The Brain Anatomy and Function
The brain is made up of several specialized areas that work together.
Let s explore each area.
The frontal lobe controls executive functions and is one of the sections that makes us human.
It s vital to our consciousness, our use of language, our memory, our motivation, and
our attention span.
Someone who has problems with their frontal lobe may have problems with their short- and
long-term memory, depression, impulse control, and speech.
The motor cortex is in the frontal lobe.
It helps us move our arms, legs, and other body parts.
The parietal lobe is found in the middle of the brain.
It helps us process the information we get from the outside world.
It helps us understand what we touch and taste, and how we tell if it s hot or cold outside.
It also helps us know when we re in pain, if someone or something is pressing down on
us, and how we move about in our world it helps us tell our right from our left.
If someone has an injury to the parietal lobe, they may have problems with time and speed
along with their ability to read, draw, and write.
They may also have difficulties moving around in a space without bumping into things or
have problems understanding right and left.
The occipital lobe affects how we see the world.
It integrates with the other parts of the brain to help us visually process and understand
what we see.
Someone with an injury to the occipital lobe may have problems interpreting what they see
or even getting the visual images.
The temporal lobe helps us create and preserve our memories.
It is also involved with how we process sounds and our sense of smell.
Someone with damage to their temporal lobe may have hearing problems, be overly irritable,
and have problems with their memory.
The cerebellum helps us coordinate our movement and muscles.
It manages all the muscles when we want to walk to our cars, go swimming, or run a marathon.
It s responsible for controlling our balance, muscle tension, equilibrium, and posture.
It also helps us from overusing and damaging our muscles.
Someone with an injury to the cerebellum may have problems walking or moving, be unsteady
on their feet, or have problems with hand-eye coordination.
The thalamus is basically a relay station it sends sensory information including what
we see, hear, touch, and taste onwards to other parts of the brain.
It also integrates sensory information with an emotional response.
It s also critical in regulating our sleeping and waking cycles.
Someone with an injury to the thalamus may experience a state of altered consciousness
or perceptual losses.
The hypothalamus is a very small region in the brain.
Even though it s so small, it plays an important role in regulating our metabolism and it s
the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) integration center.
It regulates our thirst, body temperature, sleep cycles, and appetite.
It also monitors our hormones, blood pressure, fight or flight response, and our emotions.
Someone with an injury to the hypothalamus may have a hormone imbalance, an inability
to control their body temperature, and a decreased ability to adapt
to change.
The epithalamus, or pineal gland, is also called our third eye.
It s sensitive to changes in the light in our surroundings.
It works with other sections of the brain and produces melatonin, which helps control
our body and sleep rhythms.
It may also affect the onset of puberty and it stimulates our immune system when we get
sick.
Someone with an injury to the epithalamus may have problems sleeping due to a lack of
melatonin or have a suppressed immune system.
They may also experience Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and depression.
The limbic system is the oldest part of the cortex.
It includes parts of the temporal, frontal, and parietal lobes.
It s responsible for our emotions, attitudes, motivation, drive, and social bonding; it
influences our sexual activity and biological rhythms; and it integrates our recent memories.
Someone with problems in their limbic system may experience a loss of smell, a loss of
emotional control, problems with sleep and appetite, depression, social bonding, and
memory.
Now, let s look at each part of the limbic system in more detail.
The olfactory bulb processes smells.
It works with other parts of the limbic system to connect smells with emotions.
Someone with problems in this area would experience a loss of the sense of smell.
The amygdala is found in the basal ganglia, which is deep within the temporal lobe.
It s the heart of the limbic system and regulates heartbeat, visceral activity, emotional response,
mood, and our fear response.
Someone with a problem in this part of the brain would experience agitation and a loss
of emotional control.
The hippocampus is critical in organizing long-term and declarative memories.
It s necessary for storing new memories as they occur.
Someone with problems in this area of the brain may not be able to develop new memories.
Alzheimer s disease, epilepsy, and ischemia negatively impact the hippocampus.
Finally, let s wrap up by looking at the brain stem.
The first component of the brain stem is the midbrain.
It has an important role in movement including body posture, equilibrium, and Autonomic Nervous
System (ANS), and body functions including blood pressure, body temperature, emotional
influences, and consciousness.
Someone with problems in this area of the brain may experience a variable loss of consciousness,
abnormal extensor tone, hyperventilation, and cranial nerve deficits.
The pons is the second part of the brain stem and is the central bridge between the descending
tracts from the midbrain to the lower centers, and ascending tracts from the medulla and
the spinal cord.
It affects respiration, chewing, taste, and alertness.
Someone with problems in this part of the brain may experience problems with breathing,
taste, and awakeness.
They may be in a semi-coma or have other problems with alertness.
The medulla is the third part of the brainstem and is the life-sustaining control center.
It controls the heart, respiratory, and vasomotor functions.
It also affects our ability to cough, gag, swallow, vomit, and digest food.
Someone with problems in this area may be comatose or have problems breathing.
They may also not have a gag reflex or be able to cough.
The brain is made up of several specialized areas that work together.
By working together, our brain helps control everything we need for survival.
This completes The Brain - Anatomy and Function.
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