THE BRAINMrs. Martinez

Psychology I

CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM

A. Brain

B. Spinal Corda. Spinal Reflexes- simple automatic responses to something.

PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM

Somatic Nervous System- Enables us to experience sensations such as hot or cold.

Alerts us that parts of the body have changed position.

Helps to maintain balance and posture

PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM

Autonomic Nervous System- Sympathetic-activated when someone is going into action because of a stressful event. (fight or flight response)

Parasympathetic-restores the body’s reserves of energy after an action has occurred.

Brings our body to a peaceful state

THE BRAIN

Composed of many parts that organize our movements, create our thoughts, form our emotions and produce our behaviors.

Divided into 3 Sections: The lower level: medulla, pons and cerebellum

The middle level: Limbic system includes the amygdala, hypothalamus and reticular formation.

The outer level: the cerebrum and cerebral cortex.

THE BRAIN

Cerebral CortexThe part that makes us uniquely human. It is the part that thinks!

Composed of 2 sides (hemispheres)Connected by the corpus callosumThe brain is composed of 4 lobes.

frontal lobe-motor functions parietal lobe-sensory area occipital lobe-primary visual area temporal lobe-auditory area

ASSOCIATION AREAS

Shapes information into something meaningful

THE BRAIN AND LANGUAGE ABILITIES

Cerebral Cortex- Association Areas- shapes information into something meaningful

Language abilities-concentrated in the left hemisphere

Broca’s area-located in the frontal lobe. It enables us to move our lips when speaking. When damaged, people speak slowly and with difficulty but comprehension is good.

Wernicke’s area-located in the temporal lobe. It pieces together sounds and sights. Damage to this area makes it difficult to understand speech.

METHODS OF STUDYING THE BRAIN

Accidents

Electrical stimulation of the

brain

Electroencephalogram (EEG)-a

device that studies the electrical

activity of the brain.

SCANS

CAT MRI PET

PHINEAS GAGE

Read “What Happened to Phineas Gage?”

Answer the following questions in complete sentences:1. Describe Phineas Gage’s accident.

2.How did Phineas Gage change after the accident?

3. How did Phineas Gage’s accident change scientists’ understanding of the brain?

Video clip: Phineas Gage