The brain is protected by 3 structures
- Skull
- Cerebrospinal fluid. cushions the brain and absorbs the force from any blows
- Meninges ( 3 layers of tissue)
Cerebellum
- the word translates to “ little brain”
- Located at the base of the brain
- Responsible for muscle coordination, balance
Cerebrum
Locattion: Above cerrebellum
The outer layer is called the cerebral cortex
Divided into two hemispheres
- each hemisphere is divided into 4 lobes
Function:
the outer cerebral cortex is where all conscious thought and higher-order thinking occur.
Left and right hemispheres
and cortexes
Left hemisphere:
- Math, logic, analytical thinking
Right hemisphere:
- Creativity, intuition, art
Frontal lobe
LARGEST of the four lobes
Functions:
- problem-solving
- planning
- decision making
- expression of emotion
- Personality
- Production of speech
It contains the Primary Motor cortex- which initiates voluntary movement.
- Broca’s area
Parietal Lobe
Location: Upper back half of the brain
Functions:
- processing sensory information
- Spatial awareness
- Direction
Contains the Primary Somatosensory Cortex
- receives and processes info about, touch, temp, and position of muscles
Occipital lobe
Location: very back of the brain
- almost all of this brain area is dedicated to VISION
Contains the primary visual cortex
- The left lobe receives info from the right visual field
- The right lobe receives info from the left visual field
Temporal Lobe
Location: next to ears
- contains areas responsible for hearing & language comprehension ( Wernicke’s area)
Contains primary Auditory Cortex
Roles in recognising
- Faces
- Places
- Songs
- paintings
primary motor cortex
- Anititaes movement
- In Frontal Lobe
- sends signals to motor neurons in the spinal cord
- Maps motor control for different body parts, known as the motor homunculus
primary Somatosensory cortex
Located: Parietal lobe
- parietal lobe
receives and processes messages about sensory information
- Receives signals from sensory receptors throughout the body via the thalamus.
Broca’s area
Location: LEFT frontal lobe
Responsible
- for coordinating the movement of the muscles required for the PRODUCTION of speech ( speaking)
- Crucial role in the production of FLUENT speech ( speech that flows)
Wernicke’s area
Location: LEFT temporal lobe
- responsible for COMPREHENSION of speech
- interoperates the sound of human speech
- Crucial for making our speech coherent ( Speech makes sense)
Pons
Location: Second lowest section of the brainstem
- The largest part of the brainstem
- A group of nerves that function as a connection between the cerebrum and the cerebellum
( pons is Latin for bridge)
Role in regulating:
- speech
- sleep cycles
Brain stem
Regulates survival function
- heart beat
- blood pressure
- breathing rates
Thalamus
sensory data arrives here
- then relayed to specific areas of the somatosensory cortex
Amygdala
Location: Deep within temporal lobes
- associated with the emotions of Fear and Anger
- key role in emotional response
- processing and consolidating memory
- hormone secretions
hippocampus
Responsible for:
- making new memories
- direction/ navigater
Hypothalamus
- regulating body temp
- appetite
- thirst
- hormones ( including growth hormones)
Lable all the lobes of the brain
Pineal gland
- controls internal body clock
- regulates sleep- wake cycle
- releases melatonin ( sleep hormone)
