Free Essay

Tour of the Brain

In:

Submitted By Voodoonfla
Words 718
Pages 3
A Tour of the Brain
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Rasmussen College

Author Note This paper is being submitted on XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX General Psychology.

A Tour of the Brain
The brain is the control center of the human body. It is protected by the skull and is made up of three main parts, the cerebrum, the cerebellum and the Brainstem. The brain is the boss of the body, it runs the show and controls just about everything one does, even when one’s asleep. (Kidshealth, n.d.) During this brief tour guide of the brain, one will see how the brain fits into the Central Nervous System, how the main parts work together, and what would happen if one of those main parts were damaged.
In humans, the nervous system is divided into the central nervous system (CNS), which consist of the brain and spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system (PNS), which contains all the nerves that run everywhere in the body. The brain and the spinal cord serve as the main processing center for the entire nervous system, and control all the workings of the human body. They work together to let messages flow back and forth between the brain and the body.
The biggest part of the brain is cerebrum. The cerebrum is the thinking part of the brain and it controls the voluntary muscles, the ones that move when you want them to. When one is thinking hard, trying to solve a math problem or trying to figure out a video game, one is using the cerebrum. (Kidshealth, n.d.) The cerebrum is made up two sides, the left and right hemispheres. The right half of the cerebrum controls the left side of the body and the left side controls the right side. These two are connected by long neuron branches called the Corpus Callosum. Each hemisphere has four lobes; The frontal lobe is associated with reasoning, planning, movement, emotions and problem solving. The parietal lobe is associated with tactile sensory information such as pressure, touch, and pain. The temporal lobe is associated with the auditory stimuli, memory, and speech. The occipital lobe is associated with visual processing. The cerebrum has many different functions; it’s involved in shaping our personality, feelings, and perception and handling motor functions and sensory interpretation. (Terfera, n.d.)
The cerebellum, or “little brain,” is in the back of the brain, below the cerebrum. It’s a lot smaller than the cerebrum but has an important job; it controls balance, movement, and coordination. Because of the cerebellum, one can stand upright, keep a balance, and move around. (Terfera, n.d.) Think about a surfer riding the waves on his board, he mostly needs the cerebellum to stay balanced.
Directly below the cerebrum and behind the cerebellum, lies the brainstem. Although it’s a small part of the brain, it has a very mighty job; it connects the rest of the brain to the spinal cord. The brain stem is in charge of all the functions the body needs to stay alive, like breathing, digesting food, and circulating blood, etc. Part of the brain stem’s job is to control involuntary muscles, the ones that work automatically. There are involuntary muscles in the heart, and it’s the brain stem that tells your heart to pump more blood when running. The brain stem also sorts through the millions of messages that the brain and the rest of the body sends back and forth. (Kidshealth, n.d.)
The brain has many parts working together to keep one alive and fully functioning but if one of the main part was damaged, it could have serious implications. For example: When a person is pronounced “brain dead,” it means that the brain stem is still functioning, enabling basic functions to continue, but the cerebrum is no longer intact. When all the parts are functioning normally, one has the ability to dance, cry, and solve problems. On the other hand, if one of those parts were damaged, it could prevent speech, sight, and even comprehension.

References
Terfera, D., & Jegtvig, S. (n.d.). The anatomy of the human brain. Retrieved April 26, 2013, from http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/the-anatomy-of-the-human-brain.html
Your brain and nervous system. (2013, January). Retrieved April 26, 2013, from http://kidshealth.org/kid/htbw/brain.html

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

A Tour of the Brain

...A Tour of the Brain Michelle Luman Rasmussen College Author’s Note: This paper is being submitted on April 27, 2013, for Dana Greiner’s G148/PSY1012 Section 04 General Psychology course. The brain is a marvelous, yet fragile thing. It keeps us going, it takes care of us. If it wasn’t for the brain we would not be who we are today. On this tour we will cover the span of two hemispheres, three major parts of the brain and everything in between. So buckle up and follow along as we follow the intense roadmap of the human brain. As we travel up the spinal cord and jump over to the brainstem, you can see that this part of the brain helps to regulate your reflexes, and controls your heart and lungs. Thanks to this special part of your brain, your doctor can check your reflexes by lightly tapping sensitive areas of your body like your knee, wrist and elbow to make sure you are responding correctly. As long as your brainstem is intact, this is a test you will always pass! Have you ever wondered why you become aroused? Yes it helps to have a partner you are attracted to, but thanks to that part up there, the reticular formation, you are able to become physically and mentally aroused. The reticular formation runs through your brainstem and connects to your spinal cord; it helps to screen information as you receive it. You may ask, “What is wrapped around the reticular formation?” Well, that would be your medulla, thanks to her you are able to breathe and have your heart beat...

