Parts of the brain

1. Parts of the brain

2. Protection • Not really part but… • The brain is well protected • Bony skull • 3 protective sheets of tissue • Space in the brain is filled with fluid: • Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) • Acts as a shock absorber

3. A brain of two halves • Left hemisphere and right hemisphere • They are joined by thecorpus callosum • Made up of axons of neurons that communicate information between hemispheres

4. Wrinkles • Cerebral cortex forms the outer layer of the forebrain • It appears wrinkled as it is folded • Folding allows more outer cortex to be fitted into a smaller space • A groove is called asulcus • Between grooves is a gyrus

5. Major parts

6. Brain stem • Mid brain: Nerve pathway of cerebral hemispheres/Auditory and Visual reflex centers • Pons: Respiratory Center • MedullaOblongata: Crossing of motor tracts/Cardiac Center/Respiratory Center

7. Major parts • Cerebellum – • Plays a role in commands for motor action • Organization of action including language production • Integrates information from external and internal sources Toates p119

8. Major parts • Occipital lobe: visual perception system • E.g., visuospatial processing, discrimination of movement and colour discrimination • Lesions can cause visual hallucinations

9. Major parts • Parietal lobe – • Several portions are important in language processing • Also, somatosensation: touch, pain, temperature sense, and limb proprioception (limb position)

10. Major parts • Frontal lobe – • emotional control centre and home to our personality • Motor function, problem solving, spontaneity, memory, language, initiation, judgement, impulse control, and social and sexual behaviour • Effects of frontal damage can be a dramatic change in social behaviour