Parts Of The Brain

Our brain is one of the largest and most important organs in our body and serves as a center of our nervous system.

 

Considering its highly important role, we can easily say that the brain is the main complex control center of the human body.

What Is the Brain Made Of?

The wrinkly outer layer of the brain is called the cortex. It covers a large mass of soft nervous tissue consisting of about 86 billion nerve cells called neurons. These comprise the so-called gray matter (40%) and white matter (60%).

 

The gray matter of the brain forms the processing cerebral units where the sensory perceptions are managed, which makes it a part of the brain where most of the rational thinking is performed. It consists of numerous neuronal cell bodies and unmyelinated axons, and serves to process information in the brain.

 

The white matter of the brain consists of nerve fibers called axons, which are extensions of the neurons. Many of these nerve fibers are covered by a protein sheet called myelin, which gives the characteristic white color of 60% of the soft nervous tissue of the brain.

Anatomy and Function of The Parts of the Brain

The human brain is composed of four parts: cerebrum, cerebellum, brainstem, and diencephalon. Being the most delicate organ of the human body, it’s not only protected from the outside, by the skull, but it’s also protected from the inside by a fluid called cerebrospinal fluid.

 

The main functions of the cerebrospinal fluid are to protect the brain, to carry nutrients to the brain, and remove waste from it.

Cerebrum

The cerebrum (forebrain or the big brain) is the part of the brain associated with the processes of thinking and action. It’s located in the front part of the brain where both the left and the right brain hemispheres are located.

 

The cerebrum is made of several more subcortical structures, including the hippocampus, basal ganglia, and olfactory bulb.

 

The cerebrum controls all the voluntary motor activity of our body, which includes:

 

  • Physical movement (the controlling and planning of motor functions)
  • Receiving messages from the senses and turning them into responses
  • The sense of smell, i.e. olfaction
  • Speaking (language and communication)
  • The process of learning
  • Memory
  • Determining personality and intelligence

 

The brain cortex is further divided into four lobes, which are responsible for processing different types of sensory information:

 

 

  • The frontal lobe is located immediately behind the forehead. It controls the overall function of the brain, including the brain centers for voluntary motor functions, concentration, verbal communication, decision-making, planning, short-term memory tasks, and personality. In short, this is the part of the brain that allows us to speak.

 

 

 

  • The occipital lobe is positioned at the back of both brain hemispheres and is responsible for our vision and sight. It receives messages from the eyes and translates them into shapes, colors, objects, etc. Also, it stores visual memories.

 

 

 

  • The parietal lobe is located at the back of the brain, above the temporal lobe and behind the frontal lobe (because it’s divided into two hemispheres). It processes and translates the messages it receives from the five senses (sight, touch, smell, hearing, and taste), and controls the sensory functions (pain, heat, and other sensations) as well.

 

 

 

  • The temporal lobes are, in fact, two symmetrical lobes located behind each of our ears. According to their location, it’s easy to conclude that they are responsible for our hearing. This part of the brain recognizes speech and helps us comprehend what others are saying too. The temporal lobes store short term memory information.

 

Cerebellum

The cerebellum (or the little brain) is located at the back of our brain and is made of two hemispheres. Even though it’s smaller than the cerebrum, it plays an equally important role in the human body.

 

This part of the brain helps us maintain our balance. Through the signals of its receptors, the cerebellum modulates the commands to the motor neurons in order to control the voluntary movements of our body.

 

The coordination of the muscle groups which help our body move is exactly the major function of this part of the brain. It also stores memories of previously learned movement patterns, which is the answer to how we don’t forget how to walk, or certain dance choreographies.

Brainstem

The brainstem is located at the bottom of the brain, and it connects the cerebrum with the spinal cord. Its fundamental functions are:

 

  • breathing (vital control of the lungs)
  • eye movements
  • blood pressure (circulation)
  • functions of the heart
  • swallowing
  • consciousness
  • involuntary muscle movements
  • digestion of food

 

Basically, the brainstem is responsible for all the vital functions of the human body important for a person to stay alive. In this regard, the brainstem coordinates numerous highly important reflexes in order to maintain the body system functional.

Diencephalon

The diencephalon is located at the upper end of the brainstem and is also known as betweenbrain or interbrain. This part of the brain also helps control many different and vital functions of the body. Namely, by receiving signals from the nervous system, the diencephalon interprets the signals which are later received by the pituitary gland (which controls the endocrine system). This interaction results in the excretion of hormones.

 

The diencephalon is composed of the thalamus and the hypothalamus. The thalamus sends and receives signals to and from the brain and body, while the hypothalamus sends signals to the pituitary gland to release hormones.

To Sum Up

The human brain consists of four major brain parts: cerebrum, cerebellum, brainstem, and diencephalon.

 

It is shaped in two hemispheres, i.e. the left and the right part of the brain. They each consist of a corresponding center through which the brain controls and regulates our breathing, movements, blood pressure, bodily posture, learning, our use of language, emotional reactions, problem-solving, as well as our inclinations to arts, music, daydreaming, etc.

Fun Facts

Did you know?

 

  1. Our mind and our brain can be considered as two different parts of the computer, where the mind is the software, while the brain is the hardware of our central nervous system.
  2. The human brain is the most powerful ‘computer’ in the world! It has super-powers such as multitasking, learning foreign languages, controlling our breathing, and probably the most beautiful one – feeling emotions (no mechanical computer in the world can beat THAT!)
  3. While processing sensory information, our brain actually produces enough electricity to power a light bulb! No wonder we feel like our head is ‘on fire’ after long hours spent studying!
  4. It would take over 3.000 years to count all the tiny, little neurons which construct our brain!
  5. Even when we sleep, our brain never stops working! It stays awake to control and manage all the bodily systems, such as breathing, digestion, body movements, heartbeat rate, blood pressure, etc.
  6. However, sleep is highly beneficial for our brain, because the sleep phase helps with the removal of the toxins that accumulate in the brain during the wake phase.
  7. The left side of the brain controls the right side of the body, and vice versa.
  8. Our brain consists of over 80% fat, which makes it the fattest organ in the human body!
  9. The length of the blood vessels in the human brain amounts to nearly 100,000 miles!
  10. Even though the brain is one of the most tender organs in the human body, and it controls the sensory processes, it feels no pain. This is due to the lack of nerves in its construction.