Amygdala

The amygdala attaches emotional significance to sensory information (this is why the smell of Grandma’s cookies makes you feel so good!). It also mediates aggression.

Brain Stem

  • Controls vital functions (heart rate, breathing, temperature, etc.)
  • Level of alertness

    • Cerebellum

    The cerebellum or “little brain” is involved in the coordination of voluntary movements, balance and equilibrium.
  • Coordination of voluntary movement
  • Balance and equilibrium

    • Cerebrum

    This remarkable portion of the brain is responsible for the higher level skills and thought processes which make us uniquely human. The brain functions as a whole, but each of the four lobes — frontal, temporal, parietal, occipital — makes several unique contributions. The fact that you can read and understand these words is an example of the wondrous functions of the cerebrum.

    Cingulate Gyrus

    The cingulate gyrus is known as the “satisfaction center.” It is responsible for the feelings of satisfaction following eating, drinking and sexual behaviors.

    Corpus Callosum

    Without our corpus callosum, we would have two separate brains not communicating with each other! The corpus callosum connects the two halves (hemispheres) of the brain and allows information to be exchanged.

    Frontal Lobe

  • Controls attention
  • Motivation and initiation
  • Emotional control and personality
  • Guides and controls social behavior
  • Judgement and decision making
  • Problem solving
  • Expressive language
  • Motor integration
  • Voluntary movement

    • Hippocampus

    The hippocampus is involved in learning and memory consolidation (converting short-term memories to long-term memory storage). Without your hippocampus, you wouldn’t remember what you had for breakfast this morning!

    Hypothalamus

    The hypothalamus is our “drive” center; controlling hunger, thirst, emotional responses and sexual behaviors. The hypothalamus also regulates the pituitary and other hormone-secreting glands.

    Medulla Oblongata

    The medulla oblongata regulates vital bodily functions such as breathing and heart rate.

    Occipital Lobe

  • Visual perception
  • Visual input
  • Some aspects of reading

    • Parietal Lobe Perception

  • Tactile percepetion (sense of touch)
  • Awareness of spatial relations

    • Pituitary Gland

    Here lies the source of the difference between males and females! The pituitary gland is the “master gland” and is responsible for the production and/or release of most hormones.

    Pons

    Running, walking, swinging your arms…the pons connects the two halves of the cerebellum and helps integrate movements between the left and right sides of the body.

    Temporal Lobe

  • Memory
  • Receptive language
  • Language comprehension
  • Musical awareness
  • Sequencing skills

    • Thalamus

    This is the Grand Central Station of our brains! All sensory information (except the sense of smell) from the body goes to the thalamus, which then sends the information to the appropriate cerebral area for processing.