What does the frontal lobe do?
It is in charge of thinking, reasoning, decision-making, and planning
for the future. Our personality is also housed in the frontal lobe.
Broca’s area is also found in the frontal lobe, this is associated with language
production
What does the Temporal Lobe do?
helps the brain process sound, it also houses Wernicke’s area
which helps us comprehend language
What does the Parietal lobe do?
main job - sensory information (temp, pain etc)
The parietal lobe is also important for proprioception, which is basically processing spatial awareness and
body positioning and moving.
Most of these receptors are located in your muscles, joints, and tendons. Without proprioception, you wouldn’t be able to move without thinking about your next step
What does the Occipital Lobe do?
It is located right at the back of the brain. Houses the visual
cortex, it receives all the information from our sensory organs the eyes and
processes it so that we understand what we are seeing
What is the Cerebellum?
It is known as the little brain.
It’s main functions are:
1) Balance
2) Muscle co-ordination
3) Muscle tone
4) Posture
The cerebellum processes information for balance, coordination, fine motor
movements and joint positions.
* It is concerned with the coordination of voluntary muscular movement. It
smooths out movement.
* Damage to the cerebellum may result in clumsy, uncoordinated movement.
What is the Diencephalon?
Consists of the Thalamus and Hypothalamus, deep brain structures
Acts as a relay station or sorting office - Filters and interprets. It sends
sensory input to the relevant areas of the brain.
What is the Thalamus?
Emotions, Receives sensory input from Spinal Cord
What is the hypothalamus?
Small structure in the midbrain, participates in homeostasis of the body
* Controls many body activities
* Produces hormones
* It is connected to the endocrine system and helps regulate hormones.
* Regulates body temperature, hunger, thirst, sleep, sex.
* Controls the ANS – smooth muscle, cardiac muscle, gland secretions
What is the hippocampus?
transfers short term memories to long term
memories, part of your emotional limbic system
What is the Amygdala?
deep temporal structure. Where you process
fear, connects with limbic system
What is the brain stem?
It is made up of 3 parts – Midbrain, Pons Varolli and Medulla Oblongata
What is the midbrain?
The most superior portion of the Brain Stem. It acts as a
relay station and is associated with two of the cranial nerves which control
eye movements
What is the pons?
Middle section of the brain stem
* Houses Pneumotaxic and Apneustic centres which influence respiration.
* Contains nuclei associated with 4 pairs of cranial nerves
What is the medulla oblongata?
Houses vital centres:
Cardiovascular centre , respiratory centre (rhythmicity centre), reflex centres –
vomiting, sneezing, coughing, swallowing
Measures approx 2.5cm and is continuous with the spinal cord. Once it passes
through the Foramen magnum, it becomes the spinal cord.
Motor tracts cross over in the Medulla – Decussation of Pyramids
What is the spinal cord?
Continuation of the Medulla Oblongata
Extending to the 2nd lumbar vertebrae
Consists of a grey core and white outer matter
42-45cm long
The job of the spinal cord is to send signals from the brain to the peripheries, and to
receive sensory information from the peripheries and send it to the brain
It is protected by the vertebrae, meninges, CSF and blood spinal cord barrier
(equivalent to the blood brain barrier)
The cord is almost cylindrical in shape with an average diameter of 12mm
What is the somatic nervous system?
Voluntary, consciously aware
* The effectors are skeletal muscle so motor neurones only conduct impulses
to skeletal muscle
* Sensory neurones convey information from receptors in the skin, skeletal
muscle and via the senses – sight, taste, touch, smell and hearing.
* Allows us to react to our external environment
