The brain Flashcards
Overview of the brain, regions, and functions
How large is our brain?
1.2-1.5kg
How much of the body’s total energy output goes to the brain?
20%
How much of the cardiac output goes to the brain?
15-20%
How many neurones in the brain?
86 billion
What are the three areas of the brain?
Forebrain (Cerebrum/Cortex); Midbrain; Hindbrain (Cerebellum)
What is the cerebrum made of?
Cortical sheet, a very folded sheet of cells
What are the different sections of the cerebrum?
Frontal lobe, parietal lobe, temporal lobe, occipital lobe
What is the frontal lobe for?
Motor areas, including speech; decision making; higher functions
What is the parietal lobe for?
Integrating visual and sensory information from different sense to build a coherent picture of the world; allows coordination of movements in a complex environment
Where is the somatosensory cortex?
In the parietal lobe
What is the somatosensory cortex?
A tactile map of the opposite side of the body; arranged in an orderly fashion with toes at top, mouth at bottom
What is the temporal lobe for?
Memory; face recognition; object recognition; understanding language
What is the occipital lobe for?
Vision; all input from eyes goes here
What are the different parts of the midbrain?
Basal ganglia, thalamus, brainstem
What is the basal ganglia for?
Group of structures under cortex that play an important role in movement; initiation of movements; selection of appropriate movements; suppression of unwanted movements; eye movements; posture
What is the brainstem for?
Breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, some motor reflexes
What is the cerebellum for?
Monitors and regulates motor behaviour; maintains balance and posture; coordination of voluntary movements; motor learning
Why do gorillas have a smaller brain than humans?
Low calorie diet cannot sustain body mass and as many neurones
What is the implication of a low calorie diet being unable to sustain body mass and neurones?
Humans eating meat has allowed our brains to grow bigger than expected by the general correlation of body weight and brain size
