Departments of the human brain are the components of one “team”. The contribution of each participant in the game is important, otherwise coordinated work will not work - and we will not be able to be ourselves. This happens when a person gets brain injuries. That is how scientists established the functions of various parts of the brain - according to observations of patients by neurologists. Although the brain is a very ductile organ, damaged areas can restore their function at the expense of other departments.
So, what are the components of our brain? What are the main parts of the brain? Western scientists distinguish the rhomboid brain, limbic system and neocortex. Let's consider these departments in more detail.
Rhomboid
This is the most ancient area of the brain, it is also called the brain of reptiles. That is, it is common to most evolutionarily advanced species. He is responsible for the most basic functions of the human body. The rhomboid brain consists of the medulla oblongata, the bridge, and the cerebellum. What do they do in the body? This is discussed later.
The medulla oblongata is engaged in the automatic functions of your body, there are centers of respiration, digestion and regulation of heart contractions. Therefore, if this part of the brain is injured, it is almost impossible to save a person.
The bridge determines the level of our vigor and productivity, and it also transmits sensory impressions higher to the brain. Our performance depends on the state of this part of the brain.
The cerebellum is traditionally considered the main organ that coordinates movements, as well as motor memory.
Limbic system
This part of the brain is called the emotional brain or the ancient mammalian brain. Here our feelings live, here begins the memory. In this part of the brain, memory and emotions are combined, influencing our behavior and the daily adoption of emotionally colored decisions. Here value judgments are born. This part of the brain decides what is significant and what is not: information is filtered. The parts of the brain that enter it are responsible for spontaneity and creativity.
The amygdala is responsible for the accumulation of emotionally colored information. Especially important is her participation in the formation of the emotion of fear. It gives the command to throw out stress hormones, makes our hands sweat, and the heart - to contract more and more often.
The hippocampus deals with memory and a little learning in general. It prepares information for transmission to long-term memory, helps us understand spatial relationships and interpret incoming signals from the senses.
The hypothalamus is the endocrine brain, closely associated with the pituitary gland. He is engaged in circadian rhythms (he is responsible for the desire to sleep longer, and also wakes us up the next day), maintaining a constant environment of the body, controls the desire to eat, maintaining the balance of fluids.
The thalamus is a collection point for information from all underlying structures, including about the state of the body and various sensations.
Neocortex
This is the most perfect formation in the brain, the most evolutionarily new. It is called the rational brain because of its extreme importance for the intellectual function of man. The cerebral cortex (neocortex) is divided into two hemispheres. They control the opposite sides of the body. Each of them distinguishes various functions.
The frontal lobe is the largest “head” of the brain. It does not allow a person to be impulsive, inhibits drives, is responsible for analysis and planning, and people with its disorders also change such complex forms of behavior as a sense of humor. Without the normal function of this lobe, altruism and empathy are impossible.
The parietal lobe is the center that allows us to process sensations from the skin and internal organs, including pain. It also helps to calculate the speed of objects involved in recognition and spatial orientation.
The temporal lobe processes sound perceptions. Here is the Wernicke zone, which allows us to recognize speech.
The occipital lobe perceives and processes visual information; it is involved in some forms of spatial thinking.
The corpus callosum connects the two hemispheres together.
As you can see, the parts of the brain are closely connected and perform various functions, but all of them are necessary in order for us to perform our usual actions. Have fun learning!