12.1 Brain and Behavioral Changes

• The cortex (the outermost layer of brain cells) is where thinking and voluntary movements begin
• The brain stem is located between the spinal cord and the rest of the brain. Its basic function is to control breathing and sleep;
• The basal ganglia are cluster of structures in the center of the brain that coordinate messages between the other brain areas;
• The cerebellum is located at the base and the back of the brain that is responsible for coordination and balance;
• The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain. It is most important in the learning process, since this is where higher-order functions (e.g. memory and reasoning) takes place.
• Occipital lobes are for sight where the brain’s visual processing system is located.
• The temporal lobes are for hearing, language, and memory.
• The parietal lobes manage the sensation of touch, handwriting, and body position
• the frontal lobes are responsible for motor function, reasoning abilities, problem solving and judgement. All of these are vital for learning to take place
• A neuron or nerve cell is the basic unit of the nervous system and a specialized cell designed to transmit information to other nerve cells, muscle, or gland cells.
• Sensory neurons or afferent neurons carry information from the sensory receptor cells throughout the body to the brain.
• Motor neurons or efferent neurons convey information from the brain to the muscles and glands of the body.
• Interneurons or connecting neurons are responsible for communicating information between different neurons within the central nervous system
• The STM is a volatile region of the brain acting as a receiving center of the overflowing sensory information we encounter every day in our lives.
• The LTM is an immense repository of everything we have experienced in our lives from birth to present.