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Neuroscience tricks that make the brain stick

Brain structures, neurotransmitters, and the nervous system — mastered.

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🧬 Neuroscience

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Proven mnemonics — fast to learn, hard to forget.

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Language Brain Areas
Broca's = speaking. Wernicke's = understanding.
Language Brain Areas
Two key language areas — and how to never mix them up
Broca's area (frontal lobe): speech production. Damage = Broca's aphasia — understands but can't produce fluent speech. Wernicke's area (temporal lobe): comprehension. Damage = fluent but nonsensical speech.
Broca's
Frontal lobe — speech production
Wernicke's
Temporal lobe — comprehension
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🃏 Language Brain Areas
Broca's vs Wernicke's area?
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🃏 Answer
Broca's = speaking. Wernicke's = understanding.
Broca'sFrontal lobe — speech production
Wernicke'sTemporal lobe — comprehension
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Autonomic Nervous System
Sympathetic: Fight or Flight. Parasympathetic: Rest and Digest.
Autonomic Nervous System
Two branches of the ANS — opposites that keep each other in balance
Sympathetic: stress response — heart rate up, pupils dilate, blood to muscles. Parasympathetic: calm — heart rate down, digestion active, pupils constrict.
Sympathetic
Fight or flight — accelerates body
Parasympathetic
Rest and digest — calms and restores
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🃏 Autonomic Nervous System
Sympathetic vs parasympathetic?
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🃏 Answer
Sympathetic: Fight or Flight. Parasympathetic: Rest and Digest.
SympatheticFight or flight — accelerates body
ParasympatheticRest and digest — calms and restores
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Limbic System
Limbic system HHAC: Hippocampus, Hypothalamus, Amygdala, Cingulate
Limbic System
Four key structures that govern emotion and memory
Hippocampus: memory formation. Hypothalamus: hunger, thirst, temperature, hormones. Amygdala: fear and emotion. Cingulate cortex: attention and error detection.
H
Hippocampus — memory
H
Hypothalamus — homeostasis
A
Amygdala — fear/emotion
C
Cingulate — attention
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🃏 Limbic System
The limbic system — the key structures?
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🃏 Answer
Limbic system HHAC: Hippocampus, Hypothalamus, Amygdala, Cingulate
HHippocampus — memory
HHypothalamus — homeostasis
AAmygdala — fear/emotion
CCingulate — attention
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Neuron Structure and Function
Neurons: dendrites receive, cell body integrates, axon transmits, synapse releases
Neuron Structure and Function
The basic unit of the nervous system — how a signal travels
Dendrites: receive signals from other neurons. Cell body (soma): integrates signals. Axon: transmits signal to terminals. Synapse: junction where neurotransmitters are released to the next neuron. All-or-nothing firing principle.
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🃏 Neuron Structure and Function
The parts of a neuron — what does each do?
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🃏 Answer
Neurons: dendrites receive, cell body integrates, axon transmits, synapse releases
Dendrites: receive signals from other neurons. Cell body (soma): integrates signals. Axon: transmits signal to terminals. Synapse: junction where neurotransmitters are released to the next neuron. All-or-nothing firing principle.
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Brain Lobes and Functions
Brain lobes: Frontal (thinking, planning), Parietal (touch, spatial), Occipital (vision), Temporal (hearing, memory)
Brain Lobes and Functions
Four lobes of the cerebral cortex and what each does
Frontal lobe: executive functions — planning, decision-making, impulse control, working memory, motor cortex. Parietal lobe: somatosensory cortex (touch, pain, temperature), spatial awareness. Occipital lobe: visual processing. Temporal lobe: auditory processing, language (Wernicke's area), memory (hippocampus beneath).
Frontal
Planning, decision-making, motor control
Parietal
Touch, spatial processing
Occipital
Visual processing
Temporal
Hearing, language, memory
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🃏 Brain Lobes and Functions
The four brain lobes — what does each do?
