Structure and function of the brain - 4

Question 1

Human brain

Answer 1

1. The brain is the organ in your head made up of nerves that processes information and controls behaviour
2. The human brain weights approximately 1.4 kg and is the biggest in the animal kingdom in comparison to the size of the rest of the body.
3. It is a very complex organ that has to control a lot of different functions and behaviours.

Question 2

Structure of the human brain

Answer 2

1. The brain is divided into two halves, one on the left and one on the right known as hemispheres
2. The upper part of the brain is called the cerebrum and this has an outer cortex
3. The brain is able to communicate with the rest of the body through the spinal cord
4. Information passes between the brain and the spinal cord through the brainstem which controls reflexes

Question 3

Hemisphere

Answer 3

Half of the brain

Question 4

Cerebrum

Answer 4

1. the largest part of the brain where higher processing happens
2. It includes the cortex

Question 5

Cortex

Answer 5

1. outer layer of the brain
2. like a “shell” around the outside that has a lot of fold in it to increase its surface area
3. The bumps on the surface are known as gyri and the creases are known as sulci.
4. The large surface area allows it to control more functions

Question 6

Spinal cord

Answer 6

a pathway of nerves inside the spine, which connects the brain to the rest of the body through the peripheral nervous system

Question 7

Brainstem

Answer 7

the part of the brain that connects the spinal cord to the upper brain

Question 8

reflexes

Answer 8

actions that are automatic and do not require conscious thought

Question 9

Key areas of the brain

Answer 9

1. Frontal lobe
2. Temporal lobe
3. Parietal lobe
4. Occipital lobe
5. Cerebellum

Question 10

Frontal lobe

Answer 10

1. the area at the front of the brain responsible for decision-making and impulse control
2. The frontal lobe has an important role in decision-making and impulse control
3. This part of the brain also helps control problem-solving skills and concentration to different activities
4. Towards the back of the frontal love is the motor cortex which is a large area just in front of the central sulcus (crease that separates the frontal lobe from the parietal lobe)
5. The motor cortex plays a key role in the voluntary movements of the human body which are the ones we have to think about before we do them
6. e.g. wanting to kick a ball

Question 11

Temporal lobe

Answer 11

1. the area on the side of the brain that controls hearing and memory
2. The temporal lobe helps with hearing and understand sounds, understanding speech, and creating speech
3. In the temporal lobe, there are important areas involved in both producing and processing sound-based information
4. The temporal lobes are said to contain the auditory cortex
5. There are also areas in the temporal lobe that help to control memory functions

Question 12

Parietal Lobe

Answer 12

1. the area at the top of the brain that plays an important role in perception and sensations of touch
2. the parietal lobe has a big part to play in our ability to understand the world around us (perception)
3. e.g. is gives the ability to recognise faces. Perception of faces requires us to know that the object we see is a face, and then work out whether the face belongs to someone that we already know so that we can understand who they are
4. There is also a large section at the front of the parietal lobe, just behind the central sulcus, that is responsible for our sense of touch. This part of the parietal lobe is known as the somatosensory cortex.

Question 13

Occipital lobe

Answer 13

1. the area at the back of the brain that controls vision
2. the occipital lobe mainly deals with our ability to see
3. It helps us to process visual information from our eyes and also helps to make sense of this information so we understand what we are seeing
4. The lobe is often called the visual cortex because its main job is controlling all things related to processing visual information

Question 14

Cerebellum

Answer 14

1. an area of the brain near to the brainstem that controls motor movements
2. the cerebellum plays a vital role in movement, coordination and balance (motor skills)
3. This part of the brain takes information from the different sense, our spinal cord, and other parts of the brain and combines them to coordinate behaviour
4. e.g. if we are running and see an object, the cerebellum combines this information and sends a message back to the body to move to avoid the object
5. The message is sent via the spinal cord telling us to change direction while helping us keep our balance so we do not fall as we dodge the object