areas of the brain (functions)

What function does the Cerebrum have?

• consists of grey matter and white matter.

• contains the lobes of the brain

• produces higher functioning roles e.g. thinking, learning, memory, language, emotion, movement and perception

What function does the brain stem have?

• connects the cerebrum and cerebellum to the spinal cord

• regulates automatic functions e.g. sleep cycles, breathing, body temperature, digestion, coughing, sneezing

What function does the Cerebellum (little brain) have?

• monitors and regulates motor behaviours (especially automatic movements)

• helps regulate posture and balance

still need to make cards for function of thalamus, midbrain, pons, medulla and spinal cord

ok

What is the function of the right hemisphere?

• controls the left side of the body

• associated with visuospatial functions e.g. visualisation, depth perception, and spatial navigation

What is the function of the left hemisphere?

• controls rights side of the body

• language functions

what is the function of the spinal cord

• caries motor information from the brain to the body

• reflexes (pass from neuron to neuron through the spinal cord without direct brain intervention)

what is the function of the midbrain (part of the brainstem)?

• visual information is relayed there

• visual reflexes (e.g. blinking, pupillary constriction)

• some auditory reflexes (e.g. starting at a sudden noise)

what is the function of the cranial nerves ?

• provide motor control

• serve the senses through the optic, olfactory, auditory, facial, glossopharyngeal and Vagus nerves

• control eye movements

what is the function of the diencephalon (subcortical forebrain)

• contains three structures: thalamus, hypothalamus and basal ganglia

• involved in motivation and emotion and awareness

what is the function of the thalamus?

registration of sensory information and control of motor activity

what is the function of the hypothalamus?

influences eating, drinking, sleeping, waking, sexual behaviour, organisation of fight or flight, and response to reward or punishment

what is the function of the basal ganglia?

• Similar functions to the thalamus and hypothalamus

• part of the limbic system (emotions and behaviour)

what is the function of the limbic system? (hippocampus, fornix, amygdala, septal region, cingulate gyrus, and the mammillary bodies with links to the thalamus and hypothalamus)

memory and learning, taming, some aspects of aggression, object recognition, sexual and exploratory behaviour