Words: 953 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

A Tour of the Brain

...A Tour of the Brain Nicole Wegner Rasmussen College Author Note This paper is being submitted on July 22, 2014 for Clint Powell’s G148 General Psychology course. A Tour of the Brain I feel there are five major parts of the human brain. These parts are the lobes, brain stem, limbic system, cerebrum, and cerebellum. I would like to take you on a tour of the brain to discuss these parts. We will go over their functions, and the things that contribute to each major part. We will also look at how important the brain is to the central nervous system, and what might happen if you incur damage to a part of your brain. Let us start by looking at the cerebrum, which makes up about 80% of the brain by weight. The cerebrum is the covered by a sheet of neural tissue known as the cerebral cortex. The cerebral cortex houses the thalamus, hypothalamus, and pituitary gland. The thalamus is responsible for relaying information from the brain stem and spinal cord to the cerebral cortex. The hypothalamus and pituitary gland control functions like body temperature, sexual response, aggression, and pleasure. The cerebral cortex also holds about 90% of the of the brain’s neurons. The cerebral cortex is made up of four lobes. The frontal lobe is responsible for conscious thought and higher mental functions like, decision making. It also plays an important part in processing short-term memories, and retaining long-term memories. The parietal lobe integrates sensory information from the...

Words: 666 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Tour of the Brain. Phyco 101

...“Welcome To The Brain” Welcome boys and girls to the tour of the brain. The human brain is unique. It is part of your central nervous system which contains billions or nerve cells and trillions of support cells. The brain is the central computer that controls all bodily functions; the nervous system relays messages from the brain to different parts of the body. It gives us the power to think, plan, speak, and imagine. It controls body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing. The brain also accepts information about the world around you from your five senses. It handles physical motion when walking, standing or sitting, and it lets you think, dream, reason, and experience emotions. The brain has five key parts that work together to make your brain function; the cerebrum, cerebellum, brain stem, pituitary gland, and the hypothalamus. All this fits inside your brain which is about the size of a head of cauliflower. The cerebrum is the biggest part of your brain; it makes up about 85% of your brains weight. It is the thinking part of your brain and it controls your voluntary muscles. Your memory is also part of your cerebrum, both short-term and long-term. The cerebrum is divided into two hemispheres. The right hemisphere helps you with music, colors and shapes. The left hemisphere helps you with math logic and speech. The cerebellum is at the back the brain right below the cerebrum. The cerebellum processes input from other areas of the brain, spinal cord and...

Words: 390 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Lance Gunderson Research Paper

...In 1993 Lance won three races known as “The Triple Crown”. 1993 was also a big year for Armstrong as he competed in his first Tour de France where he won the eighth stage before eventually pulling out of the competition. In August of 93’, Lance became the youngest person ever to win the World Road Race Championship which was held in Oslo, Norway. In 1995 Lance finally won the Tour DuPont. At the Tour DuPont in 1996 Armstrong set several records, including largest margin of victory and fastest average speed in a time trial. Armstrong competed at the 1996 Olympic Games held in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The highest he placed in any event was sixth place. In the fall of 96’, Lance signed a new contract deal with Team Cofidis who were based out of...

Words: 1075 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Ied's: Are They Changing Warfare?

