The Cerebrum
Your cerebrum is inside of your skull, at the
top and front of your head, and makes up
the largest part of your brain.
Your cerebrum is the largest part of your
brain, and it handles a wide range of
responsibilities. Located at the front and top
of your skull, it gets its name from the Latin
word meaning “brain.”
Your
cerebrum
is
instrumental
in
everything you do in day-to-day life, ranging
from thoughts to actions. In essence, it’s
responsible for the brain functions that
allow us to interact with our environment
and make us who we are.
Scientists have been studying the brain for
years, trying to unlock just how it works
and how to diagnose and treat conditions
that affect it. While experts know a lot about
how the cerebrum works, there’s much
that’s not fully understood. Fortunately,
advances in technology and medical science
have helped drive growth in what experts
understand about the brain.
Your cerebrum works together with other
parts of your brain, especially your
cerebellum, to help you with your daily
activities. An example of this is picking up a
pencil off a table. Your cerebrum sends the
signals to the muscles in your arms, and
your cerebellum helps calculate and control
your movements, so your hand goes right to
the pencil without missing.
Your cerebellum not only manages
conscious thoughts, but also planning and
actions.
That includes when you decide to be
physically active, choose what to eat for a
meal or set aside time to see a healthcare
provider for any reason. Because of this,
your cerebrum plays a critical role in the
health and well-being of your entire body.
The outer surface of your cerebrum, your
cerebral cortex, is mostly smooth but has
many wrinkles, making it look something
like a walnut without its shell. It’s divided
lengthwise into two halves, the left and
right hemisphere, by a deep groove. The
two hemispheres connect using a structure
called the corpus callosum (corp-us cal-ohsum), a collection of nerve tissue that
transmits signals from one side of your
brain to the other.
The two hemispheres of your brain also
have five main lobes each:
Frontal (at the front of your head). This lobe
handles things like attention, behavior
control (your sense of what’s appropriate
and what’s not), the ability to speak and
certain types of muscle movements.
Parietal (at the top of your head). This area
handles touch, temperature and pain
signals. It also helps with how you see the
world around you, especially judging
distance from and the size of objects. It also
plays a role in processing sound, languages
you speak, your ability to use numbers and
count, and how you organize information
and make decisions.
Temporal (at the side of your head). This
area helps you understand language when
other people are speaking. It also helps you
recognize people and objects. This part also
helps you connect emotions with memories.
Insular (deep inside of your brain,
underneath your frontal, parietal and
temporal lobes). This part of your brain
handles taste senses. It may also help
process certain types of emotions like
compassion and empathy.
Occipital (at the back of your head). This
lobe manages much of your eyes’ sensory
input, including the ability to see movement
and colors.
The Cerebrum
Your cerebrum is inside of your skull, at the
top and front of your head, and makes up
the largest part of your brain.
Your cerebrum is the largest part of your
brain, and it handles a wide range of
responsibilities. Located at the front and top
of your skull, it gets its name from the Latin
word meaning “brain.”
Your
cerebrum
is
instrumental
in
everything you do in day-to-day life, ranging
from thoughts to actions. In essence, it’s
responsible for the brain functions that
allow us to interact with our environment
and make us who we are.
Scientists have been studying the brain for
years, trying to unlock just how it works
and how to diagnose and treat conditions
that affect it. While experts know a lot about
how the cerebrum works, there’s much
that’s not fully understood. Fortunately,
advances in technology and medical science
have helped drive growth in what experts
understand about the brain.
Your cerebrum works together with other
parts of your brain, especially your
cerebellum, to help you with your daily
activities. An example of this is picking up a
pencil off a table. Your cerebrum sends the
signals to the muscles in your arms, and
your cerebellum helps calculate and control
your movements, so your hand goes right to
the pencil without missing.
Your cerebellum not only manages
conscious thoughts, but also planning and
actions.
That includes when you decide to be
physically active, choose what to eat for a
meal or set aside time to see a healthcare
provider for any reason. Because of this,
your cerebrum plays a critical role in the
health and well-being of your entire body.
The outer surface of your cerebrum, your
cerebral cortex, is mostly smooth but has
many wrinkles, making it look something
like a walnut without its shell. It’s divided
lengthwise into two halves, the left and
right hemisphere, by a deep groove. The
two hemispheres connect using a structure
called the corpus callosum (corp-us cal-ohsum), a collection of nerve tissue that
transmits signals from one side of your
brain to the other.
The two hemispheres of your brain also
have five main lobes each:
Frontal (at the front of your head). This lobe
handles things like attention, behavior
control (your sense of what’s appropriate
and what’s not), the ability to speak and
certain types of muscle movements.
Parietal (at the top of your head). This area
handles touch, temperature and pain
signals. It also helps with how you see the
world around you, especially judging
distance from and the size of objects. It also
plays a role in processing sound, languages
you speak, your ability to use numbers and
count, and how you organize information
and make decisions.
Temporal (at the side of your head). This
area helps you understand language when
other people are speaking. It also helps you
recognize people and objects. This part also
helps you connect emotions with memories.
Insular (deep inside of your brain,
underneath your frontal, parietal and
temporal lobes). This part of your brain
handles taste senses. It may also help
process certain types of emotions like
compassion and empathy.
Occipital (at the back of your head). This
lobe manages much of your eyes’ sensory
input, including the ability to see movement
and colors.
