The Human Brain:

Anatomy,
Functions,
Brain Anatomy
• Skull Anatomy •The Limbic System
• Interior Skull Surface •Cerebellum
• Blood Vessels of the •Thalamus
Brain •Hypothalamus
• Arteries of the Brain •The Medulla Oblongata
• The Neuron •The Pons
• The Meninges •The Ventricles
• External Brain Structures •Cerebrospinal Fluid
• The Cerebrum •The Brainstem
• The Cerebrum – The •Brainstem Components
Cortex •Brainstem Divisions
• The Neocortex •The Cranial Nerves
• Lobes of the Cerebrum
• Frontal Lobe
• Temporal Lobe
• Parietal Lobe
• Occipital Lobe
• Limbic Lobe
Skull Anatomy
The skull is a rounded layer of
bone designed to protect the brain
from penetrating injuries.

Blood Vessels of the Skull

Rough Interior of Skull
Blood Vessels of the Skull
The brain requires a rich blood
supply, and the space between
the skull and cerebrum contains
many blood vessels.
These blood vessels can be
ruptured during trauma,
resulting in bleeding.

Groove for middle

meningeal artery
Arteries of the Brain
The human brain requires a
constant supply of oxygen. A
lack of oxygen of just a few
minutes results in irreversible
damage to the brain.
The Brain

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External Brain Structures
The Cerebrum
The largest portion of the brain
is the cerebrum. It consists of
two hemispheres that are
connected together at the
corpus callosum. Corpus callosum
The cerebrum is often divided
into five lobes that are
responsible for different brain
functions.
The Cerebrum
Neocortex

The cerebrum’s surface—the

neocortex—is convoluted into
hundreds of folds.
The neocortex is where all the
higher brain functions take place.
The cerebrum p. 281

is divided into two cerebral hemispheres

has an outer surface,

or CORTEX,

made of “gray matter”

www.laskerfoundation.org

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The Neocortex
The cerebral cortex is a thin layer of cells about 1.5 to
4 mm thick.
The cortex provides the connections and pathways
for the highest cognitive functions, such as language
and abstract thinking.
The cerebral cortex contains about 25 billion neurons,
more than 62,000 miles of axons, and
300,000,000,000,000 synapses.

Neocortex layer

The thin layer of the

neocortex is dense
with neurons.
The cerebral cortex p. 281

is divided into parts called lobes:

2. the frontal lobe
3. the parietal lobe
4. the temporal lobe
5. the occipital lobe

www.colorado.edu

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Lobes of the Cerebrum Limbic Lobe

Frontal Lobe

Parietal Lobe

Occipital Lobe
Temporal Lobe
Frontal Lobe
The frontal lobe is the area of
the brain responsible for
higher cognitive functions.
These include:
• Problem solving
• Spontaneity
• Memory
• Language
• Motivation
• Judgment
• Impulse control
• Social and sexual behavior.
The frontal lobe p. 282

• is the center for voluntary movement

• is called the “motor area” (movement)
• includes the prefrontal area,
for intelligence, creativity, memory, and
ideas. 15
The temporal lobe p. 282

• processes auditory (hearing)

information
• stores auditory (hearing) and visual
(seeing) memories
• includes Broca’s speech area

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Temporal Lobe
The temporal lobe plays a
role in emotions, and is
also responsible for
smelling, tasting,
perception, memory,
understanding music,
aggressiveness, and
sexual behavior.
The temporal lobe also
contains the
language area of the
brain.
The parietal lobe p. 282

Collects, recognizes, and organizes

sensations:
feelings of
pain
temperature
touch
position
movement 18
Parietal Lobe
The parietal lobe plays a
role in our sensations of
touch, smell, and taste. It
also processes sensory
and spatial awareness,
and is a key component
in eye-hand co-ordination
and arm movement.
The parietal lobe also
contains a specialized
area called Wernicke’s
area that is responsible
for matching written
words with the sound of
spoken speech.
The occipital lobe p. 282

is at the back of the cerebral

hemisphere
involves

vision
visual memory
eye movements

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Occipital Lobe
The occipital lobe is at
the rear of the brain
and controls vision and
recognition.
Limbic Lobe
The limbic lobe is
located deep in the
brain, and makes up
the limbic system.
The Limbic System
The limbic system is the
area of the brain that
regulates emotion and
memory. It directly
connects the lower and
higher brain functions.

