http://www.waiting.com/brainanatomy.html鈥?/a>
Click on the names of the brain areas, and it will define what it does.Identifying the major regions of the brain and what functions of behavior the systems of each region control?
The hindbrain including the cerebellum and brain stem, the mid brain, and the fore brain including the diencephalon. The cerebellum is the hind part of the brain. It is made up of gray, unmyelinated cells on the exterior and white, myelinated cells in the interior. The cerebellum coordinates muscular movements and, along with the midbrain, monitors posture. It is essential to the control of movement of the human body in space. The brain stem, which incorporates the medulla and the pons, monitors involuntary activities such as breathing and vomiting.
The thalamus, which forms the major part of the diencephalon, receives incoming sensory impulses and routes them to the appropriate higher centers. The hypothalamus, occupying the rest of the diencephalon, regulates heartbeat, body temperature, and fluid balance. Above the thalamus extends the corpus callosum, a neuron-rich membrane connecting the two hemispheres of the cerebrum.
The cerebrum occupies the topmost portion of the skull. It is by far the largest part of the brain. It makes up about 85% of the brain's weight. The cerebrum is split vertically into left and right hemispheres, it appears deeply fissured and grooved. Its upper surface, the cerebral cortex, contains most of the master controls of the body. In the cerebral cortex ultimate analysis of sensory data occurs, and motor impulses originate that initiate, reinforce, or inhibit the entire spectrum of muscle and gland activity. The left half of the cerebrum controls the right side of the body; the right half controls the left side. (This explains why if a stroke occurs in the left half of the brain, the right side of the body is affected)
Other important parts of the brain are the pituitary gland, the basal ganglia, and the reticular activating system (RAS). The pituitary participates in growth regulation. The basal ganglia, located just above the diencephalon in each cerebral hemisphere, handle coordination and habitual but acquired skills like chewing and playing the piano. The RAS forms a special system of nerve cells linking the medulla, pons, midbrain, and cerebral cortex. The RAS functions as a sentry. In a noisy crowd, for example, the RAS alerts a person when a friend speaks and enables that person to ignore other sounds.
There are sooooo many areas that do different things and each area helps another, also the brain contains Neurons and Axons and Dendrites and Neurotransmitters that work together to make things happen in each part of the brain, but I'll give you a couple of examples (I just did a research project of the brain a month ago for one of my college classes).....The Limbic System: (Central part of the brain) controls emotions, attachment %26amp; memory.
.........The Cortex: (Top layer of the brain) regulates decision-making, controls thinking, reasoning %26amp; language. Now, go to Google and type in ';the brain'; and go from there...you'll find a lot of paths to take!!!! Too many to mention! Hope this helps (but I can't give you all the answers!)
No comments:
Post a Comment