The Brain

1. The Brain

2. The Brain

3. The Basics The brain monitors and regulates the body’s actions, reactions and functions. Average weight is 3 lbs. in adults Estimated to contain 50-100 billion neurons - an electrically excitable cell that processes and transmits information by electrical and chemical signaling.

4. Parts of the Brain Brain Stem: controls heart rate, breathing and other autonomic functions that happen without conscious thought.

5. Parts of the Brain Neocortex: • The 6 thin layers that cover the cerebrum • It is involved in higher functions such as sensory perception, generation of motor commands, spatial reasoning, conscious thought and language.

6. Parts of the Brain Cerebellum: Important in motor control, attention and language. Does not initiate movement, but it contributes to coordination, precision, and accurate timing.

7. Parts of the Brain Cerebral Cortex: The major part of our brains – divided into hemispheres (right and left halves) and lobes (4).

8. Parts of the Brain Frontal Lobe: The frontal lobe contains the primary motor cortex, which controls muscle movement. The left frontal lobe contains Broca’s area, which influences speech production. The frontal lobe also processes memory, planning, goal-setting, creativity, rational decision making, and social judgment.

9. Frontal Lobe: Results from damage… Mental flexibility and spontaneity are impaired, but IQ is not reduced. Talking may increase or decrease dramatically. Perceptions regarding risk-taking and rule-abiding are impaired. Socialization can diminish or increase. Creativity is diminished or increased as well as problem solving skills. Distraction occurs more frequently. Loss of smell and/or taste.

10. The occipital lobe contains the primary visual cortex, which handles visual information. The parietal lobe contains the primary somatosensory cortex, which handles information related to the sense of touch. The parietal lobe also plays a part in sensing body position and integrating visual information.

11. The temporal lobe contains the primary auditory cortex, which is involved in processing auditory information. The left temporal lobe also contains Wernicke’s area, a part of the brain involved in language comprehension.

12. Hemispheres – Brain Lateralization Brain lateralization: the cerebral cortex is divided into right and left halves that work together but have different areas of “specialty”.

13. Left Hemisphere The left hemisphere specializes in analytical thought. The left hemisphere deals with hard facts: abstractions, structure, discipline and rules, time sequences, mathematics, categorizing, logic and rationality and deductive reasoning, knowledge, details, definitions, planning and goals, words (written and spoken and heard), productivity and efficiency, science and technology, stability, extraversion, physical activity, and the right side of the body.

14. Right Hemisphere The right hemisphere specializes in the "softer" aspects of life. This includes intuition, feelings and sensitivity, emotions, daydreaming and visualizing, creativity (including art and music), color, spatial awareness, first impressions, rhythm, spontaneity and impulsiveness, the physical senses, risk-taking, flexibility and variety, learning by experience, relationships, mysticism, play and sports, introversion, humor, motor skills and the left side of the body.