11 Questions
What is the approximate number of neurons in the human brain?
100 billion
Where do thinking and voluntary movements begin in the brain?
Cortex
What is the main function of the brainstem?
Controlling breathing and sleep
What is the role of the basal ganglia?
Coordinating messages between brain areas
Which lobe is responsible for sight?
Occipital lobe
What is the largest part of the brain?
Cerebrum
What is the primary function of the dendrites in a neuron?
To receive messages from other cells
What is the purpose of the myelin sheath in some neurons?
To help speed neural impulses
What type of neuron transmits impulses from the CNS to muscles or glands?
Motor neurons
What is the term for the electrical signal that travels down the axon?
Neural impulse
What is the function of the terminal branches of axons?
To form junctions with other cells
Study Notes
The Human Brain
- The human brain is the largest, most complex, and highly specialized organ in the body, comprising approximately 100 billion neurons.
- The brain consists of specialized areas that work together to perform various functions.
- The cortex, the outermost layer of brain cells, is responsible for thinking and voluntary movements.
- The brainstem, located between the spinal cord and the rest of the brain, controls breathing and sleep.
- The basal ganglia, a cluster of structures in the center of the brain, coordinate messages between other brain areas.
- The cerebellum, located at the base and back of the brain, is responsible for coordination and balance.
- The cerebrum, the largest part of the brain, is crucial for the learning process, as it is the site of higher-order functions such as memory and reasoning.
Brain Regions
- Occipital lobes are responsible for sight, hosting the brain's visual processing system.
- Temporal lobes are involved in hearing, language, and memory.
- Frontal lobes are responsible for motor function, reasoning, abilities, problem-solving, and judgment.
The Neuron
- A neuron is the basic unit of the nervous system, a specialized cell designed to transmit information to other nerve cells, muscle, or gland cells.
- A neuron consists of:
- Cell body: the cell's life support center
- Dendrites: receive messages from other cells
- Axon: passes messages away from the cell body to other neurons, muscles, or glands
- A neural impulse is an electrical signal that travels down the axon.
- The myelin sheath covers the axon of some neurons, helping to speed up neural impulses.
- Terminal branches of axons form junctions with other cells.
Types of Neurons
- Sensory neurons (afferent neurons) transmit impulses from sensory receptors toward the CNS (Central Nervous System); mostly unipolar.
- Motor neurons (efferent neurons) transmit impulses from the CNS toward muscles or glands; mostly multipolar.
- Interneurons (association neurons) transmit impulses between sensory and motor neurons; mostly multipolar.
Test your knowledge of the human brain, including its specialized areas, neurons, and functions. Learn about the cortex, brainstem, and basal ganglia and their roles in controlling breathing, sleep, and voluntary movements.
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