Functions/Functional Areas of parts of the brain

Precentral gyrus (frontal lobe)

Primary motor cortex directs projections to spinal cord and muscles of the body

Premotor cortex (frontal lobe)

executive function: helps motor planning (posterior) Broca’s area (motor speech control)

Prefrontal cortex (frontal lobe)

emotional, intellectual, behavioral brain (anterior)

Postcentral gyrus (parietal lobe)

Primary sensory cortex (touch) receives sensory input from body

Sensory association cortex (parietal lobe)

helps the primary sensory cortex with sensory interpretation. Wernicke’s area: speech analysis

Auditory cortex (temporal lobe)

interprets sound (auditory/hearing) inputs

Visual cortex (occipital lobe)

interprets visual input from the eyes

Longitudinal fissure (sulcus)

separates the brain into right and left halves along corpus callosum

Transverse fissure (sulcus)

separates cerebrum from cerebellum

Lateral sulcus

separates the frontal lobe from the temporal lobe

Function of sulcus and gyri

increase surface area

Gyri/Gyrus (ridges)

ex: precentral and postcentral gyrus

Corpus callosum

connects the two cerebral hemispheres

What makes us the diencephalon?

thalamus, hypothalamus, epithalamus

Thalamus

sorts and edits all SENSORY information passing into the brain into proper sensory area: parietal, temporal, occipital

Hypothalamus

controls body temperature, hunger, thirst, sexual drives. Direct communication to the pituitary gland (major endocrine gland)

Epithalamus (pineal gland)

secretes melatonin - regulates sleep/wake cycles (circadian rhythm)

What structures make up the brain stem?

cerebral peduncles, mammillary bodies, corpora quadridgemina (superior and inferior colliculi)

Cerebral peduncles

two pillars that connects cerebrum to midbrain and contain descending motor information

Mammillary bodies

part of the hypothalamus, function not entirely clear. Part of emotional brain (limbic system) related to smell

Corpora quadridgemina

superior colliculi - visual reflexes

inferior colliculi - auditory system

What structures make up the brain stem?

mid brain, pons, medulla oblongata

Pons

middle rounded portion of the brainstem. several cranial nerves emanate here, associated with balance, relaxation

Medulla oblongata (pyramids of medulla)

centers for breathing, heartrate, blood pressure, vomiting. contain descending motor information (inferior part of brainstem, spinal cord continues)

Cerebellum

motor coordination, subconscious timing of movement/walking. arbor vitae (white matter that resembles tree branches)

What structures make up the meninges?

dura mater, arachnoid, pia mater

Dura mater

the outermost covering, very tough and durable

Arachnoid

internal to the dura, delicate and web-like

Pia mater

the innermost covering, tightly applied to brain surface

What structures make up the ventricles?

lateral ventricles, third ventricle, fourth ventricle

Lateral ventricles

located in cerebral hemispheres

Third ventricle

housed in diencephalon

Fourth ventricle

housed in brainstem