Parts of the Brain

• Three main parts of the brain: Forebrain, Midbrain, and Hindbrain
• The forebrain is the most complex and largest part of the brain. It is responsible for a higher level of behavior in speaking and thinking. It also functions as the processor and receptor of sensory information like thought, perception, memory, and speech.
• Three main parts of the forebrain: Cerebrum, Thalamus, and Hypothalamus
• Cerebrum is the top part of the brain. It receives and gives meaning to information from the sense organs and controls the body. The cerebrum is also involved in functions like memory, reasoning, and emotional control.
• The surface of the cerebrum has a folded membrane called Cerebral cortex. It contains 100 billion nerve cells. The color of the bodies of nerve cells is grey why it’s called grey matter, between the neurons long connecting a fiber, which is called grey matter.
• Lobes of the cerebrum: Frontal, Temporal, Parietal, and Occipital
• Parietal lobe is located immediately behind the frontal lobe and is involved in processing information from the body’s senses. It contains the somatosensory cortex, which is essential for processing sensory information from across the body, such as touch, temperature, and pain.
• Temporal lobe is located on the side of the head (temporal means “near the temples”), and is associated with hearing, memory, emotion, and some aspects of language.
• Occipital lobe is located at the very back of the brain and contains the primary visual cortex, which is responsible for interpreting incoming visual information.
• The frontal lobe is the front-most part of your brain. It's responsible for control over many abilities, including the way you think, how you move, and how you remember things. It's also a key part in your social skills, and helps you understand and control how you talk, behave, and interact with others.
• The thalamus acts as a gatekeeper for messages passed between the spinal cord and the cerebral hemispheres. It's known as a relay station of all incoming motor (movement) and sensory information — hearing, taste, sight, and touch (but not smell) — from your body to your brain.
• The hypothalamus controls emotions. It also regulates your body's temperature and controls crucial urges — such as eating or sleeping. It helps produce hormones that regulate heart rate, body temperature, hunger, and the sleep-wake cycle.
• Midbrain connects the forebrain with the hindbrain. It plays an important function and works as a relay station for messages coming into the brain, also plays an important role in seeing, movement, and hearing.
• The hindbrain coordinates functions that are fundamental to survival, including respiratory rhythm, motor activity, sleep, and wakefulness.
• Three major parts of the hindbrain: Medulla Oblongota, Pons, and Cerebellum
• Medulla Oblongata: It contains fiber and nerve cells, which are important in reflex activities such as heart rate, blood pressure, etc. It also acts as a relay station. It contains many tracts of fiber that originate in the higher areas of the brain and carry command to the nerve cells in the spinal cord.
• Pons: This system controls the body's "automatic" functions, or things you do without thinking of, like breathing and digesting. The main functions of the pons deal with sensation and motor function, especially for the head and neck.
• List the 3 types of neurotransmitters: Amino acids, Monoamines, and Acetylcholine
• Neurotransmitters under Amino acids:

  • Glutamate (excitatory)
  • Aspartate (excitatory)
  • Glycine (inhibitory)
  • Gamma-aminobutyric acid(inhibitory)
• Neurotransmitters under Monoamines:

  • Dopamine (reward, movement, motivation)
  • Epinephrine (fight-or-flight response)
  • Norepinephrine (fight-or-flight response)
  • Serotonin (mood, sleep, appetite)