Parts of the Brain
1. Frontal Lobe - controls important cognitive skills such as judgement, speech, learning, reasoning,
problem solving and memory. Each side controls voluntary muscle movements on the opposite side
of the body.
2. Parietal Lobe - organizes sensory information from various body parts. It processes sensations
which gives us self-perception. It also allows us to make controlled precise movements such as
writing. It gives us location awareness, so we understand where items are located.
3. Occipital Lobe - helps us recognize and understand what we see by processing information. It
helps to identify shapes, colors, movement, places and faces.
4. Temporal Lobe - Linked with memory and recalling past experiences. It also helps us understand
the meaning of words, as well us process emotions and our feelings about situations.
5. Cerebellum - Coordinates movement and helps maintain balance. It plays a key role in muscle
actions which are essential for any movement. It also controls eye movement
Corpus Callosum - essential for integrating and coordinating information between the two cerebral
hemispheres, contributing to unified perception, motor coordination, and complex cognitive functions.
Cerebrum - central to a wide array of cognitive, sensory, and motor functions, playing a key role in
higher-order thinking, reasoning, and voluntary movements.
Thalamus - serves as a central hub for the brain, facilitating the relay and processing of sensory and
motor information, regulating consciousness, and integrating various types of sensory input for further
processing.
Midbrain - integral to sensory processing, motor control, arousal regulation, and pain modulation. It
also plays a role in converting short-term memories into long-term memories.
Pons - acts as a bridge between the cerebrum and cerebellum, transmitting signals that are essential
for motor control and sensory analysis.
Cerebellum - vital for the coordination of fine motor movements, balance, and posture, ensuring
smooth, coordinated muscle activity.
Medulla - regulates vital autonomic functions such as heart rate and blood pressure. It houses the
cardiac and vasomotor centers, which adjust the force and rate of heartbeats and the diameter of
blood vessels, respectively.
Hypothalamus - key for maintaining homeostasis by regulating temperature, hunger, thirst, and other
physiological processes, including hormonal control through its interaction with the pituitary gland.
Pituitary Gland - plays a crucial role in regulating growth, metabolism, reproductive functions, and
fluid balance through its hormone production and release.
Amygdala - critical for processing emotions, particularly fear and pleasure, and for forming emotional
memories. It influences stress responses and behavior, playing a key role in emotional regulation.
The Nervous System consists of the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous
system (PNS)
CNS integrates and coordinates activities across the body, facilitating thoughts, emotions, sensations,
and coordinated movements. The brain and spinal cord work together to maintain overall well-being
and bodily function.
PNS connects the CNS to the limbs and organs, facilitating communication between the brain and the
rest of the body. It conveys sensory information to the CNS and executes motor commands from the
CNS.
Neurons - fundamental units of the nervous system, responsible for transmitting information
throughout the body.
Structure of Neurons
- Neurons consist of a cell body (soma), dendrites, and an axon. Dendrites receive signals, while the
axon transmits signals to other neurons or muscles. At the axon terminals, neurotransmitters are
released to communicate across synapses.
- Action Potential: An electrical signal that travels along the axon, triggered by depolarization (influx of
sodium ions), followed by repolarization (efflux of potassium ions), ensuring the one-way transmission
of signals.
Synaptic Transmission
- An action potential reaches the axon terminal, triggering the release of neurotransmitters into the
synaptic cleft.
- These neurotransmitters bind to receptors on the postsynaptic neuron, potentially generating a new
action potential.
- Neurotransmitters are either broken down or reabsorbed by the presynaptic neuron.
Neurotransmitters
Acetylcholine - Involved in muscle contraction and memory formation.
Glutamate -The primary excitatory neurotransmitter involved in learning and memory.
Dopamine - Regulates reward, pleasure, and motor control.
Serotonin - Affects mood, sleep, and appetite.
Norepinephrine - Regulates arousal, alertness, and the stress response.
Epinephrine - Triggers the "fight-or-flight" response during stress.
GABA - The primary inhibitory neurotransmitter, crucial for reducing neuronal excitability and
preventing overactivity in the brain.
Endocrine System
1. Pituitary Gland - Often called the "master gland," it regulates other glands by releasing hormones
like growth hormone, thyroid-stimulating hormone, and reproductive hormones.
2. Hypothalamus - Produces hormones that regulate the pituitary and other endocrine functions.
3. Thyroid and Parathyroid Glands - Regulate metabolism and calcium levels in the blood.
4. Adrenal Glands - Produce hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, which regulate stress and
metabolism.
5. Pancreas - Regulates blood sugar levels through insulin and glucagon.
6. Gonads (Ovaries and Testes) - Regulate reproductive functions through estrogen, progesterone,
and testosterone.
7. Pineal Gland - Produces melatonin to regulate sleep-wake cycles.
8. Thymus - Involved in the development of the immune system.
9. Placenta - Produces hormones that support pregnancy.
Evolutionary Psychology - studies how behaviors develop through natural selection to increase
survival and reproduction.
Genetics of Behavior - explores how genes influence behavior through neurotransmitter systems and
brain development.
