The Brain, Spinal Cordand Senses

The Brain• Your brain is the body’s major control center.• It enables you to:

– Analyze situations, communicate, create, feel and learn.

• Approximately the size of your two fists together.• Approximately 2-3 lbs• Uses 20-25% of the body’s energy.• Contains over 100 billion neurons

Parts of the Brain

• Cranium surrounds the brain– Protects the brain from injury

• 3 major parts:1.Cerebrum2.Cerebellum3.Brain Stem

Cerebrum

Brain Stem

Cerebellum

The Cerebrum• Largest part of the brain

• Stores memory• Responsible for: thinking, communication and

learning

• Split into 2 hemispheres:– Left = Logical Reasoning

• mathematics

– Right = Creativity• art

The Cerebellum• Located in the lower back of your brain• Responsible for balance and coordination• Latin for “little brain”

Cerebellum

The Brain Stem• Connects the brain and spinal cord• Controls involuntary , autonomic, actions:

• Breathing, blood pressure & heart beat.

• Made up of 3 smaller structures:– Medulla – Pons– Midbrain

Brain Stem

Other Brain Structures• Hypothalamus

– Function: Body Temperature, Emotions, Hunger, Thirst, sleep/wake cycles

• Thalamus– Function: Sensory Processing,

Movement

• Amygdala– Function: Emotions

Thalamus

Hypothalamus

Amygdala

Spinal Cord

• Connects the brain to the rest of the body.• As thick as a pencil.• 43 cm long.• Protected by 33 irregularly shaped vertebrae

– Protect the spinal cord from injury• If cut or damaged, paralysis can occur.

– The loss of movement and feeling from the point of damage down.

The Spinal Cord

Spinal Cord

Spinal Nerve

Disc

Vertebra

Vertebra

The Senses

• 5 Senses:– Smell, sight, hearing, taste and touch

• Functions:– Connect people with the outside world– Enrich people’s everyday lives and experiences.– Help make people aware of the things around

them.

• Senses give the brain information and the brain turns this into a perception.

How Senses Work

• Sense organs have sensory receptors.– Sensitive to specific types of energy.

• Sensory receptors change the energy given off by a stimuli into electrical impulses that are sent to the brain.

• The brain then processes these impulses into a sight, a sound, a taste, a smell, or a touch.

The Senses and Energy

Sense Sense Organ Energy Detected

Sight Eyes Light Energy

Hearing Ears Mechanical Energy

Smell Nose Chemical Energy

Taste Tongue Chemical Energy

Touch Skin Mechanical, Chemicaland Thermal Energy

Ben Underwood Movie – 10 min

Optical Illusions

Optical Illusions

Optical Illusions

Optical Illusions

Optical Illusions

http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/illusion/illusions.htm

Optical Illusions

http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/illusion/illusions.htm

Optical Illusions

http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/illusion/illusions.htm

Optical Illusions

http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/illusion/illusions.htm

Optical Illusions

http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/illusion/illusions.htm

Optical Illusions

http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/illusion/illusions.htm

Optical Illusions

http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/illusion/illusions.htm

Optical Illusions

http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/illusion/illusions.htm

Optical Illusions

Optical Illusions

Optical Illusions

http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/illusion/illusions.htm

Optical Illusions

http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/illusion/illusions.htm

Optical Illusions

http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/illusion/illusions.htm

Optical Illusions

http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/illusion/illusions.htm