Basic Introduction to the human brain. Aimed at Yr 9 Science students (14-15 year olds)

2.  the weight of an
average human brain
is about 1300-1400g
 The brain represents
only 2% of your
weight
 it uses 20% of the
oxygen
consumption, and up
to 25% of the glucose
in your body

3.  The Brain is made up of 3 sections:
 The Brain Stem
 The Cerebellum
 The Cerebrum

6.  Connects the brain to your spinal
cord.
 The Brain Stem controls essential
functions:
 Breathing
 Heart Rate
 Body Temperature
 Pain
 Hunger.

7.  The Cerebellum controls:
 Balance
 Movement
 Co-ordination of muscles

8.  Is the largest, most highly
developed part of the human
brain.
 It makes up ~85% of the brain.
 The Cerebrum controls:
 Cognitive Function (Thinking)
 Perception
 Imagination
 Decision Making

9.  The cortex is roughly
symmetrical between left
and right sections called
hemispheres.
 The left hemisphere is
associated with the right side
of the body and vice versa.
 Usually the left hemisphere
dominates as it contains the
centres for language and
reasoning.

10.  Each of the hemispheres is divided into four
lobes: frontal, parietal, occipital and temporal.

11.  Concerned with:
 Reasoning,
 Planning,
 Parts of speech and movement (motor cortex),
 Emotions, and
 Problem-solving.

12.  Concerned with:
 Perception of stimuli related to
touch, pressure, temperature and pain.
 Knowledge of numbers and their relations
 The manipulation of objects

13.  It is primarily devoted to controlling vision.

14.  Concerned with:
 perception and recognition of auditory stimuli
(hearing)
 memory (hippocampus).

16.  One French man seems to be managing fine with
just a small fraction of his actual brain.
 In fact the man has succeeded in living an entirely
normal life despite a huge fluid-filled cavity taking
up most of the space where his brain should be.
 Tests showed that the man's IQ is 75 -- the average
is 100 -- but he was not considered physically or
mentally disabled.
 His condition had not impared his development or
his socialization. He is married with two children
and works in the tax office.