Psychology Vocabulary: Structures and Functions of the Brain.

Amygdala: Processes information related to fear and survival. Involved in emotional awareness and regulation.

Basal Ganglia: Coordinates with the thalamus and motor areas to plan movement.

Cerebral Cortex: The outermost layer of the brain responsible for complex functioning and consists of the four lobes.

Cerebellum: Plays a role in motor coordination.

Frontal Lobe: An area of the cerebral cortex involved in higher-order cognitive processing, personality, and voluntary muscle movement.

Hippocampus: Role in memory.

Hypothalamus: involved in eating, drinking, sex, emotions, and stress. Role in controlling the endocrine system.

Medulla: Controls breathing, heart rate and reflexes.

Occipital Lobe: An area of the cerebral cortex involved in visual perception.

Parietal Lobe: An area of the cerebral cortex involved in sensory information, attention, and spatial location.

Pons: Controls sleep and arousal.

Reticular Formation: Role in arousal and patterned movement.

Temporal Lobe: Involved in memory, processing sound, and language processing.

Thalamus: Transfers information to the appropriate structures in the forebrain.