The Brain 6-2

Adapted from Psychology by Peter Gray, 1999 Early Greeks were not impressed with the brain. They suggested that the brain’s main function was to cool the blood. They were much more impressed by the heart. They proposed that the heart was the source of feelings and thoughts. Hippocrates, however, observed the effect of head injuries on people’s thoughts and actions and noted, “[F]rom the brain, and from the brain only, arise our pleasures, joys, laughter and jests, as well as our sorrows, pains, grief's and tears. Through it, in particular, we think, see, hear….Eyes, ears, tongue, hands and feet act in accordance with the discernment [judgment] of the brain.

Parts of the Brain

Parts of the Brain Hindbrain At the rear base of the skull Involved in the most basic processes of life Includes: Cerebellum – posture and balance Medulla – breathing, reflexes Pons – connects messages between the spinal cord and the brain, & produces chemicals for sleep

Parts of the Brain Midbrain Small part above the pons Integrates sensory information and relays it upward Midbrain + pons + medulla = most of the brain stem Reticular activating system (RAS) spans across the midbrain, pons and medulla Alerts the rest of the brain to incoming signals

Parts of the Brain Forebrain Covers the brain’s central core Includes: Thalamus Hypothalamus Cerebral cortex Cerebrum Limbic system

Forebrain Thalamus Hypothalamus Cerebral cortex Cerebrum Limbic system All sensory information except for smell All info from eyes, ears, & skin go through the thalamus then into the correct part of the cortex Relay for information and from the cortex Hypothalamus Cerebral cortex Cerebrum Limbic system

Forebrain Thalamus Hypothalamus Cerebral cortex Cerebrum Limbic system Below the thalamus Controls hunger, thirst, sexual behavior Controls the body’s temperature, when warm sweat, when cold shiver Cerebral cortex Cerebrum Limbic system

Forebrain Thalamus Hypothalamus Cerebral cortex Cerebrum Limbic system Outer layer of the forebrain Gives the ability to learn and story complex/abstract information Ability to project thinking into the future Allows us to read, see, and understand…this PowerPoint Conscious thinking process located here Less than a half-inch thick Cerebrum Inner layer of the forebrain Limbic system

Forebrain Thalamus Hypothalamus Cerebral cortex Cerebrum Limbic system Found in the core of the forebrain Composed of many structures Regulates our emotions and motivations Includes: Amygdala hippocampus

Forebrain: Limbic System Hypothalamus Amygdala – controls violent emotions such as rage/violence Thalamus Hippocampus – important in the formation of memories

Cerebrum the forebrain and the midbrain Two hemispheres/two sides Both sides connected by fibers called the corpus callosum

Lobes in the Brain Lobes: different regions into which the cerebral cortex is divided

The Lobes Occipital lobe Parietal lobe Frontal lobe Temporal lobe vision Parietal lobe Body sensations Frontal lobe Planning of movements Working memory (recent events) Organization Creative thinking Temporal lobe Hearing Advanced visual processing Memory Emotion speaking

The Lobes Occipital lobe Parietal lobe Frontal lobe Temporal lobe Primary somatosensory cortex Receives information Frontal lobe Primary motor cortex Fine movement control Temporal lobe

Right-Left Brained

Right-Left Brained

Hemispheres