A. Cingulate gyrus
B. Fornix
C. Anterior thalamic
nuclei
D. Hypothalamus
E. Amygdaloid nucleus
F. Hippocampus
Side to side? p. 282

The
The right
-
hemisphere left
controls the left
side of the body! hemisphere
controls the
right
side of the
body! 24
Cerebellum
The cerebellum is connected to the
brainstem, and is the center for
body movement and balance.

Click image to play or pause video

The cerebellum p. 281

coordinates muscle activity.

has three parts:
the vermis
the right cerebellar hemisphere
the left cerebellar hemisphere

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 The diencephalon p. 281

• is located between the midbrain

and the cerebrum
• has three parts:
• the thalamus: receives sensory
information and sends it to the
cerebral cortex.
• the epithalamus: contains the
pineal body and olfactory centers.
• the hypothalamus: connects the
endocrine and nervous systems.
p://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/A/anatomy_and_physiology.html
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Thalamus
Thalamus means “inner room” in Greek,
as it sits deep in the brain at the top of
the brainstem.
The thalamus is called the gateway to
the cerebral cortex, as nearly all
sensory inputs pass through it to the
higher levels of the brain.
Hypothalamus
The hypothalamus sits under the thalamus at
the top of the brainstem. Although the
hypothalamus is small, it controls many critical
bodily functions:
• Controls autonomic nervous system
• Center for emotional response and behavior
• Regulates body temperature
• Regulates food intake
• Regulates water balance and thirst
The hypothalamus is
• Controls sleep-wake cycles shaded blue. The pituitary
gland extends from the
• Controls endocrine system
hypothalamus.
The hypothalamus p. 281

connects the endocrine and nervous

systems.
controls
the autonomic nervous system
body temperature
carbohydrate and fat metabolism
appetite
emotions
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The Medulla Oblongata
The medulla oblongata merges
seamlessly with the spinal cord and
creates the base of the brainstem.
The medulla is primarily a control
center for vital involuntary reflexes
such as swallowing, vomiting,
sneezing, coughing, and regulation of
cardiovascular and respiratory activity.
The medulla is also the origin of many
cranial nerves.
The Pons
The pons is the rounded
brainstem region between the
midbrain and the medulla
oblongata. In fact, pons means
“bridge” in Latin.
The main function of the pons is
to connect the cerebellum to the
rest of the brain and to modify the
respiratory output of the medulla.
The pons is the origin of several
cranial nerves.
The Ventricles
The ventricles are a complex
series of spaces and tunnels
through the center of the brain.
The ventricles secrete
cerebrospinal fluid, which
suspends the brain in the skull.
The ventricles also provide a
route for chemical messengers
that are widely distributed through
the central nervous system. Click image to play or pause video
Cerebrospinal Fluid
Cerebrospinal fluid is a colorless
liquid that bathes the brain and spine.
It is formed within the ventricles of the
brain, and it circulates throughout the
central nervous system.
Cerebrospinal fluid fills the ventricles
and meninges, allowing the brain to
“float” within the skull.

Click image to play or pause video

The Brainstem
The brainstem is the most
primitive part of the brain and
controls the basic functions of
life: breathing, heart rate,
swallowing, reflexes to sight or
sound, sweating, blood
pressure, sleep, and balance.
The brainstem can be divided Click image to play or pause video

into three major sections.

Detailed brainstem anatomy.
Parts of the brainstem p. 280

• pons: connects the medulla oblongata, the

cerebellum, and cerebrum
• midbrain: contains auditory (hearing), visual (sight),
and muscle control centers.
• medulla oblongata: lowest and most posterior
(at the back of the brain)

The hindbrain includes the pons and the

medulla.
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The brainstem

www.daviddarling.info/images/brainstem.jpg

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Brainstem Components

Front

More Information: Rear

Medulla
Thalamus
Pons
Brainstem Divisions

Midbrain

Pons

Medulla Oblongata
The pons (the bridge) p. 280

Connects the medulla oblongata,

cerebellum, and cerebrum
Associates with sensory nerves: taste, hearing, and
balance.
Controls muscles of the face.

