The Brain Intro to Psychology

The Brain On average, weighs 3 lbs Brain has 3 parts: brainstem, cerebellum, and cerebrum The cerebrum has two halves – left & right hemisphere Each hemisphere has 4 Lobes

3 Pounds = 3 parts

Cerebrum 1) Cerebral Cortex (aka gray matter) Outermost (20 mm thick) composed of six thin layers of neurons, which sit on top of a large collection of white matter pathways.  2) White matter – network of fibers that enables regions of the brain to communicate with each other Contains centers of cognition, personality and coordination of complex movement

The Corpus Callosum Bundle of fibers that connect left and right hemispheres Delivers messages from one side to the other Each hemisphere controls the opposite side of the body

Frontal Lobe Movement of the body Personality, behavior Concentration, planning, problem solving Meaning of words Emotional reactions Speech (Broca’s area) Smell Intelligence, concentration, self-awareness Judgment

Frontal Lobe cont’d The prefrontal cortex is the cerebral cortex covering the front part of the frontal lobe.  -planning complex cognitive behavior, personality expression, decision making, and moderating social behavior basic activity of this brain region: the orchestration of thoughts and actions in accordance with internal goals - executive function

Parietal Lobe (pa·ri·e·tal ) Sense of touch, pain, temperature Language processing Spatial and visual perception Integrating information from different senses to build a picture of the world What and Where things are

Temporal Lobe Sequencing and organization Hearing Emotion Long term memory Understanding language (Wernicke’s area)

Wernicke’s vs Broca’s Wernicke’s: sensory speech Using the correct words to express thoughts Broca’s: motor speech Movements required to produce speech

Occipital Lobe Sight Responsible for processing visual information from the eyes – color, motion, orientation

Locations of Lobes

The Cerebellum Coordinates fine motor and muscle movement Maintain posture and balance Latin “little brain”

Limbic System Located inside the brain; “emotional brain” Controls emotions like happiness, sadness and love Response to stress and connected to endocrine & nervous system

Hypothalamus- biological “To Do” list (homeostasis, emotion, thirst, hunger, circadian rhythms, and control of the autonomic nervous system) The Four F’s (feeding, fighting, flighting and _______) Thalamus- sensory and motor functions. Almost all sensory information enters this structure; neurons send that information to the overlying cortex. Hippocampus- important for learning and memory . . . for converting short term memory to more permanent memory, and for recalling spatial relationships in the world about us  -without it..you wouldn’t live in the present Amygdala- involved in memory, emotion, and fear “Amy” is a shut-in; she is fearful of what will happen outside.

The Brainstem Acts as relay center Monitors the rules of the road State troopers Connects the cerebrum and cerebellum to the spinal cord Performs many automatic functions (breathing, heart rate, body temp, wake and sleep cycles, digestion, sneezing, coughing, swallowing and vomiting)

Plasticity Brain's unique ability to constantly change, grow, and remap itself over the course of a lifetime “plastic” = “moldable” 1st - birth and development into children immature brain grows and creates neural networks at an unprecedented rate, as the brain is flooded with new sensory input from the outside world. 2nd - during lifetime, as brain changes with age to reflect new experiences & events 3rd - in wake of injury *Without this characteristic, the brain would remain static, frozen at a particular point in time. JODY