BRAIN FUNCTION

IN LEARNING PROCESS

BY
GAYATRI
The Brain
 weighs 1300 - 1400 g

 made up of about 100

billion neurons

 “the most complex living

structure on the
universe”

 makes us who we are

 Brain structure

Cerebrum

hypothalamus cerebellum

Pituitary gland
medulla
Parts of the Brain

The brain is divided

into four sections :
 The cerebrum (Great
Brain)
 Cerebellum (Small
Brain)
 Brainstem (brainstem)
 Limbic system (limbic
system)
1. Cerebrum (Great Brain)

 The cerebrum is the largest

part of the human brain. It is
divided into two hemispheres,
each of which is divided into
four lobes.
 The cerebrum has functions:
thinking, analysis, logic,
language, awareness,
planning, memory and visual
abilities. Your intelligence
quotient or IQ is also
determined by the quality of
this section.
 Lobes - Frontal
 The Frontal Lobe of the brain is located deep to
the Frontal Bone of the skull.
• It plays an integral role in the following
functions/actions:
• Memory
• Emotions
• Decision making
• Reasoning
• Personality

Modified from: http://www.bioon.com/book/biology/whole/image/1/1-8.tif.jpg

Lobes - Occipital
 The Occipital Lobe of the
Brain is located deep to the
Occipital Bone of the Skull.
• Its primary function is the
processing, integration,
interpretationof vision
and visual stimuli.

Modified from: http://www.bioon.com/book/biology/whole/image/1/1-8.tif.jpg

 Lobes - Parietal
 The Parietal Lobe of the brain is located deep to the
Parietal Bone of the skull.

• It plays a major role in the following

functions/actions:
- Senses and integrates sensation
- Spatial awareness and
perception(Proprioception
- Awareness of body/ body parts
in space and in relation to each
other)

Modified from: http://www.bioon.com/book/biology/whole/image/1/1-8.tif.jpg

 Lobes - Temporal
 The Temporal Lobes are located on the sides of the brain,
deep to the Temporal Bones of the skull.

• They play an integral role

in the following functions:
- Hearing
- Organization/Comprehension
of language
- Information Retrieval
(Memory and Memory Formation)

Modified from:
http://www.bioon.com/book/biology/whole/image/1/1-8.tif.jpg
Differences Function Between Left Brain and Right Brain On cerebrum
2. Cerebellum (Small Brain)
 Small brain or cerebellum is
located at the back of the head,
near the tip of the upper neck.
 The cerebellum controls many
automatic functions of the
brain, including: adjust posture
or body position, balance
control, muscle coordination
and body movement, perform
automatic movements are
studied as driving movements,
hand movements while writing,
movement and lock the door so.
3. Brainstem

 Brainstem are inside the

cavity of the skull or the
head of the base and
extends up to the spine or
spinal cord.
 Part of the brain regulates
basic human functions,
including breathing, heart
rate, regulate body
temperature, regulate
digestion, and is a source of
basic human instinct.
4. Limbic System

 The limbic system is located in the

center of the brain, brain stem
wraps like a shirt collar.
 Limbic components such as the
hypothalamus, thalamus,
amygdala, and limbic cortex
hipocampus.
 The limbic system function to
produce feelings, regulate
hormone production, maintaining
homeostasis, thirst, hunger, sex
drive, pleasure centers,
metabolism and long-term
memory.
 HOW THE BRAIN LEARNS
We have about 100 billion brain nerve cells (neurons).
Each neuron has one axon with many tails (terminals). These
axon terminals send electrochemical messages to other neurons
across tiny spaces called synapses.
Learningcreates the synaptic connections. The result is
knowledge and skill constructed in our brain.
 Each neuron has thousands of dendrites (like tree branches and
twigs--“dendrite” means “tree-like”) which receive chemical-
electrical messages from other neurons’ axons across the
synapses.
 THE NATURAL
LEARNING PROCESS
We learn through those stages
because this is how the brain
learns-- by constructing knowledge
through sequential stages.
 THE BRAIN’S CONSTRUCTIVE
LEARNING PROCESS
Like twigs on a tree that can grow only from a
twig or branch that is already there, so dendrites
can grow only from a dendrite that is already
there--from something the learner already knows.
Then, like twigs growing on a tree, learning is
constructed, higher and higher, skill and
understanding increasing.
 HOW THE BRAIN LEARNS
As we learn (as we experience, practice, process),
specific dendrites grow so that specific neurons connect
at specific synapses to create larger and more-complex
specific neural networks.
These networks are what we know.
The more we grow, the more we know, our ceiling
level rises.
 Specific neural networks, which might include as
many as 10,000 neurons, are what we know and can do.
 Resources
Images:
 http://www.dalbsoutss.eq.edu.au/Sheepbrains_Me/human_brain.gif
 http://www.bioon.com/book/biology/whole/image/1/1-8.tif.jpg
 http://www.bioon.com/book/biology/whole/image/1/1-6.tif.jpg
 http://williamcalvin.com/BrainForAllSeasons/img/bonoboLH-humanLH-viaTWD.gif
 http://www.math.tu-dresden.de/~belov/brain/motorcor2.gif
 Larson, Gary. The Far Side.

Phineas Gage:
 http://www.sruweb.com/~walsh/gage5.jpg
 http://soma.npa.uiuc.edu/courses/bio303/Image7.jpg
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phineas_Gage
 http://science-education.nih.gov/nihHTML/ose/snapshots/multimedia/ritn/Gage/Brok
en_brain1.html