Download Brain-Class Notes

PARTS
OF THE
BRAIN
FUNCTION
 Organ
OF THE BRAIN
in the body
that allows:
thought,
emotions,
movement,
dreams, etc.
 Control center
for the body
 Runs everything
the body does
CEREBRUM
 Makes
up 85% of
the brain’s
mass/weight
 Thinking part of
the brain
 Controls your
voluntary muscles
(those muscles
you have control
over)
FRONTAL
 True
LOBE
center for control
in the brain
 Responsible for
reasoning, problem
solving, judgment,
impulse control, motor
control, memory and
higher level emotions
(empathy and altruism)
 Last to develop when a
young adult
 Front part of cerebrum
PARIETAL LOBE
 Responsible
for
processes such as pain
and touch
 Also responsible for
movement, speech,
recognition, orientation,
and cognition (calculating
the location and speed
of objects)
 Found directly behind
frontal lobe in cerebrum
OCCIPITAL LOBE
Responsible
for visual
sense and
processing
Found at
back of
cerebrum
TEMPORAL LOBE
 Responsible
for
auditory (sound)
sensation and
language recognition
 Also involved in
emotion, memory,
and speech
 Found below other
parts of cerebrum
and towards center
of brain
CORPUS CALLOSUM
 Neural
bridge
connection both
hemispheres
 Located in the
center of the brain
 Hypothesized that
right have of brain
controls left half
of body and vice
versa
CEREBELLUM
 Controls
balance,
movement, posture,
and coordination
 Also involved in
learning movement
 Found at the back
and bottom of the
brain
BRAIN STEM
 Responsible
for all
functions your body
needs to stay alive
(such as breathing,
digesting food,
circulating blood,
etc.)
 Controls all
involuntary (you have
no control over)
functions
PONS
 Responsible
for level of
arousal and
consciousness, and sleep
 Also relays sensory
information to/from
the brain
 Also involved in
controlling autonomic
body function (things
you don’t think about)
 Top half of brain stem
MEDULLA OBLONGATA
 Helps
body control
autonomic functions
(like respiration,
digestions, and heart
rate)
 Also relay station for
nerve signals going/to
and from brain
 Bottom half of brain
stem
PITUITARY GLAND
Produces
and
releases
hormones into
your body that
are linked to
growth
HYPOTHALAMUS
Linked to pituitary gland to
control body functions
 Monitors and controls your
circadian rhythms (daily
sleep/wake cycle),
homeostasis (inner balance
in body, including
temperature), appetite,
thirst, other bodily urges
and also plays a role in
emotions, autonomic
functions, and motor
functions

THALAMUS
 The
relay station of
the brain
 Most sensory signals
like sound and vision,
go through this organ
on their way to other
parts of the brain for
processing
 Also plays a function
in motor control
AMYGDALA
Latin for almond (which
relates to its shape)
 Helps in storing and
classifying emotionally
charged memories
 Plays a large role in
emotions, especially
fear
 Trigger responses to
strong emotions like
sweaty palms, freezing,
increased heart
rate/respiration, and
stress hormone release

HIPPOCAMPUS
 Primary
role is in
memory formation,
classifying
information, and
long-term memory
 Also involved in
interpreting
incoming nerve
signals and spatial
relationships
NEURONS AND
LEARNING
Neurons are the
microscopic cells in the
nervous system
 When new things are
learned the messages
travel from one neuron to
another
 Eventually the brain starts
to create connections
(pathways) between
neurons, so things become
easier to do
 http://www.youtube.com/w
atch?v=FR4S1BqdFG4
