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If the human brain were so simple that we could understand it, we would be so simple that we couldnt
-Emerson Pugh, The Biological Origin of Human Values (1977)
Phineas Gage
September 13th, 1848 Phineas 25 years old Rutland & Burlington Railroad, Cavendish, VT Paving the way for new RR tracks Tamping Iron
1.25in x 3ft
Phineas Gage
Accident
Quick Recovery
The Brain
Brainstem
responsible for automatic survival functions
Medulla
controls heartbeat and breathing
amygdala
hippocampus
pituitary
Reticular Formation
Widespread connections Arousal of the brain as a whole Reticular activating system (RAS) Maintains consciousness and alertness Functions in sleep and arousal from sleep
The Cerebellum
helps coordinate voluntary movement and balance
helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland linked to emotion
(show video)
The Brain
Thalamus the brains sensory switchboard, located on top of the brainstem it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla
Sensory
Auditory
Vision
Parietal Lobes
include the sensory cortex
Temporal Lobes
include the auditory areas, each of which receives auditory information primarily from the opposite ear
Frontal (Forehead to top) Motor Cortex Parietal (Top to rear) Sensory Cortex Occipital (Back) Visual Cortex Temporal (Above ears) Auditory Cortex
Motor/Sensory Cortex
Contralateral Homunculus Unequal representation
Figure 13.10
Brocas Area
an area of the left frontal lobe that directs the muscle movements involved in speech
Wernickes Area
an area of the left temporal lobe involved in language comprehension and expression
Language Areas
Broca Expression Wernicke Comprehension and reception Aphasias
LEFT HEMISPHERE
Suggested localization
Brain Lateralization
RIGHT
Spatial perception Overall picture Context, metaphor
Brain Plasticity
Brain Plasticity
The ability of the brain to reorganize neural pathways based on new experiences Persistent functional changes in the brain represent new knowledge Age dependent component Brain injuries
Impoverished environment
Enriched environment
Sensation
The process by which the central nervous system receives input from the environment via sensory neurons Bottom up processing
Perception
The process by which the brain interprets and organizes sensory information Top-down processing
Hearing mechanical
Temporal lobe
Touch mechanical
Sensory cortex
Taste chemical
Gustatory insular cortex
Smell chemical
Olfactory bulb Orbitofrontal cortex Vomeronasal organ?
parts
Parietal lobe
Temperature heat
Thermoreceptors throughout the body, sensory cortex
Nociception pain
Nociceptors throughout the body, sensory cortex
The Retina
The retina at the back of the eye is actually part of the brain!