...Candi Franks ENGL 1302 Rochelle Gregory 11/15/2013 Improvised Explosive Devices: Are They Changing Warfare? A year ago I lost my husband, a U.S. Marine, to brain cancer that was directly caused by getting in the crossfire of an IED, Improvised Explosive Device. In 2006, Sgt. Joshua Lee Franks came home after being enlisted for four years, and serving three tours in Iraq, to find out he will face another battle, a brain tumor. Being at war in Iraq, he woke up every day to fight for our country and “to be part of something great” as he would say. One morning on his third tour, he woke up like any other morning, he and three other fellow soldiers load up in a Humvee to set out for a rondevu to another area to secure. They crossed many miles of terrain through the hot desert and then within an instant, he and his soldiers were no longer in the humvee, he is in the hospital bed being told he has a concussion and had a traumatic brain injury from an IED that was buried in the desert, something he never saw until it was triggered by his vehicle. The soldiers fighting these wars overseas are aware of the dangers of war but with warfare changing due to technology, the everlasting effects and health issues that they produce, they never predicted would be something they would have had to deal with. There needs to be some line drawn to have a level of certain degree of warfare that is not so inhumane and unjust. Although there are many arguments to the significant changes happening in...

Words: 304 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Case Study

...Adjustment Case Study Emmanuel Chamberlain Prof Hayes PSY 100 November 28, 2014 One of the articles I choose to summarize for this assignment was titled, “Bomb Techs Work Through ‘Dark Spots’ To Brighter Lives”. The article depicts an Army bomb technician who relies on the support of another bomb technician while he is going through a traumatic experience in his life. In the interview, retired Sergeant 1st Class Max Voelz recalls of how he had to pull the plug on his wife, who subsequently was injured while trying to disarm a bomb. Through a mutual friend, Voelz was able to get in contact with Sgt. Mary Dague, who lost both of her arms during a bomb explosion in Iraq. Dague, in the process became a support system for Voelz while he was going through his issues dealing with the death of his wife. Just like any other husband who experienced the unexpected death of his wife, Max did a lot of grieving. In the textbook, according to Elisabeth Kubler-Ross there are five stages to dying: denial and isolation, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. People normally are in the depression stage when they are grieving (Santrock, 2006). Grief is a normal behavioral pattern of the depression stage. Instead of dealing with the depression, Max instead decided to do something about it. Max sought out for some help. Help came in the form of another bomb tech, Mary Dague. Even though Max never had any life threatening injuries during his time in the Army but having to watch his...

Words: 854 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Lab 1

...and its vast resources, in searching for and locating resources for your final paper, and in creating the reference page entries following proper APA formatting for your chosen sources. Begin preparing for your assignment by watching brief videos created by the APUS Online Library to assist you in locating trustworthy resources. Then, you will use the information you learned from the videos to identify, analyze, and synthesize your research.   Visit the COLL 100 Course Guide at http://apus.campusguides.com/COLL100. On the Home page of the site locate and click on the “library tour” inside the “Welcome to the COLL100 Course Guide!” box. View all five videos – “Start here!”, “Articles”, “eBooks”, “Websites”, and “Library Help” and address the questions for the assignment. Scripts are available for each video under the “Need a transcript?” section of the web page. After review of the library tour videos please use this template to answer the following five questions:    1. Watch the “Start here!” video first then, based on what you learned from the video, explain the deep web. * The “deep web” allows APU/AMU students to search for more specific information than they can find on other search engines. The resources are often specific to what the user is looking to...

Words: 871 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Management Skills in Lance Armstrong Team

...became the first person ever to win the Tour de France seven times. Armstrong’s unprecedented achievement was all the more remarkable for the fact that in 1996 Armstrong was treated for testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs and brain. Even without cancer, Lance Armstrong was not an obvious candidate for title of the greatest cyclist ever. Despite certain natural advantages – notably a heart 30% larger than normal with an abnormally slow beat rate (32 times per minute while at rest) – Armstrong’s aerobic rate was less than that of cycling greats such as Miguel Indurain and Greg LeMond. For most of his career, Armstrong was not the world’s preeminent cyclist. He won the world championship just once (1993) and his Olympic best was a bronze medal in 2000 Sydney games. Armstrong’s seven-year dominance of the Tour de France resulted from a combination of factors, not least of which was his singleminded focus, not just on cycling, but on a single race. Between his 1999 and 2005 Tour de France victories, Armstrong was overall winner in only five other cycle races. Armstrong raised planning for the Tour to a new level of sophistication. His meticulous preparations included: “. . . computer calculations that balanced my body weight and my equipment weight with the potential velocity of my bike,” and “careful computer graphs of my training rides, calibrating the distances, wattages, and thresholds.” Armstrong abilities were well-suited to the Tour – as well as all-round strengths as...

