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The Human Brain. The human brain is made up of protein, fat, fluid, and weighs approximately 3 pounds. Traditionally, the brain has been divided into three (3) major subdivisions: 1) The Hindbrain 2) The Midbrain 3) The Forebrain. 1) Hindbrain.
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The human brain is made up of protein, fat, fluid, and weighs approximately 3 pounds.
Traditionally, the brain has been divided into three (3) major subdivisions: • 1) The Hindbrain • 2) The Midbrain • 3) The Forebrain
1) Hindbrain • The oldest and most primitive level of the brain. • Responsible for our primal instincts and most basic functions. • Damage to this part of the brain will result in death or the need to be sustained on life support.
1) Hindbrain:Brainstem... • As the spinal cord enters the brain, it enlarges to form the brainstem. • Connects the spinal cord and the forebrain • Damage to the brainstem can result in traumatic brain injury or paralysis.
1) Hindbrain:Pons... • It serves as a bridge carrying nerve impulses between higher and lower levels of the nervous system (your brain). • Contains clusters of neurons that help regulate sleep and are involved in dreaming. • Contains motor neurons that control muscles and glands in the face and neck. • Damage can result in …….?
1) Hindbrain:Cerebellum... • Meaning ‘little brain’ in Latin, the cerebellum does indeed look like a mini-brain attached to the rear of the brainstem. • The motor coordination centre of the brain – controls muscular movement and coordination. • Specific motor movements are initiated in higher brain centres, but their timing and coordination depend on the cerebellum. • Cats have an especially well-developed cerebellum, helping to account for their graceful and agile (quick & well coordinated) movements. • The cerebellum also plays a role in certain types of learning and memory.
Cerebellum…cont'd • Alcohol easily disrupts the coordination of the cerebellum (hence the use of roadside sobriety tests by police). • Physical damage results in severe motor disturbances characterized by jerky, uncoordinated movements, as well as an inability to perform habitual movements such as walking. • Conditions that affect the cerebellum: • Multiple Sclerosis • Stroke • Concussions • Vertigo (dizziness)
2) Midbrain • The smallest part of the brain. • Lies just above the hindbrain and below the forebrain. • Contains clusters of sensory and motor neurons that connect higher and lower portions of the nervous system.
3) The Forebrain • The largest and most recently developed part of the brain. • The most profound biological difference between your brain and that of a lower animal is the size and complexity of your forebrain, or cerebrum. • Consists of 2 large cerebral hemispheres – left and right. • Each cerebral hemisphere is divided into 4 regions, or lobes. • Frontal lobe • Parietal lobe • Occipital lobe • Temporal lobe
3)Forebrain:Thalamus... • The brain’s sensory switchboard. • An important sensory relay station that receives information from all of the senses (except smell) and sends it to higher brain regions that deal with seeing, hearing, tasting and touching.
Conditions that affect the thalamus: • Schizophrenia: • Difficult to tell the difference between real and unreal experiences, think logically, have normal emotional responses, behave normally in social situations
3) Forebrain:Basal Ganglia... • Surrounding and enveloping the thalamus are a group of features that are called the basal ganglia. • Basal ganglia plays a critical role in the deliberate and involuntary control of movement. • Conditions that affect the basal ganglia: • Parkinson’s Disease • Tourette’s Disorder • Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
3) Forebrain:Hypothalamus... • Meaning literally “under the thalamus”. • Plays a major role in controlling many different basic biological drives, including sexual behaviour, body temperature regulation, eating/drinking, aggression, and the expression of emotion. • Regulates sexual development and behaviour, metabolism, and reactions to stress.
3) Forebrain:Hippocampus... • Acts much like a computer processing and storing information. • Involved in forming and retrieving memories. • Processes and stores new and temporary memory information for long-term storage. • Damage can result in severe memory impairment of recent events, and an inability to transfer information from short-term memory to long-term memory. • Conditions that affect the hippocampus: • Amnesia: partial or complete loss of memory
3) Forebrain:Nucleus Accumbens... • The pleasure centre of the brain. • Rewards and motivation play an important role. • Drugs of abuse, such as cocaine, amphetamines, opiates, nicotine, and alcohol, all stimulate the release of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens, as do naturally occurring rewards such as food and sexual behaviour. What do these mean? Amphetamines: stimulant drugs Opiates: provides an immediate 'rush' of pleasure Dopamine: Neurotransmitter that controls the pleasure center of the brain
Located behind your eyes and forehead. Located at the top to the rear of your head. Located just above the ears. Located at the back of your head.