PSYC 100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Prefrontal Cortex, Somatic Nervous System, Autonomic Nervous System

• School: McGill University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 100
• Professor: Jens Pruessner

Document Summary

Cerebral cortex: the outer layer of the brain tissue, which forms the convoluted surface of the brain. It is the site of all thoughts, detailed perceptions and consciousness. It is also the source of culture and communication that allow us to learn fine distinctions and intricate details of the outside world. Each cerebral hemisphere has 4 lobes: occipital, parietal, temporal and frontal. The corpus callosum: a massive bridge of millions of axons that connects the 2 hemispheres together and allows information to flow between them. Occipital lobe: back portion of the brain devoted mainly to vision. The primary visual cortex is by far the largest and is the major destination for visual information which is typically organized for the cerebral cortex in a way that preserves spatial relationships. Surrounding the primary visual cortex is a patchwork of secondary visual areas that process various attributes of the visual image (colors, forms and motions)