occipital Lobe Visual Processing

Parietal Lobe Spatial ReasoningFrontal Lobe Decision Making Temporal Lobe Auditory sensory

information Motor Cortex Movement Sensory Cortex SensationWernicke’s Area Understanding

SpeechBroca’s Area Producing Speech

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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.

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).

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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.

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.

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More intelligent animals have increased “uncommitted” or association areas of the

cortex.

Association Areas

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).

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Specialization & Integration

Brain activity when hearing, seeing, and speaking words

Can you make a purple circle with a cross in the middle?

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Fun with your Hemispheres

• Rotate your dominant hand in one direction while at the same time rotating the opposite foot in the other direction.– No problem since controlled by two hemispheres

• Now, rotate your dominant hand in one direction while at the same time rotating the foot on the same side in the other direction.

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Our Divided Brain

Our brain is divided into two hemispheres.

The left hemisphere processes reading, writing, speaking, mathematics, and

comprehension skills. In the 1960s, it was termed as the dominant brain.

Hemispheric Specialization

• Corpus Callosum– Fibers that connect the

two hemispheres– Allow close

communication between left and right hemisphere

• Each hemisphere appears to specialize in certain functions

• (See Worksheet)

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The Wagner Preference Inventory

• (a) left, logical• (b) left, verbal• (c) right, manipulative/spatial • (d) right, creative

Hemispheric Specialization

People with intact brains also show left-right hemispheric differences in

mental abilities.

A number of brain scan studies show normal individuals engage their right brain when completing a perceptual

task and their left brain when carrying out a linguistic task.

Splitting the Brain

A procedure in which the two hemispheres of the brain are isolated by cutting the connecting fibers

(mainly those of the corpus callosum) between them.

Corpus Callosum

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Split Brain Patients

With the corpus callosum severed,

objects (apple) presented in the right

visual field can be named. Objects

(pencil) in the left visual field cannot.

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Divided Consciousness

The Spinal Cord

• Complex cable of nerves that connects brain to rest of the body

• Carries motor impulses from the brain to internal organs and muscles

• Carries sensory information from extremities and internal organs to the brain

• 400,000 people a year in US either partial or complete paralysis.

The Spinal Cord

• The spinal cord controls some protective reflex movements without any input from the brain