1st General Lyceum of Zakynthos

Cerebrum and cognitive functions

Antonia Vertzagia

Edited by Sonia Theodoritsi and Christo Gousia

CEREBRUM

The brain:

• The most complicated and biggest part of the nervous system

The main brain is responsible for the higher spiritual functions, the perception, the control of movements and the senses

Composed of neurons which pass messages

Divided in the cerebral hemispheres, the brain system and the cerebellum

FRONTAL LOBE

Basic centers of movementsBasic centers of movements

Left hemisphere: level languages (pension, grammar, vocabulary)

Right hemisphere: non verbal sides of talk (sense of humor, implicit, voice tone, feelings)

PARIETAL LOBE Responsible mainly for analysis of: information extracted from General Senses (temperature,

pain, pressure, touch) TEMPORAL LOBE Responsible for:1. hearing2. perception of complex images3. speech understanding (left hemisphere)4. behavior responsible for motivations and feelings

OCCIPITAL LOBE Main function:1. elaboration2. conclusion 3. interpretation of VISUAL stimulusVISUAL stimulus

STRUCTURAL LEVEL OF ORGANIZATION

CEREBRAL HEMISPHERES (right & left)

the most important part of the brain

Contain helicons and furrows

Connected with the corpus callosum

Each hemisphere is separated in lobes

Is consisted outside of a layer of grey matter and inside there is white matter

Cortex (grey matter) is responsible for the conscious functions

HeliconsHelicons :: elevations that “cover” the outer surface of the cortex of brain

FurrowsFurrows :: small water-courses that separate the helicons

SlotsSlots :: the deepest furrows that separate big areas of the brain, like lobeslobes

heliconsslots

furrows

CEREBRAL HEMISPHERES (right & left)the most important part of the brain

Basal ganglia

connected with the brain cortex, the thalamus and the brain stem

motor controlcognitive processesemotions,learning

Hippocampus

The oldest phylogenetic part of the cortex

Separated in five mattresses of neurons

The cerebral hemispheres consist of three structures:

Amygdala

Located in each hemisphere

coordinate the memory

FUNCTIONAL BRAIN AREAS

MOTOR AREAS: Located in the frontal lobe Motion control of the skeletal muscles back side of the frontal lobe

SENSORY AREAS: There end up the nerve messages from the sensory neurons Creation of senses and feelings front area of the parietal lobe Vision center back side of the occipital lobe Auditory center back side of the temporal lobe Taste, smell and balance centers

AREAS LINKED TO THE ASSOSIATIVE MEMORY: 50% of the brain cortex Related to higher spiritual functions memory, feelings, justification,

judgment, expression