BRAIN ANATOMY FUNCTION CHEAT SHEET
System or Part Function Misc.
Brainstem Responsible for automatic survival reflexes
Spinal Cord Controls simple reflexes Pathway to neural fibers
Medulla Controls/regulates heartbeat and breathing To and from brain
Reticular Formation Helps control arousal, responds to change in monotony
Thalamus Relays sensory information, switchboard between sensory neurons and Deals with sight, hearing, touch, taste. Transmits replies from
higher brain regions higher brain to cerebellum and medulla
Cerebellum Influences memory and learning coordinates voluntary movement and Little brain-extends from rear of brainstem
balance
The Limbic System Links emotion (fear/anger), basic motives (food and sex)
Hippocampus Memory (remembering and learning)
Amygdala Emotion (aggression) rage, fear Kluecer& Bucy Lesion monkey brain
Hypothalamus Regulates thirst, hunger, body temperature, sexual behavior (hormone Helps govern endocrines.
release). Controls/regulates maintenance reflexes (eating), Homeostasis Monitors glands.
linked to emotion. Controls hunger.
Linked to emotion and reward- Oldest minor (pleasure center)
Pituitary Gland Master Gland. Influences hormone release Part of endocrine system (no brain) controlled by
hypothalamus
Cerebral Cortex Learning and thinking. Enabling adaptability. Information processing center
Assoc. Areas Integrates higher order thinking Interprets and acts on information processes by sensory areas
Frontal Lobe Speaking, muscle movement. Making plans, judgment, decision-making Ultimate control information process center. Interprets and
and attention. acts on information processes by sensory areas
Prefrontal Cortex Critical role with how brain processes brain. Behind forehead and controls motor cortex
Motor Cortex Moves body parts; sends messages out to body, controls body movement
Broca’s Area Produces speech thru control of motor cortex: in left frontal lobe Damage disrupts speaking. Can sing and comprehend speech.
Temporal Lobe Auditory Above ear
Auditory Cortex Hears and processes sound Left hemisphere
Wernicke’s Area Processes speech, sound from outside large comp. Auditory code and Damage disrupts language comprehension
understanding
Occipital Lobe Visual area- receives visual cues from opposite visual field Back of head- above cerebellum contains visual cortex
Visual Cortex Visual area
Angular Gyrus Reads words-Reads allowed Damage: can’t speak, can’t read
Parietal Lobe Sensory cortex math and spatial reasoning. Top and rear of cerebral cortex
Sensory Cortex Incoming messages from skin, movement of body/tactile Behind and parallel to motor cortex. Modulates speech and
clarity
Corpus Callosum Axon fibers connects 2 hemispheres Sperry & Gazzaniga split brain experiments
Right Hemisphere Visual spatial processes emotion expression and intuitive: music Spatial ability, perceptual tasks, patterns and multi tasks
Left Hemisphere Verbal, language, processes information sequentially; interprets actions Supports to make whole. Processes verbal language.
logic Read/ write, math.
Big Picture Function
CNS Central Nervous System – brain and spinal cord
PNS Peripheral Nervous System – any neurons that extend past CNS
Somatic NS The muscles and functions you can control
Autonomic NS Regulates glands, blood vessels and flow, internal organs
Sympathetic NS Prepares the body for stress; builds energy/adrenaline
Parasympathetic NS Helps to bring the body back to a normal state
Breaking it down BRAIN FUNCTIONS
Medulla Regulates breathing and heart rate – hanging a person works b/c (if done correctly) it breaks this in half
Pons Involved in sleeping, waking and dreaming
Cerebellum The “lesser brain” coordinates balance and coordination
Thalamus Relays all sensory information to specific perception areas of the brain, with the exception of smell
Hypothalamus Part of the “old brain” – it controls survival elements such as hunger, thirst, emotion, sex drive and reproduction. Works in
conjunction with the pituitary gland.
Pituitary Gland Secretes hormones as “directed” by the hypothalamus to regulate the body during a “primal” function
Amygdala Instantaneously evaluates sensory information from the thalamus and determines its emotional importance – helps to decide if
something needs to be addressed immediately; the “fight or flight” brain section (PART OF THE LIMBIC SYSTEM)
Hippocampus The gateway to all memory functions; also works with the reticular activating system to relate sensory input to what the brain already
“knows” about it (PART OF THE LIMBIC SYSTEM)
THE LOBES
Occipital lobe Lower back of the brain; contains the visual cortex
Parietal lobe Top of the brain; contains the somatosensory cortex, which receives all info about pressure, pain, heat, etc., from the body.
Temporal lobe Sides of the brain; involved in memory storage, perception and emotion; contains the auditory cortex as well as Wernicke’s area,
which processes language comprehension.
Frontal lobe Front of the brain (duh) and contains the motor cortex, which controls over 600 muscles all over the body. Also contains Broca’s area,
which allows us to know how to speak. It also helps us think creatively and think rationally; dopamine that is supposed to reach this
lobe is shut off during schizophrenia, making it impossible for the victim to tell what is real and what is hallucinatory.
Corpus Callosum Serves as the network between the left/right sides of the brain.
Left side of brain Rational and analytical thought
Right side of brain Intuitive, creative, holistic thought
Roger Sperry Most well-known split-brain psychologist: worked with cats and severed their corpus callosum to see what would happen
NEURONS
Dendrites Information receptors
Cell body Determines how/when a neuron is supposed to fire and emit a signal
Axon The “tail” of the neuron; sends info away from the cell body
Myelin Sheath Made up of several glial cells, insulates the axon to make sure no random signals get in and no signals slip out
Synaptic cleft The areas between the synaptic end bulbs and dendrites of another neuron where neurotransmitters are released and taken.
Plasticity The brain’s ability to recover from brain/nerve damage by possibly creating new pathways for previous messages
Action potential This allows messages to flow from neuron to neuron as an electrical charge is created when positively charged sodium ions flow into
a neuron and flows out as positively charged potassium charges.
NEUROTRANSMITTERS
Acetylcholine Affects cognition, muscle movement, memory and emotion
Dopamine Affects voluntary movement, learning, memory, emotion – the neurotransmitter that is overactive during SCHIZOPHRENIA; can be
replicated by certain psychoactive drugs like THC (marijuana); also, in low amounts for Parkinson’s victims
Serotonin Affects appetite, perception, temperature regulation, pain suppression and mood – the neurotransmitter that is inhibited during
DEPRESSION; increased by stimulants
GABA An inhibitor: it is unable to reuptake into neurons when depressants such as alcohol are present in the blood system
Norepinephrine Increases heart rate, involved in dreaming, sleeping and emotion
Epinephrine Secreted by the endocrine system; basically, it is adrenaline
Dopamine Affects voluntary movement, learning, memory, emotion – the neurotransmitter that is overactive during SCHIZOPHRENIA; can be
replicated by certain psychoactive drugs like THC (marijuana); also, in low amounts for Parkinson’s victims
GABA An inhibitor: it is unable to reuptake into neurons when depressants such as alcohol are present in the blood system
