The Human Brain
“I once thought about cloning a new, more efficient brain, but then I realized that I was getting a head of
myself.”
The Brain is a jellylike mass of fat and protein weighing about 3 pounds.
It is one of the body's biggest organs, consisting of some 100 billion nerve cells that create thoughts,
coordinate physical actions, and regulates our unconscious processes, such as digestion and
breathing.
The Spinal Cord (Brain Stem)
 The brain stem is located at the base of the brain
 It controls the body’s reflexes and involuntary actions like breathing, sleeping and blood pressure
The Cerebrum
 It lies in front/on top of the brainstem
 Is the largest part of the brain, processing thought, memory, language, sensory information and
movement
 It is divided into right and left hemispheres that are connected by the corpus callosum. Each
hemisphere is in turn divided into four lobes.
The Hemispheres
Left-Brain Functions
Controls movements on the right side of our bodies.
Analytical thought
Logic
Language
Science and Math
Right-Brain Functions
Controls movements on the left side of our bodies.
Holistic thought
Intuition
Creativity
Art and music
The Four Lobes of the Brain
 The brain is divided into four lobes:
 The frontal lobe
 The parietal lobe
 The occipital lobe
 The temporal lobe
The Frontal lobe
 processes speech, thought,
 learning, emotion and
 movement
The Occipital lobe processes vision
The Parietal lobe processes interprets sensations like touch, heat and pain
The Temporal lobe processes sounds
The Cerebellum
 The second largest part of the brain (aka “little brain”)
 Coordinates muscle movement and controls balance
 Receives information from the spinal cord and other parts of the brain
The Medulla Oblongata
 Makes up the lower part of the brain stem and regulates breathing, blood pressure and
heartbeat
The Pons
 Located within the brain stem and acts as a relay station for the senses, movement and it
regulates sleep
The Reticular Formation or The Reticular Activating System (RAS)
 The RAS receives input from many parts of the brain and sends info to various parts of the
Cerebral cortex.
 It is responsible for regulating arousal and sleep to awake transitions.
The Thalamus
 Relays sensory and motor signals from around the body to the cerebral cortex
 Regulates consciousness, alertness and sleep based on the body’s needs
The Hypothalamus
It regulates:
 Food intake and hunger
 The body’s fluid balance (thirst)
 Internal body temperature (controls when the body sweats to cool off by dilating the blood
vessels, or makes the body shiver to warm up by constricting the blood vessels)
 The hypothalamus also regulates sexual drive
 The hypothalamus is responsible for the monthly female hormonal cycle in humans through its
control of the pituitary gland.
 The hypothalamus contains programming for male and female sexual behavior.
The Pituitary Gland
 Produces and distributes hormones that control growth, sexual drive and hunger.
The Hippocampus
 The hippocampus is located in the temporal lobe of the brain.
 The hippocampus is responsible for the formation of new memory.
 Without the hippocampus one cannot form any new permanent (long-term) memories.
The Auditory Cortex
 The primary auditory cortex is
located in the temporal lobe and it
is responsible for the basic
analysis of sound.
 Input from the ears is crossed over: The left auditory cortex receives input primarily from the
right ear, and the right auditory cortex receives input primarily from the left ear.
The Visual Cortex
 lies at the very back of the brain in the occipital lobe.
 The visual cortex processes visual information in the brain .
 Information from the left visual field, from both eyes, goes to the right visual cortex.
Information from the right visual field, from both eyes, goes to the left visual cortex.
The Somatosensory Cortex


Is in the parietal lobe.
The somatosensory cortex receives sensory information from the thalamus and sensory
receptors on the body’s surface.
The Motor Cortex
 This area is at the back of the frontal lobe, separating the frontal and parietal lobes.
 The primary motor cortex
sends impulses to the
muscles of the body.
Final Question:
Why didn’t the brain want to take a bath?
Answer:
Because it didn’t want to get brain washed!
Brain Games
There are a number of workstations set up around the classroom. Complete the following:
1. Complete the activity outlined at the workstation.
2. Try to guess what parts of the brain being used in the activity.
3. Describe the function of that part of the brain.