Brain functions

• Meninges:

  • they anchor the brain to the skull
  • inflammation of the meninges is called meningitis
• Cerebrospinal fluid:

  The brain contains four ventricles filled with cerebrospinal fluid (CFS).

  Main functions:

  • supplies the neurones of the brain with oxygen and glucose
  • contains antibodies and white blood cells to resist infection
  • protects against shocks and mechanical injury
• Medulla oblongata function:

  • involved with the control of heart rate, ventilation and blood pressure
  • contains many important centres of the autonomic nervous system
• Cerebellum function:

  • involved with the maintenance of posture, balance and the co-ordination of voluntary muscular activity e.g. writing
• Cerebrum function:

  • controls the body's voluntary behaviour, learning, reasoning, personality, memory and speech
• Limbic system function:

  • the hypothalamus and thalamus interconnect with different areas of the brain, including the hippocampus, forming the limbic system
  • involved in emotion, learning and memory
• Thalamus function:

  • an important relay centre, sending and receiving information to and from the cerebral cortex
• Hypothalamus function:

  • involved in regulating body temperature, blood solute concentration, thirst, hunger and sleep.
  • It is the main controlling region of the Autonomic nervous system and provides a link between the brain and the endocrine systems via the pituitary gland
• Hippocampus function:

  • interacts with other areas of the cortex
  • involved in learning, reasoning and personality
  • it also consolidates memories into a permanent store
• Frontal lobe function:

  • reasoning, planning, part of speech and movement (the motor cortex), emotions and problem solving
• Temporal lobe function:

  • language, learning and memory
• Parietal lobe function:

  • somatosensory functions (the sensory cortex) and taste
• Occipital lobe function:

  • vision