The Human Brain Overview

What is the average weight of a human brain?

The cerebrum is the largest part of the human brain.

What is the primary function of the cerebellum?

What is the most basic part of the brain?

The brain is protected from physical damage by the skull, which consists of 8 fused bones.

What does the thalamus interpret?

What does the hypothalamus regulate in the body?

What is the function of the amygdala?

What is the function of the hippocampus?

What is the frontal lobe associated with?

What is the temporal lobe associated with?

What is the parietal lobe associated with?

What is the occipital lobe associated with?

What are neurons and how many are there in the brain?

What are the parts of a neuron?

What can go wrong with the brain?

What causes meningitis and encephalitis?

What are some possible triggers for mental illness?

What is the difference between external and internal head injuries?

What is the difference between a concussion and a seizure?

What are the most common symptoms of depression?

What is dementia characterized by?

What is Alzheimer's Disease characterized by?

What is Parkinson's Disease characterized by?

Drug use and abuse during pregnancy have positive effects on fetal development.

Consumption of alcohol and cigarettes can cause fetal alcohol syndrome, birth defects and low birth weight.

Exposure to harmful chemicals and radiation can be harmful to fetal brain development.

Preventing contact with Rubella, Varicella Virus, Cytomegalovirus (CMV), Toxoplasmosis, and sexually transmitted diseases can harm fetal brain development.

Regular hand washing, avoiding contact with sick individuals, and sharing food and drinks can prevent germs and disease.

Pregnant women should relax to prevent stressing the fetus.

Exercise is important for maintaining overall health and preparing muscles for childbirth.

Medications should be taken only with the doctor's approval and after reading the label.

FAS and FAE are preventable if no alcohol is consumed during pregnancy.

Cocaine exposure during pregnancy has no effect on the fetus.

Marijuana exposure during pregnancy can cause premature birth, small birth size, and delayed development.

Heroin exposure during pregnancy can cause diminished head circumference, lower birth weight and body length, premature births, stillbirths, miscarriages, breathing difficulties, and intracranial bleeding.

Methadone exposure during pregnancy can cause poorer fine and gross motor coordination and cognitive processing capabilities.

Growth in early childhood is characterized by weight gains 2-3 kg each year and decreases each year.

During middle to late childhood, weight increases due to skeletal, muscular changes, and organ size.

Brain growth slows down by age 6.

Increase in fatty tissue around axons causes increase in brain size, a process called myelination.

Brain maturation allows for language development, making sense of letters and numbers, words, association of objects etc.

Gross motor skills develop at age 3 and fine motor skills develop at age 4 during early childhood.

Unintentional injuries, smoking homes, and low-income families are health concerns for early childhood.

Unbalanced diets, obesity, dieting, accidents or injuries, and cancer are health concerns for middle to late childhood.

Boys' brains are about 10% larger than girls' brains.

There are few differences in neural structures, brain activity, or neurochemistry between boys and girls.

There are large differences between the brains of men and women.

Girls outperform boys in reading and boys outperform girls in math since 1971.

Parental treatment does not magnify these differences.

Early experience has no influence on brain development.

Lack of stimulating environment can lead to smaller brain sizes.

Parents and policymakers should not focus on hands-on parenting and stimulating experiences for infants.

Preschool programs aimed at boosting brain power in impoverished neighborhoods are not needed.

The brain is not malleable in the first years of life.

Genes and experience do not shape brain development.

Brain growth spurt ends around age 10 with a shift towards preserving synapses transformed by experience.

The brain's plasticity increases with age.

Early experiences do not shape neural activity, leading to patterns in the brain that determine talents and tendencies.

Teenage brains do not experience rapid changes in areas responsible for emotional regulation, impulse control and decision-making.

The teenage brain is not vulnerable to stress and substance abuse.

Stress and substance abuse do not have long-lasting effects on teenage brain development.

Understanding brain changes does not foster better communication and supportive environments.

Research does not use brain regions like the prefrontal cortex and limbic system to explain why teens often behave unpredictably.

The brain is believed to by largely developed by age 12.

Hormones, particularly adrenal gland-release hormones, are not active in the emotional center during puberty.

Brain regions that control risky behavior are fully developed during adolescence.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is not used to connect adolescent behavior patterns to their evolving brain structure.

Aristotle and Shakespeare historically portrayed teenagers as troublesome.

Brain imaging technology shows that the brain continues to develop throughout adolescence.

Brain imaging provides a complete explanation for teenage behavior.

The adaptive-adolescent story views the teenage brain as sensitive and adaptable.

The adaptive-adolescent story emphasizes broader traits, such as love of thrill and risk-taking, which can lead only to dangerous behaviors.

The article challenges the conventional view of teens as works in progress.

What part of the brain connects brain hemispheres and influences cognitive and emotional functioning throughout life?

What part of the brain regulates growth, mood, metabolism, and development?

What part of the brain undergoes rapid growth in early childhood and adult development?

What is encephalitis and where is it located?

What is the largest part of the brain?

What part of the brain is crucial in human development, regulating growth hormones, thyroid function, and sex hormone production?

What part of the brain influences developmental stages, motor control, sensory integration, and emotional and cognitive development?

What are seizures and what is crucial for helping people with seizures?

What does the pons influence?

What does the cerebellum influence?

What does the brainstem influence?

Traumatic brain injuries have no impact on human development.

What are neurotransmitters and what do they influence?

What does the amygdala influence?

What does epilepsy impact?

What does pruning influence?

What is the outer most layer of the brain called?

What are dendrites and what do they do?

What is the cell body also known as?

What is the axon and what does it influence?

What does the myelin sheath do?

What are axon terminals and what are they crucial for?

Where is the frontal lobe located and what is it crucial for?

Where is the parietal lobe located and what is it crucial for?

Where is the temporal lobe located and what is it crucial for?

Where is the occipital lobe located and what is it crucial for?

What does pruning do and what is its effect?

What does oxytocin influence?

What does gray matter do?

What does white matter do?

What is wiring and what is it essential for?

What does the 'use it or lose it' principle emphasize?