Transcript Brain powerpoint

VCE Psychology Units 3 & 4
Chapter 4: Central
nervous system
Brain structure and
cognitive processes
Parts of the brain
The central nervous system is
made up of many different
components. The cerebral cortex
is what we usually mean when we
refer to the brain, but it is only one
part.
This presentation will use
structures and divisions to teach
you about different brain
functions.
There are different ways of
approaching this.
Cerebral cortex
Midbrain
Spinal cord
Cerebellum
Source: Brand X
Parts of the brain
If we were to view the brain
from the top, it can be
divided into left and right
hemispheres.
These are joined together by
a band of nerve tissue called
the corpus callosum.
Source: Getty
Corpus callosum
Lobes of the cerebral cortex
Each hemisphere can also be
divided into four lobes:
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frontal lobe
parietal lobe
occipital lobe
temporal lobe.
The lobes contain areas of
the cortex that specialise in
particular functions.
Frontal lobe
The frontal lobe:
• includes the primary motor
cortex which controls
voluntary bodily movements
• performs complex mental
functions
• is involved with attention,
personality, control of
emotions and expression of
emotional behaviour
• also contains Broca’s area,
in the left hemisphere,
which plays a crucial role in
speech production.
Parietal lobe
Parietal lobe:
• includes the primary sensory
cortex, which receives and
processes sensory
information
• is also involved in attention
and spatial reasoning
• liaises with other lobes to
allow us to sense the position
of our body in space.
• A huge part of the primary
sensory cortex is devoted to
sensations of the mouth and
hands.
Temporal and occipital lobes
Temporal lobe:
Occipital lobe:
• contains the primary
auditory cortex, which
receives and processes
sounds from both ears
• is also involved in memory,
visual perception, object
identification and emotional
responses to sensory
information and memories
• also contains Wernicke’s
area, in the left hemisphere,
which is crucial in speech
comprehension.
• contains the primary
visual cortex
• is largely engaged in the
sense of vision, but also
interacts with other lobes
to integrate visual
information with other
information, like memory,
language and sounds.
Lobes of the cerebral cortex
Moving clockwise from the top, label each part of the brain.
1
2
10
3
4
9
5
8
7
6
Hemisphere specialisation
While both hemispheres
are involved in almost all
brain functions,
hemispheres can exert
greater control in clearly
distinguishable functions.
Which do you think is
your dominant
hemisphere?
How could you test
someone’s hemisphere
specialisation?
RAS and thalamus
The reticular activating system
(RAS) is a network of neurons that
extends from the reticular formation
to parts of the brain and spinal cord.
It is largely responsible for our level
of alertness.
The thalamus filters information from
the senses and transmits that
information to the cerebral cortex. It
prioritises and filters this sensory
information. Only smell has a direct
route to the cerebral cortex.
The spinal cord
The spinal cord is made up
of the column of nerve
fibres from the base of the
brain to the lower back. It
receives sensory
information from the body
to transmit to the brain,
and vice versa. It
integrates the central
nervous system and the
peripheral nervous system.
Quick quiz
• Question 1: What are the two cerebral hemispheres connected by?
• Answer: The corpus callosum.
• Question 2: Which parts of the body have the highest proportional
representation on the primary sensory cortex?
• Answer: The hands and the mouth.
• Question 3: Where is Broca’s area located?
• Answer: On the left frontal lobe.
• Question 4: State three cognitive functions of the left hemisphere.
• Answer: Language, analysis, logical reasoning, verbal skills.
• Question 5: Which lobe contains the primary visual cortex?
• Answer: The occipital lobe.
• Question 6: What is the role of the temporal lobe?
• Answer: It is largely involved in auditory processing, but it is also involved in
memory, visual perception and emotional responses.
• Question 7: Which sense bypasses the thalamus and goes directly to the
cerebral cortex?
• Answer: Smell.
• Question 8: What two systems does the spinal cord integrate?
• Answer: Central and peripheral nervous systems.