The Brain
Divisions Cerebrum Diencephalon Brainstem Cerebellum
Cerebrum Cerebrum Largest area On top 4 lobes (frontal, parietel, temporal, occipital) Thinking, short and long term memory, voluntary movement, reasoning, level of consciousness
Cerebrum (cont) Structure Ridges (convolutions/gyri) Grooves (sulci) Deep grooves (fissures) 2 hemispheres (R and L) Corpus callosum (connect two halves) Cerebral cortex: thin layer of gray matter (mostly dendrites an cell bodies) gray matter White matter: inner cerebrum Some inner gray:basal ganglia (automatic postures)
4 lobes Frontal Parietal Temporal Occipital
Frontal Lobe Prefrontal; conscious thought Broca’s area; motor speech Premotor area; muscle coordination Primary motor area; precise muscle control Central sulcus
Parietal Lobe Primary somatic sensory area; body sense perception Primary taste area Somatic sensory association area; body sense perception Wernicke’s area; sensory speech area
Temporal Lobe Auditory association area Primary auditory area
Occipital Lobe Visual association area Visual cortex
Diencephalon Thalamus: relay station for senses Hypothalamus:body temp., water balance, sleep cycle, appetite (mind-body connection) Pituitary gland: master gland (8 hormones)
Brainstem Midbrain: relay for visual and auditory impulses Pons: relay station; influences respirations Medulla oblongata: life centers (cardiac and respiratory)
Cerebellum Balance and coordination
Spinal Cord Occipital bone to bottom of first lumbar vertebrae (17-18 inches) H-shaped Core made of gray matter (cell bodies and dendrites) Outer portion: white matter; bundles of myelinated axons: spinal tracts
Spinal Tracts Ascending tracts: conduct impulses to the brain Descending tracts: conduct impulses from the brain Tracts are organized to carry different sensations
CNS Protective Coverings Skull Vertebrae Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Meninges: dura mater: outer arachnoid mater: middle pia mater: inner
Cd Flow of CSF Filtered out from blood capillaries known as choroid plexus Two large spaces: lateral ventricles (R and L) Flows down through aqueduct to third ventricle Then to a fourth ventricle down to subarachnoid space near cerebellum Then to spinal cord Purpose: protection