The Brain

• Hindbrain


  At the base of the brain, does the most primitive parts
• Midbrain


  Hard to see, surrounded by the forebrain, more sophisticated than the brainstem
• Medulla oblongata


  Extension of the brainstem at the bottom, takes care of autonomic functions like breathing and heartrate
• Pons


  Brainstem structure that controls autonomic function like regulating sleep cycles, circadian rhythm, communicates between cerebellum and motor cortex to maintain motor control. Also controls bladder
• Cerebellum


  Brainstem structure referred to as "little brain." Helps you balance, manage coordination with the pons, integral to implicit memory formation
• Reticular formation


  Brainstem structure. Responsible for attention and arousal (wakes you up). Works with thepons to wake you up in the morning
• Midbrain structures are kind of hidden within the brain, unlike the hindbrain or forebrain
• Limbic system


  Emotional brain. Systems that help us process emotions
• Thalamus


  Midbrain structure. Sensory motor relay station. Routes signals to the forebrain to be interpereted
• Hypothalamus


  Midbrain structure. Helps us maintain a state of homeostasis, like regulating temp and metabolism, sends signals to the pituitary gland
• Pituitary gland


  Midbrain structure. Master gland. Gets signals from the hypothalamus and sends signals to the rest of the body, from everything from sex to motivation to temperature
• Amygdala


  Midbrain structure. Regulates fear and aggression
• Hippocampus


  Midbrain structure responsible for learning and memory formation. Also helps us regulate our emotions with the rest of the midbrain and the forebrain
• Cerebral cortex is divided into 2 hemispheres, each of which is divided into 4 lobes
• Frontal lobe


  Behind your forehead. Contains prefrontal cortex, motor cortex, and broca's area
• Prefrontal cortex


  Frontal lobe structure responsible for your thinking and planning and personality, which is also the last part of your brain to fully develop
• Broca's area


  Frontal lobe structure that lets you pick which words to use and how to express them
• Parietal lobe


  Contains somatosensory cortex and association areas
• Somatosensory cortex


  Area in the parietal lobe that detects afferent signals from your skin
• Association areas


  Places in the brain that network within the whole brain that helps us have complex though and facilitate communication between lobes
• Primary visual cortex


  Where you process everything you see, occipital lobe
• Occipital lobe


  Back of the brain, mainly knwon for V1
• Temporal lobe


  Known for having primary auditory cortex and wernicke's area
• Primary auditory cortex (A1)


  Part of the temporal lobe, helps us interpret what we hear
• Wernicke 's area


  Helps us interpret speech and language