Anatomy and Function of the Human Nervous System: A Focus on the Brain, Study notes of Communication

Download Anatomy and Function of the Human Nervous System: A Focus on the Brain and more Study notes Communication in PDF only on Docsity!

The Nervous System

The Brain

The Brain

97% of neural tissue in the human body

~1.4 kg

Brain size varies

Male brains usually bigger than females due to body size

Brain size and intelligence have no correlation (sorry guys)

Cerebral Hemispheres

● Longitudinal Fissure ○ separates left from right hemispheres ● Central Sulcus ○ separates anterior from posterior ● Lateral Sulcus ○ separates superior from inferior ● Corpus Callosum ○ communication fibers that separate the brain

Paritetal Lobe

Perception of senses such as touch, pressure, pain, vibration, taste, and temperature

Occipital Lobe

Visual perception

Right vs. Left

● The left hemisphere controls the right side of the body and the right hemisphere controls the left ● Hemispheric Lateralization ○ each hemisphere is responsible for specific functions

Cerebellum

● Processing center ● Adjusts postural muscles in the body ● Controls conscious and subconscious movements ● Receives and monitors information from the spinal cord ● Cerebellar cortex full of Purkinje Cells

Pons

● Connect cerebellum to the cerebrum ● Relays sensory & motor information ● Can adjust respiratory center in medulla oblongata

Diencephalon

● Thalamus ○ processes sensory information ● Hypothalamus ○ controls emotions, autonomic functions, & hormone production

Gray & White Matter

● The brain appears to be gray and white in color ● Gray coloring is due to non-myelinated neural axons ● White coloring is due to myelinated axons