AP Psychology: The Brain Review
This flashcard set covers key brain regions and their functions. It includes the motor area, which controls voluntary movement; the sensory area, which processes skin sensations; and the frontal lobe, responsible for movement, thinking, problem-solving, and aspects of personality and mood.
motor area
Key Terms
motor area
control of voluntary muscles
sensory area
skin sensations (temperature, pressure, pain)
frontal lobe
movement, problem solving, concentrating/thinking, behavior/personality/mood
Broca’s Area
speech control
temporal lobe
hearing, language, memory
brain stem
consciousness, breathing, heart rate
Related Flashcard Decks
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
motor area | control of voluntary muscles |
sensory area | skin sensations (temperature, pressure, pain) |
frontal lobe | movement, problem solving, concentrating/thinking, behavior/personality/mood |
Broca’s Area | speech control |
temporal lobe | hearing, language, memory |
brain stem | consciousness, breathing, heart rate |
parietal lobe | sensations, language, perception, body awareness, attention |
occipital lobe | vision, perception |
Wernicke’s Area | language comprehension |
cerebellum | posture, balance, muscle coordination |
medulla | unconscious vital processes (circulation, heart rate, breathing) |
pons | communicates sensory messages and movement from cerebellum to cerebrum, eye and face movements |
reticular formation | arousal and attention, filters stimuli coming to brain |
thalamus | directs sensory information to particular areas of brain |
amygdala | instinctual emotional reactions (aggression or fear), attention to novel stimuli |
hypothalamus | regulates hunger, thirst, body temperature, endocrine system |
pituitary gland | master gland – directs endocrine system |
hippocampus | formation of new memories |
cerebrum | divided into two hemispheres, higher order functions |
left hemisphere | logic, language (verbal tasks), math, detail-oriented, control the right side of the body |
right hemisphere | visual-spatial tasks, creativity, controls left side of body |
corpus callosum | thick bundle of nerve fibers that connects left and right hemispheres, communicates between the two hemispheres |
cerebral cortex | wrinkled surface of brain, divided into four lobes |
frontal lobes | emotion regulation, speaking, judgment and reason, planning, personality |
parietal lobes | pain, pressure, touch sensations |
temporal lobes | auditory cortex (hearing) |
occipital lobes | visual cortex (sight) |
basal ganglia | collection of nuclei (at base of the hemispheres) for controlling voluntary movements and establishing postures |
glial cells | nourish, protect and support neurons |
angular gyrus | transforms visual representations into auditory code (Wernicke's area uses this auditory code to derive meaning); damage to this means someone will be able to speak and understand words, but cannot read aloud |
locus coeruleus | role in physical reaction to panic/stress |