Words: 700 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Spss

...CLEVELAND STATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK ------------------------------------------------- POLICY BRIEF VETERAN TREATMENT COURT SHOULD BE EXPANDED TO THE COMMON PLEAS COURT OF CUYAHOGA COUNTY TONY D. MORRIS PREPARED FOR: Honorable John J. Russo Administrative and Presiding Judge Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court July 1, 2014 SWK 300: SOCIAL WELFARE POLICY PROFESSOR MICHAEL A. DOVER SPRING 2014 GOAL STATEMENT The sole purpose of this policy brief is to deliver concrete and measurement evidences that Veteran Treatment Courts (VTC) promotes public safety by diverting veterans with addictions and/or mental illness into a voluntary specialized court as oppose to the traditional criminal justice system. At present the Cleveland Veteran Treatment docket is only available to veterans that reside in the City of Cleveland. By expanded the court to Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, veterans would have access to the resources available, especially at the county level. There are 38 cities and 19 villages in Cuyahoga County. According to the United States Census Bureau and there are 90,753 veterans residing in Cuyahoga County and increasing as service members from Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom & Operation New Dawn (OEF,OIF,OND) begin to return and reintegrate back to civilian life. The VTC has proven to be smart, cost effective ventures that assist veterans on the road to recovery, effectively and successfully reducing recidivism...

Words: 959 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Brain and Behavior

...PsychSim 5: Brain and Behavior 21 PsychSim 5: BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR Psy 101 Name: ____Kawon______Wood________________________________ Section: ________________________ Date:3/23/12 In this activity you will take a tour of the human brain and explore the major brain regions to discover the functions of each region or area. Functional Specialization • In terms of brain function, what is functional specialization? It is a function or capability of the nervous system is controlled by specific clusters of neurons in the specific part of the brain. • Why is the principle of complex communication important to understand? Because each neural network or functional area is interconnected and influenced by other network in other regions of the brain. Test Yourself on Lower Brain Structures • Match each brain part with its function: o _C__ Pituitary gland A. Located above the midbrain at the top of the brainstem; routes incoming messages from all the senses (except smell) to the appropriate brain areas for processing o _D__ Medulla B. Part of the limbic system; regulates hunger, thirst, and body temperature and contains the so-called pleasure centers of the brain o _J__ Pons C. The master gland of the endocrine system o _E__ Reticular formation D. Located in the brainstem; controls breathing and heartbeat o _F__ Cerebellum E. A nerve network that runs up the center of the brainstem; plays an important role in controlling alertness and...

Words: 498 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Sports Role Model: Speech

...Lance Armstrong. Ladies and Gentlemen my topic for today is my role model in sports and that has to undoubtedly be Lance Armstrong. Lance Armstrong is an American cycling legend who has won the prestigious Tour de France 7 times. To win this competition is an ultimate dream for any cyclist, but to achieve it after being diagnosed with stage 3 cancer is next to impossible isn’t it? He didn’t think so. The biggest things in life which eventually go on to define you happen when you least expect them. As John Lennon says “Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.” In the year 1995, Armstrong, then aged 25 was diagnosed with stage 3 testicular cancer. This is the age when a sportsman is supposed to be at his physical peak. But this man was suffering from a type of cancer which spread to his lungs and brain. He had a less than 40% chance of survival. On the face of it this seems to be not only a career threatening but a life threatening situation. Ladies and gentlemen it is not how you go down in flames, but how you rise from the ashes that make a person a true hero and a champion. Cycling is one sport which requires one of the highest levels of physical fitness. Armstrong had to undergo a brain surgery and countless chemotherapy which would have mentally and physically crippled any other person but unbelievably he started practicing and practicing very hard from late 1997. This ladies and gentlemen is the power of the...

