PSYCH207 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Postcentral Gyrus, Premotor Cortex, Parietal Lobe
Document Summary
Challenge of cog psych: connect cognitive processes to scientific neural activity. Brain is 350g during prenatal period -> 1350g during 20 yrs old. 1 of 3 bulges in embryo"s neural tube. Brain stem (consists of medulla, pons in hindbrain, midbrain, some of forebrain) = 4. 4% weight of adult brain. Structure: reticular formation alert/awakeness, allows response to threatening/attention stimulus. Thalamus switches station for sensor info, memory, esp. to cerebral corte. Hypothalamus regulates basic biological functions/homeostatic behaviours (hunger, thirst, temperature, sex, emotions), controls pituitary gland by releasing hormones (hormones regulate other glands) Spinal cord transmits signals b/w brain and body. Consists of layer called cerebral cortex (6 layers of neurons with white matter beneath which carries info b/w cortex and the thalamus or b/w diff parts of cortex. Left and right hemispheres are connected by corpus callosum (frontal, parietal, occipital) and anterior commissure (temporal lobes) Central sulcus prominent shallow groove on brain surface divides frontal and parietal.