Chapter 5 Notes

Components of the brain The brain comprises three parts: the _______________, the _______________, and

the ____________________ (see Figures 5.1 and 5.2). These structures interact and work together to

enable our body to b_______and f________ in accordance with our thoughts and feelings.

The Hindbrain

The hindbrain is often referred to as the ‘__________________. It mainly supports ____________________________ and it is the link between the

spinal cord and the brain. It is important for _________________ and ___________________. It includes the brainstem, medulla, pons, cerebellum, and part of the

reticular formation The Medulla The first major component of the hindbrain is the __________________.

The medulla is a continuation of the_______________. Its role is the control of ________________, ___________________ and

__________________ The Pons The pons sits above the medulla and ____________information sent from

visual areas to control eye and body actions Cerebellum The cerebellum is the third major part of the hindbrain. It is a _________________ area that receives information from the pons. The cerebellum’s role is to _________________the sequence of

_______________________________

The Midbrain

The midbrain sits above the hindbrain and _______________ the forebrain It is responsible for the regulation of __________, __________________, and

_______________. It includes part of the _______________formation Reticular Formation Although the reticular formation is mostly situated as part of the

midbrain, it is in fact a network of neurons that is part of both the midbrain and hindbrain, as well as connecting the hindbrain and forebrain

The reticular formation is important in the control of ________________and in the ______________________________cycle.

The Forebrain

The forebrain includes a number of important brain structures including the cerebrum, the hypothalamus and the thalamus

The Cerebrum The cerebrum is the biggest and part of the forebrain. It is covered by a thin layer known, and divided into the left and

right cerebral hemispheres. These are separated by the _____________________ – a deep groove that runs

from the front to the rear of the cortex The Cerebrum The hemispheres are almost _________________ in appearance and are joined

by the corpus callosum: a set of neural fibres that ______________ the gap between the two

Each hemisphere has a central _____________ that runs from the top of each hemisphere and down the sides, separating the front (anterior) of the cerebral cortex from the rear (posterior).

The Hypothalamus The hypothalamus is a small structure that has a very important role in

the control of _____________________________________: sleep, regulation of body temperature, expression of emotions, and the four ‘F’s’– feeding, fighting, fleeing and fornication

The Thalamus The thalamus is located beneath the cerebral cortex, deep within the

cerebral hemispheres. It is divided into two egg-shaped parts that sit side by side, with one part

located in each hemisphere The thalamus is the ‘___________________________ of the brain and it receives

information from the ears, eyes, skin, and other sensory organs (with the exception of the nose).

The thalamus has two important roles to play. First, it enables an organism to process _______________ stimuli in the

environment. Our senses are continually bombarded with information from the outside

world. The thalamus receives the ______________ information from all of our senses

(except smell) and then ___________ this information to the relevant part of the cortex where it can be processed into____________________ information

The second role of the thalamus is to determine which of the incoming sensory information is the most important for us to pay attention to.

Role of the cerebral Cortex

The outer layer of the _________________ is called the _______________, which is responsible for _______________ information from the environment, for ____________ our responses and for _______________ thinking processes including problem solving and planning.

It is also very much involved in memory, language and the regulation of emotions

The cerebral cortex of humans is much larger in proportion to body mass than any other animal; this is the point of difference between humans and animals in terms of intellectual functioning.

It enables us to plan and carry out a series of body __________ and use words to make intelligible ___________________

Structure of the cerebral cortex The cortex is very thin (approximately 3 millimetres) and contains

billions of neurons. Humans have the greatest number of cognitive abilities and this is why

they also have the largest, most complex cortex of all organisms. Its convolutions – the many __________________________ – make the surface

area (and volume) of the cortex large enough to contain an enormous number of___________ and ______________ that can supply energy.

The Frontal Lobe The frontal lobe:

Includes the primary motor cortex which controls voluntary bodily movements

Performs _______________mental functions Is involved with attention, personality, control of emotions and

expression of emotional behaviour Also contains ____________________, in the left hemisphere, which plays a

crucial role in ___________________.

The Parietal Lobe Parietal lobe:

includes the primary sensory cortex, which ___________ and ___________sensory information

• is also involved in _________________and _______________________• liaises with other lobes to allow us to sense the position of our body in

space.• A huge part of the primary sensory cortex is devoted to sensations of the

mouth and hands.

The Temporal Lobe Temporal lobe:• contains the primary______________ cortex, which receives and processes

sounds from both ears• is also involved in__________________, ______________________, ___________________

and _________________ to sensory information and memories• also contains ___________________, in the left hemisphere, which is crucial in

speech comprehension.

The Occipital Lobe Occipital lobe:• Contains the primary visual cortex• is largely engaged in the sense of_______________, but also interacts with

other lobes to integrate visual information with other information, like memory, language and sounds.

Hemispheric Specialisation

As we have seen, the lobes and the primary cortices in each hemisphere receive information from the__________________ side of a person’s (or animal’s) body, and the primary________________ cortices are responsible for movement of the opposite sides of the body

The primary motor cortex in the _____________frontal lobe initiates the movement of the _________________hand to pick up a mug of coffee; the somatosensory cortex of the __________parietal lobe receives information about the feel of a warm mug of coffee in our _______hand.

Although most functions are contra-lateralised, some are ‘________________’, meaning that some ____________ activities only take place in one particular hemisphere.

A clear example of lateralisation is language, which is mainly the responsibility of the left hemisphere.

Despite the hemispheres having particular specialisations, it is important to remember that they ____________work in complete _______________.

Instead, it is better to think of them as working together in their functions. They are able to communicate with each other and work together through the connecting _______________________