1. Unit 3: Biological Psychology
CHS AP Psychology
Unit 3: Biological Psychology
Essential Task 3-5a.Describe the subdivisions and functions of the Central Nervous System
A. Brain
i. Brain Stem
Medulla, Pons, Reticular Formation, Cerebellum, and the Thalamus
ii. Limbic System
Hypothalamus, 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 Cortex
Wernicke's Area and Broca's Area
B. Spinal Cord

2. 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 7
Cerebellum
Balance and coordination
Thalamus
Directs sensory information to the rest of the brain

3. Older Brain Structures
The Brain Stem is the oldest part of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells and enters the skull. It is responsible for automatic survival functions.
Brain
Stem
OBJECTIVE 12| Describe the components of the brainstem and summarize the functions of the brainstem, thalamus and cerebellum.

4. Brain Stem The Medulla is the base of the brain stem.
It controls autonomic functions and relays nerve signals between the brain and spinal cord:
respiration
blood pressure
heart rate
reflex arcs
vomiting

5. 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. 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

6. Brain Stem
The Thalamus 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.

7. Cerebellum
The “little brain” attached to the rear of the brainstem. It helps coordinate voluntary movements and balance.

8. Limbic System (Emotion Center)
Brain Structure
Primary Function
Secondary Function
Hypothalamus
Drives: Hunger, Thirst, Sex
Temperature control
Amygdala
Fight or Flight
Hippocampus
STM (short term memory) to LTM (long term memory)

9. The Limbic System
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.
OBJECTIVE 13| Describe the structures and functions of the limbic system, and explain how one of these structures controls the pituitary gland.

10. Amygdala
The Amygdala consists of two almond-shaped neural clusters linked to the emotions of fear and anger.

11. 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.

12. Limbic System contains a Reward Center
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).
Sanjiv Talwar, SUNY Downstate

13. Done for today! 

14. Cerebral Cortex Brain Structure Primary Function Occipital Lobe
Visual Processing
Parietal Lobe
Spatial Reasoning
Frontal Lobe
Decision Making
Temporal Lobe
Auditory sensory information
Motor Cortex
Movement
Sensory Cortex
Sensation
Wernicke’s Area
Understanding Speech
Broca’s Area
Producing Speech

15. 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.
OBJECTIVE 14| Define cerebral cortex and explain its importance for the human brain.

16. Structure of the Cortex
Each brain hemisphere is divided into four lobes that are separated by prominent fissures.
These lobes are:
frontal lobe (forehead)
parietal lobe (top to rear head)
occipital lobe (back head)
temporal lobe (side of head).
OBJECTIVE 15| Identify the four lobes of the cerebral cortex.

17. 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.
OBJECTIVE 16| Summarize some of the findings on the functions of the motor cortex and the sensory cortex, and discuss the importance of the association areas.

18. Visual Function
The functional MRI scan shows the visual cortex is active as the subject looks at faces.
Located in the occipital lobe

19. Auditory Function
The functional MRI scan shows the auditory cortex is active in patients who hallucinate.
Located in the temporal lobe

20. Association Areas
More intelligent animals have increased “uncommitted” or association areas of the cortex.

21. 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).
Think: “Boca”, Spanish for mouth, that lets you talk
OBJECTIVE 17| Describe the five brain areas that would be involved if you read this sentence aloud.
Think: Where? I can’t understand you!

22. Specialization & Integration
Brain activity when hearing, seeing, and speaking words

23. Done for Today! 

24. Fun with your Hemispheres
Rotate your dominant hand in one direction while at the same time rotating the opposite foot in the other direction.
Now, rotate your dominant hand in one direction while at the same time rotating the foot on the same side in the other direction.

25. 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

26. 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.
So which of your hemispheres is the most dominant? Let’s find out!

27. 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

28. 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.

29. Divided Consciousness

30. What happens if you remove half of the brain?
Let’s find out!

31. Dual Processing
Simultaneously processing on dual tracks of consciousness and unconsciousness
Driving on “auto-pilot” when you’re concentrating on something else as you drive is a good example
Selective Attention
The Cocktail Party Effect

32. Inattentional Blindness
Daniel Simons and Christopher Chabris (1999)
Participants told to count how many times the black jersey team passes the ball (unlike what we told you to do).
50+% of the participants completely missed the gorilla

33. Change Blindness We are blind to changes in our environment.