Structure and functions of the human brain

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a) Draw a diagram to show the structure of the human brain.

b) Outline the function of the following regions of the human brain: medulla oblongata, cerebellum, hypothalamus, pituitary gland, cerebral hemisphere.

Medulla oblongata:

The medulla oblongata contains the neural centres of the autonomic nervous system and therefore controls automatic activities such as breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, swallowing digestion, production of saliva etc.

Cerebellum:

The cerebellum is responsible for unconscious functions such as movement and balance. It receives information from the balance organs in the ears and from receptors in muscles and tendons which indicate how stretched the muscles are. However, the cerebellum does not initiate movements but only controls them. Therefore, a damage of this part of the brain would result in uncoordinated movement.

Hypothalamus:

The hypothalamus basically is the link between the brain and the endocrine system. It produces the hormones which are later secreted by the posterior pituitary gland and stimulates the secretion of hormones from the anterior pituitary gland by nerve impulses.

Pituitary gland:

The pituitary gland is made up of two parts: the anterior pituitary gland and the posterior pituitary gland. The anterior pituitary gland consists of endocrine tissue and secretes hormones like FSH, LH, GH ect. These hormones produced in the anterior pituitary gland are released after a stimulus given from the hypothalamus in the form of neurosecretions and control and regulate many body functions. The posterior pituitary gland does not produce hormones but stores those produced in the hypothalamus. These hormones are ADH (antidiuretic hormone) which regulates the re-uptake of water into the kidneys and oxytocin which causes the uterine wall to contract. After being stimulated by nerve impulses from the hypothalamus the posterior pituitary gland releases these hormones into the bloodstream.

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Cerebral hemisphere:

The cerebral hemisphere is the area in the brain which acts as the integrating centre for high complex functions like learning, emotions and memory and it also controls the body’s voluntary actions. The outer part of the cerebral hemisphere is called the cerebral cortex and is divided into four areas: the sensory area, the motor area, the auditory association area and the visual association area.

c) Explain how animal experiments, brain lesion and FMRI scanning can be used to examine the functioning of the brain.

The brain and the way in which it functions ...

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