The Brain Cheat Sheet by cwojo

The most prominent part of the brain. The cellular layers on the outer surface of cerebral hemisp­heres. Divided in half and connected by to bundles of axons: the corpus callopsum and anterior commisure.

Contains the prefrontal cortex, Broca's Area, and precentral gyrus. Emotional control center and home of our person­ality. Plays a role in motor control, problem solving, and speech produc­tion.

Integr­ation center for all sensory inform­ation and other areas of the cortex, higher cognitive function, and decision making.

Primary motor cortex: fine motor movement

Contains the Postce­ntral Gyrus. Role in touch sensat­ions, muscle­-st­retch receptors, joint receptors. Processing and integr­ating inform­ation about eye, head, and body positions from muscles and joints. Role in spatial and numerical proces­sing.

Primary somato­sensory cortex

The lateral portions of each hemisp­heres by temples. Role in auditory inform­ati­on/­pro­cessing spoken language, and aspects of vision. Contains Wernicke's Area.

Contains the Striate Cortex. Role in visual input. Damage causes cortical blindness.

Primary Visual Cortex

Prominent landmark of the brain, separating the parietal lobe from the frontal lobe and the primary motor cortex from the primary somato­sensory cortex.

Thick band of nerve fibers that connect the two hemisp­heres.

Works with the posterior commissure to link the two cerebral hemisp­heres of the brain and also interc­onnects the amygdalas and temporal lobes, contri­buting to the role of memory, emotion, speech and hearing.

Regulates motor movement, balance, and coordi­nation. It is important for shifting between auditory and visual stimuli.

Part of the brainstem that links your brain to your spinal cord. Handles uncons­cious processes, such as your sleep-wake cycle.

Where your cardio­vas­cular and respir­atory systems link together. Controls heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, and more.

Contains the hindbrain and the midbra­in(­exc­luding the cerebe­llum). Regulates most of the body's automatic functions that are essential for life.

Contains neuronal activity related to movements, rewards and the conjun­ction of both movement and reward. Striatal neurons show activity related to the prepar­ation, initiation and execution of movements

Regulates reward consum­ptions, learning, memory, and addiction behaviors through mediating dopamine release.

Represents the archaic core of those pathways connecting the spinal cord and the brain. It subserves autonomic, motor, sensory, behavi­oral, cognitive, and mood-r­elated functions.

Subcor­tical structure that is the relay station between the sensory organs and cortex. Plays a role in sleep, wakefu­lness, consci­ous­ness, learning and memory.

Subcor­tical structure near the base of the brain. Conveys messages to the pituitary gland to alter the release of hormones. Plays a role in eating, drinking, sexual behaviors, and other motivated behaviors.

Hormone producing gland at the base of the hypoth­alamus.

Comprised of the caudate nucleus, the putamen, and the globus pallidus. Plays a role in planning motor movement, aspects of memory and emotional expres­sion, attention, and language planning.

Limbic system structure located between the thalamus and the cerebral cortex. Stores certain types of memory, partic­ularly new events. Area of neurog­enesis.

Two almond shaped nuclei within the temporal lobes. Processing fearful and threat­ening stimuli. Includes threat detection and activation of fear-r­elated behaviors in response to a threat.

Main function is to receive inform­ation about the state of the light-dark cycle from the enviro­nment and convey this inform­ation by the production and secretion of the hormone melatonin