The Lungs
Your two lungs make oxygen available to
your body and remove gases like carbon
dioxide. There are many conditions that can
affect your lungs. Not smoking may help you
prevent some illnesses.
Your lungs make up a large part of your
respiratory system, which is the network of
organs and tissues that allow you to
breathe.
You have two lungs, one on each side of
your chest, which is also called the thorax.
Your thorax is the area of your body
between your neck and your abdomen.
Right lung
The lung on your right side is divided into
three lobes: the superior, the middle and the
inferior. It’s shorter than your left lung, but
also wider than your left lung. Both of your
lungs are covered with a protective
covering called pleural tissue.
Left lung
Your left lung has two lobes: the superior
and the interior. Your left lung is smaller
than the right because your heart is where
the middle lobe on your left lung would be.
Your left lung has two parts that your right
lung doesn’t have: the cardiac notch (where
your heart fits) and the lingula, an extension
of the superior lobe.
Your lungs make oxygen available to your
body and remove other gases, such as
carbon dioxide, from your body. This
process takes place 12 to 20 times per
minute.
When you inhale through your nose or
mouth, air travels down your pharynx (back
of your throat), passes through your larynx
(voice box) and into your trachea (windpipe).
Your trachea is divided into two air
passages called bronchial tubes. One
bronchial tube leads to your left lung, the
other to your right lung.
When you exhale, you remove the carbon
dioxide.
Your respiratory system prevents harmful
substances from entering your lungs by
using:
Small hairs in your nose that act as an aircleaning system and help filter out large
particles.
Mucus produced in your trachea and
bronchial tubes to keep air passages moist
and help catch dust, bacteria and other
substances.
The sweeping motion of cilia (small hairs in
your respiratory tract) to keep air passages
clean. One of the reasons that cigarette
smoke is dangerous is that it stops cilia
from working properly.
Your lungs are located in your chest (your
thorax). Your thoracic cavity is the name of
the space that contains your lungs and
other organs. Your lungs rest on a muscle
called your diaphragm.
Healthy lungs are pinkish-gray in color.
You’ve probably seen photographs that
compare the lungs of people who smoke to
the lungs of people who don’t. Damaged
lungs are darker gray and can have black
spots in them.
A typical lung in a human adult lung weighs
about 2.2 pounds and is a little longer than
9 inches when you’re breathing normally,
and about 10.5 inches when your lungs are
completely expanded.
Even though your respiratory system has
ways to protect the body, your lungs can
still get sick. Some conditions aren’t serious
and are over quickly. Other conditions are
more serious and long-lasting. If you have a
chronic
lung
illness,
your
regular
healthcare provider may refer you to a
pulmonologist. It’s important to follow the
suggestions from your healthcare team so
you can breathe easily.
The Heart
The heart is a fist-sized organ that pumps
blood throughout your body. It’s your
circulatory system’s main organ. Muscle
and tissue make up this powerhouse organ.
Your heart contains four muscular sections
(chambers) that briefly hold blood before
moving it. Electrical impulses make your
heart beat, moving blood through these
chambers. Your brain and nervous system
direct your heart’s function.
Your heart’s main function is to move blood
throughout your body. Blood brings oxygen
and nutrients to your cells. It also takes
away carbon dioxide and other waste so
other organs can dispose of them.
Controls the rhythm and speed of your
heart rate.
Maintains your blood pressure.
Your heart works with these body systems
to control your heart rate and other body
functions:
Nervous system: Your nervous system helps
control your heart rate. It sends signals that
tell your heart to beat slower during rest
and faster during stress.
Endocrine system: Your endocrine system
sends out hormones. These hormones tell
your blood vessels to constrict or relax,
which affects your blood pressure.
Hormones from your thyroid gland can also
tell your heart to beat faster or slower.
Your heart walls are the muscles that
contract (squeeze) and relax to send blood
throughout your body. A layer of muscular
tissue called the septum divides your heart
walls into the left and right sides.
Your heart walls have three layers:
Endocardium: Inner layer.
Myocardium: Muscular middle layer.
Epicardium: Protective outer layer.
The epicardium is one layer of your
pericardium.
The pericardium is a protective sac that
covers your entire heart.
Your heart has four separate chambers.
You have two chambers on the top (atrium,
plural atria) and two on the bottom
(ventricles), one on each side of your heart.
Your heart valves are like doors between
your heart chambers. They open and close
to allow blood to flow through. They also
keep your blood from moving in the wrong
direction.
Your heart pumps blood through three
types of blood vessels:
Arteries carry oxygen-rich blood from your
heart to your body’s tissues. The exception
is your pulmonary arteries, which go to
your lungs.
Veins carry oxygen-poor blood back to
your heart.
Capillaries are small blood vessels where
your body exchanges oxygen-rich and
oxygen-poor blood.
Your heart’s conduction system is like the
electrical wiring of a building. It controls
the rhythm and pace of your heartbeat.
Signals start at the top of your heart and
move down to the bottom.
Your heart is in the front of your chest. It
sits slightly behind and to the left of your
sternum (breastbone), which is in the
middle of your chest.
Your heart is slightly on the left side of
your body. It sits between your right and
left lungs. The left lung is slightly smaller to
make room for the heart in your left chest.
Your rib cage protects your heart.
Your heart looks a little bit like an upsidedown pyramid with rounded edges. Large
blood vessels go into and out of your heart
to bring blood into and away from your
heart. They connect your heart to the rest
of your body, which it supplies with blood
and oxygen.