Your Brain Pawson, PVMHS 2014
The neuron
2 hemispheres: Right & Left In theory – left brain is analytical and objective, right brain is thoughtful and subjective.
Regions of the brain Cerebral hemispheres Diencephalon Cerebellum Brain stem
Cerebral hemispheres: The Cerebrum Comprised of the left and right hemispheres. What we generally think of when we picture “the brain” Makes up more than half of the brain mass The surface is covered with ridges (called gyri) and grooves (called sulci).
Lobes of the Cerebrum Deep grooves called fissures, divide the cerebrum into lobes. The surface lobes of the cerebrum are: Frontal Temporal Parietal Occipital
Specialized areas of the brain Somatic sensory area of the cortex Receives impulses from the body’s sensory receptors Motor area of the cortex Sends impulses to skeletal muscles Broca’s area Involved in speech
Specialized areas of the brain Cerebral areas involved in special senses Gustatory area (taste) Visual area Auditory area Olfactory area Interpretation areas of the cerebrum Speech/language region Language comprehension region General interpretation area
Specialized areas of the brain
Layers of the cerebrum Gray matter White matter Corpus callosum Outer layer Composed mostly of neuron cell bodies White matter Myelinated axons Transmits signals from one region of the cerebrum to another. Corpus callosum Connects the right and left hemisphere Allows for communication between the hemispheres
Diencephalon, brain stem, cerebellum
The diencephalon Sits on top of the brain stem Enclosed by the cerebral hemishperes Made up of 3 parts: Thalamus: relay station for sensory impulses Transfers impulses to the correct part of the cortex for interpretation Hypothalamus: important in autonomic nervous system Regulates body temperature, water balance, metabolism Important part of the limbic system Pituitary gland is attached here Epithalamus: contains the pineal gland
The brain stem Attaches to the spinal cord Consists of the midbrain, the pons, and the medulla oblongata. Midbrain: reflex center for vision and hearing. Pons: the bulging center part of the brain stem. Involved in the control of breathing. Medulla Oblongata: the lowest part of the brain stem. Contains heart rate control, blood pressure regulation, breathing, swallowing, vomiting
Cerebellum Has two hemispheres with a convoluted surface. Accounts for 10% of brain, but contains 50% of the total neuron in the brain! Maintains balance and posture, coordinates voluntary movements (walking, running) Gross motor (hitting a baseball, jumping rope) Language