The Brain

• The adult human brain is a 1.3-kg mass of pinkish-gray jellylike tissue made up of approximately 100 billion nerve cells (or neurons); neuroglia (or supporting tissue) and vascular (blood-carrying) and other tissues.

• It is the part of our body that is responsible for intellectual activities.

• The brain is divided into three different parts

• The hindbrain, the midbrain and the forebrain.

The hindbrain• Is a collection of brain structures that include

the medulla, the pons and the cerebellum.• The medulla is composed of various nerve

fibers that control automatic bodily functions such as respiration and heart rate.• If medulla is damaged, essential bodily

functions will fail and such failure leads to death.• The second important part of the hindbrain is

the pons. The word pons is derived from Latin which means “bridge”. (Located above the medulla.)• Pons are responsible for respiration,

movement, sleeping, walking and dreaming.

•The cerebellum is located at the base of the brain behind the medulla and pons. It is tasked to coordinate fine muscles in order to facilitate smooth movement and balance. In like manner, it is tasked to maintain a sense of equilibrium and physical balance. example

The midbrain

• Is a part that contains neural centers responsible for our eyes and body movements to visual and auditory stimuli. • The midbrain works with the pons in order to control sleep and arousal.

The Reticular Formation• Is a finger-shaped set of neurons that runs throufg the core of the hindbrain, midbrain, and brainstem.• In the absence of our reticular formation, we remain unconscious and mentally inactive. example

The forebrain

•The largest and the most prominent parts of the human brain.• It comprises the thalamus, the hypothalamus, limbic system and cerebral cortex. Explain

The Thalamus• Is responsible for relaying sensory

information to the cerebral cortex.• Responsible for integrating information,

learning and memory.• Beneath the thalamus lies the

hypothalamus. It is a small structure that is in charge with our emotions. explain

• The hypothalamus influences the pituitary gland (master gland). In such a way that it has neural connections that facilitate the release of its own hormones into the blood supply of the pituitary.

Limbic System• The last part located near the top of the brainstem is

what we call the limbic systems. • The limbic system is involved in our emotional

responses. • It’s location between the cerebrum and the brainstem

permits the interplay of emotion and reason.• The word limbic means “edge”.Therefore, in terms of its locations, it is found lying at the border of the cerebral cortex and the lower brain structures.• It is composed of forebrain structures such as the fornix,

hippocampus, amygdala, hypothalamus and septum. explain

• The fornix is arched, vaultlike or a triangular structure of white matter in the brain that is situated between the hippocampus and hypothalamus.• The hippocampus is of greek origin which

means “seahorse” – it is important in consolidating learning and in converting information from the working memory by means of electrical signals to long term memory system. If the hippocampus is injured, the patients could remember everything that happened before the operation, but not after such operation. • If they read the same article today, they

have the tendency to believe that it is the first time they encounter such article. They have the tendency to believe that everything they do is always the first time.

• At the lower end of the hippocampus is the amygdala. It is an almond shaped structure that can stimulate rage, fear or pleasure.

• It means that when we recall an emotional event, we have the tendency to experience the same emotions again. Example? Hahaha

• It is associated with feelings of fear and aggression and is responsible for visual learning and memory. Researchers in cognitive science believe that emotions play an important role in cognitive learning.

The cerebral cortex

• It is a thin surface layer that regulates most complex behaviors such as receiving sensations, motor control, and higher cognitive processes.• It is the part of our brain that makes sense out of what we read in

this presentation. It is also a part of the brain that makes us understand and think about the information contained in this text.

• Since the cerebral cortex is responsible for higher mental processes. Such as language and thought, it is so huge that about three-fourths of the neurons in the brain are in the cerebral cortex.

• There are two cerebral hemispheres beneath the cortex that closely resemble the size of a big walnut. • The hemispheres are divided into 8 distinct lobes or

areas (four on the left and for on the right)

• The frontal lobes are located at the top front part of the two brain hemispheres. The frontal lobes are responsible for motor control, speech production and higher cognitive functions such as thinking, emotion and memory.• With regard to speech production, the Broca’s area is

located at the left frontal lobe and is tasked for speech generation.• Broca’s aphasia - Individuals with Broca’s aphasia

have trouble speaking fluently but their comprehension can be relatively preserved. This type of aphasia is also known as non-fluent or expressive aphasia.

• The second important area or lobe is known as the parietal lobe. Just behind the frontal lobes responsible are the parietal lobes responsible for interpreting bodily sensations that include pain, fear, touch, temperature and the location of body parts. example

• The message of pain is brought directly to the parietal lobes of the brain

• The third lobes are identified as temporal lobes. Right above our ears lie the temporal lobes which are responsible for hearing, comprehension, memory and some emotional control.

In the left lobe lies the Wernicke’s area that is responsible for language comprehension. If the person’s left temporal lobes were damaged, a German neurologist, Carl Wernicke believed that the person will find it very difficult to understand what he or she has read or heard. He called this condition as Wernicke’s aphasia. However, he or she could speak without any hassle or difficulty

Borca’s aphasia vs. Wernicke’s aphasia• At first, it may be difficult to differentiate Broca's area from Wernicke's

area as they both have to do with speech, but there are a few differences which you can focus on remembering in order to help you better understand the two.

• Let's start with Broca's area, which is located in the frontal lobe. Broca's area is the motor speech area and it helps in movements required to produce speech. When there is an issue in this area, a patient can understand the speech of others, but can't produce any speech him or her self. This is called Broca's aphasia. Wernicke's area, which is located in the parietal and temporal lobe, is the sensory area. It helps in understanding speech and using the correct words to express our thoughts. When there is an issue in this area, a patient may be able to produce speech, but cannot understand the speech of others. This is called Wernicke's aphasia.

• In order to avoid confusion, it must always be noted that the Broca’s area in the left frontal lobe is responsible for speech production

• And that Wernicke’s area in the left temporal lobe is responsible for language comprehension

• The fourth and the last lobes are called occipital lobes.• They are located at the lower back of the brain. The occipital lobes are involved in visual perception such as color, shape or movements.

• In other words, they are responsible for vision. Any damage to this area can cause blindness.