Physcology Brain Functions

Cerebrum

The largest part of the brain responsible for higher functions such as thinking, reasoning, emotions, and voluntary muscle movements.

Frontal Lobe

Controls decision-making, problem-solving, movement, personality, and speech production.

Parietal Lobe

Processes sensory information like touch, temperature, and pain; also helps with spatial awareness.

Temporal Lobe

Involved in hearing, memory, and understanding language.

Occipital Lobe

Processes visual information including sight and object recognition.

Cerebellum

Coordinates voluntary movements such as balance, posture, and fine motor skills.

Brainstem

Controls basic life-sustaining functions like breathing, heart rate, and sleep cycles.

Thalamus

Acts as the brain's relay station, sending sensory and motor signals for processing.

Hypothalamus

Regulates body temperature, hunger, thirst, sleep, emotions, and hormone release.

Amygdala

Plays a key role in emotions, particularly fear and pleasure.

Hippocampus

Critical for memory formation and spatial navigation.

Who was Phineas Gage?

A railroad worker who survived a traumatic brain injury that changed his personality.

Impact of Phineas Gage's injury

Demonstrated the role of the frontal lobe in personality and social behavior.

Left Brain Functions

Focuses on logic, language, and analytical tasks.

Right Brain Functions

Handles creativity, emotions, and spatial awareness.

Executive Functions

Higher-order cognitive processes involving decision-making, planning, and reasoning.

Motor Control in the Frontal Lobe

Responsible for voluntary movements of muscles.

Somatosensory Cortex

Processes sensory information from the body.

Auditory Cortex

Responsible for processing sound, located in the temporal lobe.

Wernicke's Area

Responsible for understanding language, located in the left temporal lobe.

Visual Cortex

Responsible for processing visual information, located in the occipital lobe.

Specialized Functions of Brain Lobes

Different lobes manage various tasks such as thinking, sensory processing, and motor control.