40
The medulla oblongata p. 280

controls
– alertness
– heart action
– respiration (breathing)
– blood pressure

connects the CEREBRUM with the SPINAL

CORD
– the RIGHT side of the brain controls the LEFT side of the
body.
– the LEFT side of the brain controls the RIGHT side of41the
body.
The midbrain p. 280

controls
vision
hearing
muscles

42
The Cranial Nerves
I. Olfactory nerve
II. Optic nerve
III. Oculomotor nerve
IV. Trochlear nerve
V. Trigeminal nerve
VI. Abducens nerve
VII. Facial nerve
VIII. Vestibulocochlear nerve
IX. Glossopharyngeal nerve
X. Vagus nerve
XI. Accessory nerve
XII. Hypoglossal nerve
Brain Functions
• Vision
• Taste
• Cognition
• Emotion
• Speech
• Language
• Hearing
• Motor Cortex
• Sensory Cortex
• Autonomic Functions
Vision
The visual cortex resides in the
occipital lobe of the brain.
Sensory impulses travel from
the eyes via the optic nerve to
the visual cortex.
Damage to the visual cortex
can result in blindness.
Taste
The gustatory complex
(green circle) is the part
of the sensory cortex
(purple area) that is
responsible for taste.
Cognition
The prefrontal cortex is
involved with intellect,
complex learning, and
personality.
Injuries to the front lobe
can cause mental and
personality changes.
Emotion Prefrontal cortex

Emotions are an extremely

complex brain function. The
emotional core of the brain is the
limbic system. This is where
senses and awareness are first
processed in the brain.
Mood and personality are
mediated through the
prefrontal cortex. This part of the
brain is the center of higher
cognitive and emotional Limbic system
functions.
Speech Broca’s Area

Broca’s area is where we

formulate speech and the
area of the brain that sends
motor instructions to the
motor cortex.
Injury to Broca’s area can
cause difficulty in speaking.
The individual may know
what words he or she wishes
to speak, but will be unable
to do so.
Language Auditory Association Area

Wernicke’s area is a
specialized portion of the
parietal lobe that recognizes
and understands written and
spoken language.
Wernicke’s area surrounds the
auditory association area.
Damage to this part of the
brain can result in someone
hearing speech, but not
Wernicke’s Area
understanding it.
Hearing
There are two auditory
areas of the brain:
• The primary auditory
area (brown circle) is what
detects sounds that are
transmitted from the ear. It
is located in the
sensory cortex.
• The auditory association
area (purple circle) is the
part of the brain that is
used to recognize the
sounds as speech, music,
or noise.
Motor Cortex
The motor portion of the
cerebrum is illustrated here. The
light red area is the premotor
cortex, which is responsible for
repetitive motions of learned
motor skills. The dark red area is
the primary motor area, and is
responsible for control of
skeletal muscles.
Different areas of the brain are
associated with different parts of
the body.
Injury to the motor cortex can
result in motor disturbance in the
associated body part.
Sensory Cortex
The sensory portion of the
cerebrum is illustrated here.
Different areas of the brain are
associated with different parts of
the body, as can be seen below.
Injury to the sensory cortex can
result in sensory disturbance in
the associated body part.
Autonomic Functions
The brainstem controls the basic
functions of life. Damage to these
areas of the brain are usually
fatal:
•The pons plays a critical role in
respiration.
•The medulla oblongata is
responsible for respiration and
cardiovascular functions. Pons

Medulla Oblongata
Bibliography
The following are excellent resources and were the basis of the anatomical and
functional components of this presentation:
• The Human Brain: An Introduction to Its Functional Anatomy, Fifth Edition. John
Nolte, Mosby, 2002. ISBN: 0-323-01320-1 Purchase Here
• Coping with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. Dr. Diane Stoler, Avery Penguin Putnam,
1998. ISBN: 0895297914 Purchase Here
• Human Anatomy and Physiology, Fifth Edition. Elaine N. Marieb,
Benjamin/Cummings, 2000. ISBN: 0805349898. Purchase Here