1. Neural Processing
If the human brain were so simple that we could understand it, we would be so simple that we couldn’t.”

2. Research Experiment
Hypothesis – Playing video games improves your reflexes
Method – Ruler Drop Test
Record each student’s experience with videogames
1 = More than 20 hrs playing per week
2 = Between 5 and 20 hrs playing per week
3 = Between 1 and 5 hrs playing per week
4 = Playing 0 to 1 hr per week
I will hold a ruler from the top. You will open your thumb and index finger around the bottom of the ruler. I will randomly drop the ruler and you will close your fingers around the ruler as quickly as possible. Record where the ruler was caught.
Record results and track trends

3. Nervous System “Everything psychological is also biological”
Agree or Disagree?
The nervous system regulates your body's functions
Emotions, movements, thinking, behavior
Central Nervous System – Brain and Spinal Cord
Peripheral Nervous System – Smaller branches of nerves reaching other parts of the body

5. Nervous System Somatic – Controls voluntary actions
Moving
Skeletal muscles
Autonomic Nervous System – Controls involuntary actions (you have no conscious control over these)
Heart rate
Blood pressure
Breathing
Digestion

6. Neurons
Neurons are cells which transmit messages to and from the brain

7. Three major types of neurons
Multipolar
Motor
Sensory

11. Neural Synapse

12. Neurotransmitters Neurotransmitter Function Examples of malfunctions
Acetylcholine
Enables muscle action, learning, and memory
Alzheimer’s disease
Dopamine
Influences movement, learning, attention, and emotion
Excessive dopamine linked to schizophrenia, lack of dopamine causes tremors or Parkinson’s
Serotonin
Mood, hunger, sleep
Under – Depression
Norepinephrine
Alertness and arousal
Under – Depressed mood
GABA
Inhibitory neurotransmitter
Under – Seizures, tremors, insomnia

19. Crash Course
The Chemical Mind

20. Create a drawing of the Nervous System
Create a drawing of a neuron
Label and color code the following
Nucleus
Cell body
Axon
Axon Terminals
Synapse
Dendrites
Myelin Sheath
Create a drawing of the Nervous System
Color Code the following
Peripheral Nervous System
Central Nervous System
Label the significant structures

21. The Human Brain
Breaking it down

22. Extra Credit Opportunity
If you learn how to juggle and prove it in class I will give you one half of an assignment of extra credit
Learning to juggle is proven to enhance neural pathways and brain functioning

23. How Much Do We Know About The Brain?
Harvard professor of molecular and cellular biology Jeff Lichtman
“If everything you need to know about the brain is a mile, how far have we walked in this mile?”
About three inches

24. OR…

26. Three Brains Hindbrain – Rear base of the skill
Basic life processes
Posture
Balance
Voluntary movement
Breathing
Heart rate
Reflexes
Midbrain – Integrates sensory information, arouses brain
Forebrain – Higher thinking processes

27. Human brain stem
Entire frog brain

28. Phrenology
During the 19th century Franz Joseph Gall develop a theory that different regions of the brain controlled different things
He also promoted the use of studying the shape and bumps on the skull to determine psychological qualities
Is now defunct pseudo science but was an early step into understanding the sections of the brain

29. Cerebrum
The largest division of the brain. It is divided into two hemispheres, each of which is divided into four lobes
Cerebrum
Cerebellum

30. Cerebral Cortex -
The outer most layer of gray matter making up the superficial aspect of the cerebrum

31. Cerebral Features Gyri – Elevated ridges “winding” around the brain.
Sulci – Small grooves dividing the gyri
Fissures – Deep grooves, generally dividing large regions/lobes of the brain

32. Gyri (ridge) Sulci (groove) Fissure (deep groove)

33. Get a piece of paper
Draw a small triangle with your left hand and then your right
Draw a small square …
Get two pens or pencils
Draw two of the same shape at the same time
Draw two different shapes at the same time
People with a severed corpus callosum can do this

34. Corpus Callosum
Bundle of nerves joining two hemispheres of the brain together
Case Study
One Person…Two Brains

35. Lobes of the Brain
Frontal
Parietal
Occipital
Temporal

36. Frontal Lobe
The Frontal Lobe of the brain is located deep to the Frontal Bone of the skull.
It plays an integral role in the following functions/actions:
*Memory Formation
*Emotions
*Decision making
*Personality

37. Frontal Lobe - Cortical Regions
Primary Motor Cortex (Precentral Gyrus) – Cortical site involved with controlling movements of the body.
Broca’s Area – Controls facial neurons, speech, and language comprehension. Located on Left Frontal Lobe.
Olfactory Bulb - Cranial Nerve I, Responsible for sensation of Smell

39. Parietal Lobe
The Parietal Lobe of the brain is located deep to the Parietal Bone of the skull
It plays a major role in the following functions/actions
*Senses and integrates sensation(s)
* Spatial awareness and perception

40. Parietal Lobe - Cortical Regions
Primary Somatosensory Cortex (Postcentral Gyrus) – Site involved with processing of tactile and proprioceptive information.
Somatosensory Association Cortex - Assists with the integration and interpretation of sensations relative to body position and orientation in space. May assist with visuo-motor coordination.
Primary Gustatory Cortex – Primary site involved with the interpretation of the sensation of Taste.

42. The Occipital Lobe
Is located deep to the Occipital Bone of the Skull
* Its primary function is the processing, integration, interpretation, etc. of VISION and visual stimuli

43. Occipital Lobe – Cortical Regions
Primary Visual Cortex – This is the primary area of the brain responsible for sight -recognition of size, color, light, motion, dimensions, etc.
Visual Association Area – Interprets information acquired through the primary visual cortex.

45. Temporal Lobe They play an integral role in the following functions
The Temporal Lobes are located on the sides of the brain, deep to the Temporal Bones of the skull
They play an integral role in the following functions
*Hearing
*Organization
*Information Retrieval

46. Temporal Lobe – Cortical Regions
Primary Auditory Cortex – Responsible for hearing
Primary Olfactory Cortex – Interprets the sense of smell once it reaches the cortex via the olfactory bulbs. (Not visible on the superficial cortex)
Wernicke’s Area – Language comprehension. Located on the Left Temporal Lobe.

48. A popular saying is that humans only use 10% of their brains
Is this true?
Defend using information from this lecture

49. Phineas Gage Phineas Gage was an American railroad worker
In 1848 a railroad spike was accidentally exploded and shot through his head
He survived the incident and became a medical celebrity
Based on the location of the injury how do you think Gage’s life changed?

50. Crash Course
Getting to Know Your Brain