a man’s head is shown from the side, the brain is shown inside the skull
The brain is composed of more than a thousand billion neurons.
Specific groups of them, working in concert,
provide us with the capacity to reason,
to experience feelings, and to understand the world.
a segment of the brain is expanded
to display a neuron,
which is a nerve cell with a cell body and fibers
that carry messages from the brain to the body.
They also give us the capacity to remember
numerous pieces of information.
There are three major components of the brain.
The cerebrum is the largest component,
extending across the top of the head down to ear level.
The cerebellum is smaller than the cerebrum and located underneath it,
behind the ears toward the back of the head.
The brain stem is the smallest and is located under the cerebellum,
extending downward and back toward the neck.
The cerebral cortex is the outside
portion of the cerebrum,
also called the “gray matter”.
side view of the brain highlights
the outside of the cerebrum,
showing the location of the gray matter
It generates the most complex intellectual
thoughts and controls body movement.
The cerebrum is divided into left and right sides,
front view of the brain shows the left and right sides
which communicate with each other through a thin stalk of nerve fibers.
a slice of brain is shown with the connection
between the right and left sides highlighted to show nerve communication
The grooves and folds increase the cerebrum’s surface area,
allowing us to have a tremendous amount of gray matter inside of the skull.
the cerebrum’s many grooves and folds are shown
Here, the left side of the brain is highlighted
to show the control over right arm and leg movement,
and the right side of the brain is highlighted to
show the control over left arm and leg movement.
The left side of the brain controls the muscles
on the right side of the body and vice versa.
Voluntary body movements are controlled by a region of the frontal lobe.
the brain is shown with the frontal lobe highlighted.
The frontal lobe is the part of the cerebral cortex directly behind the forehead.
It also controls morals.
The frontal lobe is also where we shape
emotional reactions and expressions.
man’s face frowns to show emotions.
There are two parietal lobes,
one on each side of the brain.
The parietal lobes are located behind the
frontal lobe towards the back of the head and above the ears.
The taste center is located in the parietal lobes.
a tongue is shown to represent taste
side view of brain with the temporal lobe
highlighted, located just above the ears,
underneath the parietal lobes.
All sounds are processed in the temporal lobe.
musical notes go into a
man’s ear to show hearing
They are also important for learning,
memory, and emotion.
The occipital lobe is located at the back of the
head behind the parietal and temporal lobes.
The occipital lobe analyzes visual information
from the retina and then processes that information.
side view of an eye shows the visual pathway
from the eye to the occipital lobe
If the occipital lobe becomes damaged,
a person could become blind,
even if his or her eyes continue to function normally.
The cerebellum is located at the back of the head
underneath the occipital and temporal lobes.
The cerebellum creates automatic programs
so we can make complex movements without thinking.
The brain stem is located underneath the temporal lobes
and extended down to the spinal cord.
It is critical for survival because it
connects the brain with the spinal cord.
The top portion of the brainstem is called the midbrain.
The midbrain is a small portion of the brain
stem located at the top of the brain stem.
Just below the midbrain is the pons,
and below the pons is the medulla.
The medulla is the part of the brain
stem closest to the spinal cord.
The medulla, with its critical functions,
lies deep within the head,
where it is well-protected from injuries by
an extra-thick section of overlying skull.
When we are asleep or unconscious,
our heart rate, breathing and blood pressure continue to function
because they’re regulated by the medulla.
a man’s head resting on a pillow is shown with his mouth opening,
showing breathing during sleep
And that concludes a general overview of the components of the brain.