Today’s Goal  You will be able to…

Describe the
functions of the
brain structures.
Hindbrain

Medulla: unconscious vital
functions like breathing,
circulation, etc.

Pons:
Bridge between
cerebellum & cerebrum,
facial movements,
possible role in
sleep/dreams

Reticular Formation:
wakefulness & sleep,
alertness, filters stimuli
Hindbrain
 Cerebellum:
balance,
motor coordination
Limbic System
Thalamus:
Relays sensory info
from the body to
parts of the brain
 Amygdala:
Emotional
responses,
particularly
aggression;
attention to novel
stimuli

Limbic System
Hypothalamus:
Maintains homeostasis:
regulates body
temperature, hunger,
thirst, blood pressure,
hormones, etc.
Hippocampus:
Formation of memories

Which part of the brain?









REM sleep & dreaming, assists in movement  Pons
Relay station for sensory info  Thalamus
“On switch” for the brain, alertness & wakefulness,
attention  R.A.S.
Body temperature, hunger, thirst, glands Hypothal.
Balance and motor coordination  Cerebellum
Emotions (aggression), novel stimuli  Amygdala
“Master gland”  Pituitary gland
Unconscious essential functions such as respiration and
heart rate  Medulla
Formation of new memories  Hippocampus
Cerebrum
Cerebrum
Cerebrum
Cerebellum
http://williamcalvin.com/BrainForAllSeasons/img/bonoboLH-humanLH-viaTWD.gif
Cerebral Cortex

Cerebral Cortex – outer layer of wrinkled
tissue that covers the cerebrum (divided
into four lobes)
Gyri (ridge)
Sulci
(groove)
Fissure
(deep groove)
http://williamcalvin.com/BrainForAllSeasons/img/bonoboLH-humanLH-viaTWD.gif
Frontal Lobe

Critical thinking, personality, decisionmaking, forward planning, emotional
regulation, rationality
Parietal Lobe

Interprets touch/pain/pressure sensations
from the body
Occipital Lobe

Interprets visual information
Temporal Lobe
Interprets auditory information
 Role in memory


Somatosensory Cortex – interprets where on
the body you are having a sensation

Motor Cortex – initiates movement for
particular parts of the body

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/tryit/brain/probenojs.html
Language & the Brain
 Broca’s
Area:
Physical production of speech,
coherent language (outputs)
 Broca’s Aphasia:
Inability to speak words, utter coherent
speech
Broca’s Area
Modified from: http://www.bioon.com/book/biology/whole/image/1/1-8.tif.jpg
Language & the Brain
Wernicke’s Area:
Comprehension of language (inputs)
 Wernicke’s Aphasia:
Inability to understand
language/words

Wernike’s Area
Modified from: http://www.bioon.com/book/biology/whole/image/1/1-8.tif.jpg
Regions

This activity was called the Stroop
Test

Today’s Goal  Explain brain
lateralization (specialization of left &
right hemispheres) and the effects of
the split-brain studies

How do our hemispheres work together?
What happens when they can’t?
Hemispheres of the Brain
Does Hand Preference relate to
Hemispheric Dominance? NO
Right-handed?
Left-handed?
 Corpus
Callosum – nerve fibers
that connect left and right
hemispheres
The Split-Brain Experiments

1960’s, Roger Sperry
 Treatment for epilepsy

In his operations, the entire corpus callosum was
severed
 What
effects on behavior/cognition do
you think this might
have????
"The great pleasure and feeling
in my right brain is more than
my left brain can find the words
to tell you.“ ~Roger Sperry
The Split-Brain Experiments

Michael Gazzaniga continued experiments
Right vision field is
connected to the left
hemisphere. Left
vision field is
connected to the
right hemisphere.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfGwsAd
S9Dc
Split-Brain Operations Today

Only sever portion of corpus callosum
(splenium remains intact)

Split brain patients learn very quickly
how to keep both sides in
communication
The Two-Brain Myth

There is no activity to which only one
hemisphere makes a contribution.
 While they “specialize” in areas, the areas are
not completely exclusive to one hemi

Logic not completely confined to left
hemisphere
 People with damage to right hemi. show more
deficits in logic than damage to left hemi.
It is impossible to educate one hemisphere
at a time.
 There is no evidence that people are purely
“left-brained” or “right-brained”