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🃏 Answer
Brain lobes: Frontal (thinking, planning), Parietal (touch, spatial), Occipital (vision), Temporal (hearing, memory)
FrontalPlanning, decision-making, motor control
ParietalTouch, spatial processing
OccipitalVisual processing
TemporalHearing, language, memory
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Key Neurotransmitters
Neurotransmitters: serotonin (mood), dopamine (reward), norepinephrine (arousal), GABA (inhibition), glutamate (excitation)
Key Neurotransmitters
Five neurotransmitters every psychology student must know
Serotonin: mood, sleep, appetite — low levels linked to depression. SSRIs block reuptake, increasing serotonin. Dopamine: reward, motivation, movement — excess linked to schizophrenia, deficiency to Parkinson's. Norepinephrine: arousal, fight-or-flight. GABA: main inhibitory NT — alcohol and benzodiazepines enhance it. Glutamate: main excitatory NT.
Serotonin
Mood, sleep — low = depression
Dopamine
Reward, movement
Norepinephrine
Arousal, stress response
GABA
Inhibitory — calms neural activity
Glutamate
Excitatory — activates neurons
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🃏 Key Neurotransmitters
Key neurotransmitters — what does each do?
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🃏 Answer
Neurotransmitters: serotonin (mood), dopamine (reward), norepinephrine (arousal), GABA (inhibition), glutamate (excitation)
SerotoninMood, sleep — low = depression
DopamineReward, movement
NorepinephrineArousal, stress response
GABAInhibitory — calms neural activity
GlutamateExcitatory — activates neurons
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Action Potential
Action potential: all-or-nothing. Resting potential: -70mV. Depolarization → fires. Refractory period = brief pause.
Action Potential
How neurons fire — the all-or-nothing electrical signal
Resting: -70mV inside relative to outside (Na⁺ out, K⁺ in). Threshold: stimulus sufficient → Na⁺ rushes in → depolarization. Propagates down axon. Repolarization: K⁺ rushes out. Refractory period: brief inability to fire again. All-or-nothing: either fires fully or not at all — no partial signals.
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🃏 Action Potential
Action potential — how does a neuron fire?
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🃏 Answer
Action potential: all-or-nothing. Resting potential: -70mV. Depolarization → fires. Refractory period = brief pause.
Resting: -70mV inside relative to outside (Na⁺ out, K⁺ in). Threshold: stimulus sufficient → Na⁺ rushes in → depolarization. Propagates down axon. Repolarization: K⁺ rushes out. Refractory period: brief inability to fire again. All-or-nothing: either fires fully or not at all — no partial signals.
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Neuroplasticity
Neuroplasticity: brain reorganizes itself. Hebbian learning: neurons that fire together wire together.
Neuroplasticity
The brain's ability to change and reorganize throughout life
The brain is not static — it changes with experience. Hebbian learning: repeated activation of two neurons together strengthens their connection. London taxi drivers: enlarged hippocampus from spatial navigation demands. Stroke recovery: neighboring areas take over functions of damaged areas. Learning builds new synaptic connections.
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🃏 Neuroplasticity
Neuroplasticity — and Hebb's rule?
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🃏 Answer
Neuroplasticity: brain reorganizes itself. Hebbian learning: neurons that fire together wire together.
The brain is not static — it changes with experience. Hebbian learning: repeated activation of two neurons together strengthens their connection. London taxi drivers: enlarged hippocampus from spatial navigation demands. Stroke recovery: neighboring areas take over functions of damaged areas. Learning builds new synaptic connections.
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Brain Lateralization
Hemispheric specialization: left (language, logic, detail). Right (spatial, holistic, creativity). Connected by corpus callosum.
Brain Lateralization
How the two hemispheres divide their functions
Left hemisphere: language (in most people), analytical thinking, detail processing, sequential. Right hemisphere: spatial processing, holistic thinking, face recognition, emotion processing. Contralateral control: left brain controls right side of body and vice versa. Corpus callosum: the bridge connecting hemispheres — severed in split-brain patients.
