Mysteries of the Human Brain
| | Click on any part of the brain to learn more about its function. |
| "The art of the brain is to liken and learn, never resist a mystery, and question everything, even itself."
-Diane Ackerman |
The average human brain consumes about twenty percent of the body's energy, however,
only weighs about two percent of the average human's total weight. A person's
brain is divided into two sides. The left side of the brain controls the right
side of the body; and, the right side of the brain controls the left side of
the body. Within these two halves, different areas of the brain are used
for different activities - memory, language, problem-solving, movements, etc. |
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Cerebral Cortex
Frontal Lobe: Most anterior, right under the forehead.
Functions:
How we know what we are doing within our environment (Consciousness).
How we initiate activity in response to our environment.
Judgments we make about what occurs in our daily activities.
Controls our emotional response.
Controls our expressive language.
Assigns meaning to the words we choose.
Involves word associations.
Memory for habits and motor activities.
Observed Problems:
Loss of simple movement of various body parts (Paralysis).
Inability to plan a sequence of complex movements needed to complete multi-stepped
tasks, such as making coffee (Sequencing).
Loss of spontaneity in interacting with others.
Loss of flexibility in thinking.
Persistence of a single thought (Preservation).
Inability to focus on task (Attending).
Mood changes (Emotionally Labile).
Changes in social behavior.
Changes in personality.
Difficulty with problem solving.
Inability to express language (Broca's Aphasia).
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Parietal Lobe:near the back
and top of the head.
Functions:
Location for visual attention.
Location for touch perception.
Goal directed voluntary movements.
Manipulation of objects.
Integration of different senses that allows for understanding a single concept.
Observed Problems:
Inability to attend to more than one object at a time.
Inability to name an object (Anomia).
Inability to locate the words for writing (Agraphia).
Problems with reading (Alexia).
Difficulty with drawing objects.
Difficulty in distinguishing left from right.
Difficulty with doing mathematics (Dyscalculia).
Lack of awareness of certain body parts and/or surrounding space (Apraxia) that
leads to difficulties in self-care.
Inability to focus visual attention.
Difficulties with eye and hand coordination.
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Occipital Lobes: Most posterior, at the back of the head.
Functions:
Vision
Observed Problems:
Defects in vision (Visual Field Cuts).
Difficulty with locating objects in environment.
Difficulty with identifying colors (Color Agnosia).
Production of hallucinations
Visual illusions - inaccurately seeing objects.
Word blindness - inability to recognize words.
Difficulty in recognizing drawn objects.
Inability to recognize the movement of an object (Movement Agnosia).
Difficulties with reading and writing.
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Temporal Lobes: Side of head above ears.
Functions:
Hearing ability
Memory acquisition
Some visual perceptions
Categorization of objects.
Observed Problems:
Difficulty in recognizing faces (Prosopagnosia).
Difficulty in understanding spoken words (Wernicke's Aphasia).
Disturbance with selective attention to what we see and hear.
Difficulty with identification of, and verbalization about objects.
Short-term memory loss.
Interference with long-term memory
Increased or decreased interest in sexual behavior.
Inability to categorize objects (Categorization).
Right lobe damage can cause persistent talking.
Increased aggressive behavior.
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Brain Stem: Deep in Brain, leads to spinal cord.
Functions:
Breathing
Heart Rate
Swallowing
Reflexes to seeing and hearing (Startle Response).
Controls sweating, blood pressure, digestion, temperature (Autonomic Nervous
System).
Affects level of alertness.
Ability to sleep.
Sense of balance (Vestibular Function).
Observed Problems:
Decreased vital capacity in breathing, important for speech.
Swallowing food and water (Dysphagia).
Difficulty with organization/perception of the environment.
Problems with balance and movement.
Dizziness and nausea (Vertigo).
Sleeping difficulties (Insomnia, sleep apnea).
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Cerebellum:
Located at the base of the skull.
Functions:
Coordination of voluntary movement
Balance and equilibrium
Some memory for reflex motor acts.
Observed Problems:
Loss of ability to coordinate fine movements.
Loss of ability to walk.
Inability to reach out and grab objects.
Tremors.
Dizziness (Vertigo).
Slurred Speech (Scanning Speech).
Inability to make rapid movements.
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This page has been created by Senior Honors Institute Fellow James Knupp. |
