Hockenbury Discovering Psychology 5th txtbk

Concept Map85The Endocrine SystemCommunication throughhormones released intothe bloodstreamImportant glands:• Pineal gland• Pancreas• Thyroid• Adrenal glands• Pituitary gland• Gonads:Ovaries (in women)Testes (in men)The BrainA complex, integrated, and dynamic system of interconnected neuronsCapable of changing in response to environmental stimulation;characterized by:Functional plasticity: Capacity to shift functions from damagedto undamaged brain areasStructural plasticity: Capacity to change physical structureNeurogenesis: Capacity to develop new neurons through thelifespanBrainstemForebrainHindbrain: Connectsspinal cord and brainMidbrain: Preliminaryprocessing of auditoryand visual informationCerebral cortex: Wrinkled,outer portion of forebrainDivided into two cerebralhemispheres, connectedby corpus callosumLimbic system: Structuresbeneath thecerebral cortexPons: Coordinatesmovement on left andright side of bodyMedulla: Controls vitallife functionsCerebellum: Coordinatesmovements, balance,and postureReticular formation:Regulates attention,alertness, and sleepSubstantia nigra: Clusterof dopamine-producingneurons involvedin movementTemporal lobe: Primary auditorycortex; processes auditoryinformationFrontal lobe: Primary motor cortex;controls voluntary movementOccipital lobe: Primary visual cortex;processes visual informationParietal lobe: Somatosensory cortex;processes touch and other bodyinformationHippocampus: MemoryThalamus: Relays sensoryinformation; awarenessand attentionHypothalamus: Links brainand endocrine system;hunger, thirst, sleep,sexual behaviorAmygdala: Emotionalresponses and memorySpecialization in theCerebral HemispheresPaul Broca (1824–1880)Karl Wernicke (1848–1905)Provided evidence for cortical localization: functions localized in the brain;and Iateralization of function: some functions processed by one side of brainRoger Sperry (1913–1994)Split-brain researchLeft cerebral hemisphere: language,especially grammar, writing,reading; arithmetic; verbal memoryRight cerebral hemisphere: visual-spatialtasks, patterns, faces, emotionalexpression, music