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🃏 Brain Lateralization
Left vs right hemisphere?
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🃏 Answer
Hemispheric specialization: left (language, logic, detail). Right (spatial, holistic, creativity). Connected by corpus callosum.
Left hemisphere: language (in most people), analytical thinking, detail processing, sequential. Right hemisphere: spatial processing, holistic thinking, face recognition, emotion processing. Contralateral control: left brain controls right side of body and vice versa. Corpus callosum: the bridge connecting hemispheres — severed in split-brain patients.
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Endocrine System and Behavior
Endocrine system: hormones travel through blood. Slower than nervous system but longer-lasting effects.
Endocrine System and Behavior
How hormones influence psychology and behavior
Pituitary gland: 'master gland' — regulates other glands. Adrenal glands: cortisol (stress, immune suppression), adrenaline (fight-or-flight). Thyroid: metabolism and energy. Gonads: estrogen and testosterone — sexual development, mood, aggression. Pineal gland: melatonin — sleep-wake cycles.
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🃏 Endocrine System and Behavior
Endocrine vs nervous system — how do they differ?
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🃏 Answer
Endocrine system: hormones travel through blood. Slower than nervous system but longer-lasting effects.
Pituitary gland: 'master gland' — regulates other glands. Adrenal glands: cortisol (stress, immune suppression), adrenaline (fight-or-flight). Thyroid: metabolism and energy. Gonads: estrogen and testosterone — sexual development, mood, aggression. Pineal gland: melatonin — sleep-wake cycles.
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Sleep Stages
Sleep stages: NREM 1-3 (light to deep sleep) → REM (dreaming, memory consolidation). Cycle repeats ~90 min.
Sleep Stages
The sleep cycle and what each stage does
NREM Stage 1: light sleep, hypnic jerks. Stage 2: sleep spindles, K-complexes, consolidation begins. Stage 3 (slow-wave): deepest sleep, restoration, growth hormone release, hardest to wake. REM: rapid eye movement, vivid dreams, memory consolidation, muscle paralysis. ~4-5 cycles per night, REM lengthens toward morning.
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🃏 Sleep Stages
The sleep stages and cycle length?
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🃏 Answer
Sleep stages: NREM 1-3 (light to deep sleep) → REM (dreaming, memory consolidation). Cycle repeats ~90 min.
NREM Stage 1: light sleep, hypnic jerks. Stage 2: sleep spindles, K-complexes, consolidation begins. Stage 3 (slow-wave): deepest sleep, restoration, growth hormone release, hardest to wake. REM: rapid eye movement, vivid dreams, memory consolidation, muscle paralysis. ~4-5 cycles per night, REM lengthens toward morning.
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Neurotransmitters
DASG-AEN — Dopamine, Acetylcholine, Serotonin, GABA, Acetylcholine, Endorphins, Norepinephrine
Seven major neurotransmitters and their primary functions
Each neurotransmitter has distinct functions — knowing which does what predicts drug effects
Dopamine: reward, motivation, motor control — low in Parkinson's, excess in schizophrenia. Serotonin: mood, sleep, appetite — low in depression, targeted by SSRIs. Norepinephrine: arousal, attention, fight-or-flight — targeted by SNRIs. GABA: main inhibitory neurotransmitter — low activity in anxiety; benzos enhance GABA. Glutamate: main excitatory neurotransmitter — involved in learning (LTP). Acetylcholine: memory, muscle movement — low in Alzheimer's. Endorphins: pain relief, euphoria — exercise "runner's high."
Dopamine
Reward and movement — Parkinson's and schizophrenia
Serotonin
Mood and sleep — SSRIs increase synaptic serotonin
GABA
Inhibitory — benzodiazepines enhance GABA activity
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🃏 Neurotransmitters
DASG-AEN — the major neurotransmitters?