Words: 598 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Lance Armstrong

...and respected is found guilty of cheating, feelings run high. My essay is in response to numerous articles on Lance Armstrong’s use of performance enhancing drugs. In January of 2013, in an exclusive interview with Oprah Winfrey, Lance admitted to using performance enhancing drugs. He also admitted to using other illegal methods to win the Tour De France (Stanley). Before his confession he was already stripped of all his medals, won from the Tour De France. He was also banned from competitive professional cycling for life, and was dismissed from his charity organization, Livestrong, founded by him in 1997 (MacLaggan). Who is Lance Armstrong? Lance Armstrong is a well-known biker famous for his major success in the professional cycling world. Lance was born September, 18, 1971. He did his first triathlon at age 16, and joined professional cycling in 1992. He first cycled for the Motorola Professional Cycling Team. In 1996 he was diagnosed with testicular cancer that eventually spread to his lungs and brain. However after intense chemotherapy and other treatment, he was announced cancer free in 1997. Lance was the winner of seven consecutive Tour De France titles. Unfortunately he didn’t win them honestly. How does this affect me? Lance Armstrong was on my very short list of heroes and people I looked up to. I was a strong believer in his philosophy that hard work and dedication makes champions, not just talent. I was never a talented...

Words: 695 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Blood Doping Research Paper

...walsh published a story on Armstrong doctor Michele Ferrari , Michele was later investigated for supplying performances enhancers to cyclist. David wrote the article L.A confidential, where he has statements of people suggesting Armstrong of suspicious acts . " If you consider my situation a guy who comes back arguably , you know a death sentence, why would I then enter into a sport and dope myself up and risk my life again? That's crazy. I would never do that . No. No way", -lancer Armstrong (2005 article). In 2010 Floyd landis was stripped from his 2006 Tour de France for drug use and he was not going down alone. Floyd admitted to drug use and also implied that other former teammates were blood doping as well . In june 2012 , George Himicapie, Levi Leipheimer, David zabriskieand Christian veiled all where going to testify against Armstrong. It was not till 2013 where Armstrong confessed to blood doping helping him win his Tour de France. Lance Armstrong openly admitted to Oprah Winfrey during an interview, he confessed to using enchantment drugs most of his cycling career. He used erythropoietin and human growth hormone. He had false documents stating he had passed all...

Words: 716 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Travel and Tourism

...Stability * Environmentalism * Globalization * Macro-economics Within the tourism sector, there are many factors of tourism demand that affects tourist destination. Tourism demand is the number of persons who have the desire to travel to a designated area that provides tourism facilities and recreational activities that is from home or away from work (Docslide.com, 2015). In my research, I have carefully detailed the demands of tourism to show the boundless effect they both present. There is a high demand for technology in the tourism sector due to the fact that a personal service can be provided on the internet through technology. Customers no longer has to deal with the expense of tour agents, as technological devices are cheaper way of personal service (Brain, 2011). Demography affects tourism demand by its increase in the ageing population. This means increase in life expectancy for older people (Travelio.net). Political stability can be numerous things such as government controlling crime and violence within the nation. If the tourist destination is filled with an increase amount of crime, they will be discouraged from traveling, as they are in high demand of their safety (Latinamericanstudies.org, 2002). Environmentalism is the protagonism to preserve the environment and prevent pollution. One of the main attractions and demand for tourists is the ecosystem. The ecosystem is being diminished everyday due to tourism development which leads to land degradation...

Words: 1552 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Inspiration

...Nelson Mandela   Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born in Transkei, South Africa on July 18, 1918. He joined the African National Congress (ANC) in 1944, and went on trial for treason in 1956. Mandela was arrested in 1962 and sentenced to five years' imprisonment with hard labor. In 1963, when many fellow leaders of the ANC and the resistance movement were arrested, Mandela was brought to stand trial with them for plotting to overthrow the government by “violence”. Even though the crimes he was unjustly accused of were not necessarily his, Mandela took the blame for them as to protect others he cared and worked with, including his own family. However during his prison sentence, Nelson Mandela's reputation grew and grew. He became widely accepted as the most significant black leader in South Africa and became a hopeful symbol of resistance as the anti-government movement gathered strength. He consistently refused to compromise his political position to obtain his freedom. Mandela also spent much time during his 27-year imprisonment contemplating how to reform and repair the fractured country he wanted to love so much. Mandela was released from Robben Island Prison Facility on February 11, 1990. Not hours after his release, he plunged himself whole-heartedly into his life's work, focusing to reach the goals he and others had set out almost four decades earlier. To me, this illustrates pure dedication and devotion, especially after so many years in prison for a crime you did...

Words: 825 - Pages: 4