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🃏 Answer
DASG-AEN — Dopamine, Acetylcholine, Serotonin, GABA, Acetylcholine, Endorphins, Norepinephrine
DopamineReward and movement — Parkinson's and schizophrenia
SerotoninMood and sleep — SSRIs increase synaptic serotonin
GABAInhibitory — benzodiazepines enhance GABA activity
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Brain Structures
HATCH — Hippocampus, Amygdala, Thalamus, Cerebellum, Hypothalamus
Five key subcortical structures and their primary functions
Know what each brain region does and what damage to it causes
Hippocampus: forming new explicit memories — damage causes anterograde amnesia (cannot form new memories). Amygdala: fear learning and emotional processing — hyperactive in anxiety disorders. Thalamus: sensory relay station (all senses except smell). Cerebellum: motor coordination and balance — damage causes ataxia. Hypothalamus: homeostasis (hunger, thirst, temperature, circadian rhythms), controls pituitary gland. Broca's area: speech production. Wernicke's area: language comprehension.
Hippocampus
New memory formation — damage = anterograde amnesia
Amygdala
Fear and emotion — hyperactive in PTSD and anxiety
Hypothalamus
Homeostasis and pituitary control — drives, hunger, thirst
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🃏 Brain Structures
HATCH — key brain structures?
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🃏 Answer
HATCH — Hippocampus, Amygdala, Thalamus, Cerebellum, Hypothalamus
HippocampusNew memory formation — damage = anterograde amnesia
AmygdalaFear and emotion — hyperactive in PTSD and anxiety
HypothalamusHomeostasis and pituitary control — drives, hunger, thirst
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Neural Communication
RDRA — Resting potential, Depolarization, Repolarization, Action potential
The sequence of events in neural firing — from resting state to action potential
Action potentials are all-or-none — the neuron either fires completely or not at all
Resting potential: -70mV — Na+ out, K+ in (sodium-potassium pump). Threshold: -55mV. Depolarization: Na+ rushes in → membrane reaches +40mV. Repolarization: K+ rushes out → returns to resting. Refractory period: absolute (cannot fire again), then relative (needs stronger stimulus). Action potential travels down axon → triggers vesicle release → neurotransmitters cross synapse → bind receptors. Myelin sheath speeds conduction (saltatory conduction).
All-or-none
Neuron fires completely or not at all — no partial firing
Myelin
Speeds conduction — MS = myelin destruction
Synapse
NTs released into gap → bind postsynaptic receptors
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🃏 Neural Communication
RDRA — how a neuron fires?
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🃏 Answer
RDRA — Resting potential, Depolarization, Repolarization, Action potential
All-or-noneNeuron fires completely or not at all — no partial firing
MyelinSpeeds conduction — MS = myelin destruction
SynapseNTs released into gap → bind postsynaptic receptors
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Hemispheric Specialization
LEFT = Language, Logic · RIGHT = Spatial, Creative
Lateralization of function between the left and right cerebral hemispheres
The two hemispheres specialize — split-brain research by Sperry and Gazzaniga proved it
Left hemisphere: language production and comprehension (in 95% of right-handers), analytical thinking, sequential processing, verbal memory. Right hemisphere: spatial processing, face recognition, holistic processing, emotional tone of speech (prosody), creative thinking. Corpus callosum: connects the hemispheres. Split-brain patients (corpus callosum severed): left hand "doesn't know" what right hand is doing — objects presented to left visual field (right hemisphere) cannot be named.
Left
Language, logic, sequential — dominant in most people
Right
Spatial, faces, holistic — prosody and creativity
Split-brain
Sperry and Gazzaniga — cutting corpus callosum separates hemispheres
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🃏 Hemispheric Specialization
Left vs right hemisphere — what does each specialize in?
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🃏 Answer
LEFT = Language, Logic · RIGHT = Spatial, Creative
LeftLanguage, logic, sequential — dominant in most people
RightSpatial, faces, holistic — prosody and creativity
Split-brainSperry and Gazzaniga — cutting corpus callosum separates hemispheres
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