The Brain:

Parts,
Function &
Societal
Relationship
Most Essential Learning
Competency:

Discuss that understanding the

different parts of the brain,
processes and function may
help in improving thoughts,
behavior and feelings
The Brain – is wider than the Sky –
For –put them side by side –
The one the other will contain
With ease – and You – beside.

_EMILY DICKINSON
Activity: Reading
Comprehension
(Critical Thinking)
Activity: Reading
Comprehension
(Critical Thinking)
How do we develop
the powers of the
mind?
Journal Entry No. 1:
Directions: Read each
situation carefully and
answer the corresponding
questions.
Situation 1:
You are driving down the road in your car on a
wild, stormy night, when you pass by a bus stop,
and you see three people waiting for the bus:
a. An old lady who looks as if she is about to
die
b. An old friend who once saved your life
c. The perfect partner you have been dreaming
about.
Knowing that there can only be one passenger in
your car, whom would you choose? Why?
Situation 2:
Acting on an anonymous phone call, the
police raid a house to arrest a suspected
murderer. They don't know what he looks
like, but they know his name is John and
that he is inside the house. The police bust
in on a carpenter, a lorry driver, a mechanic
and a fireman all playing poker. Without
hesitation or communication of any kind,
they immediately arrest the fireman. How
do they know they've got their man?
Situation 3:
A man lives in the penthouse of an
apartment building. Every morning, he
takes the elevator down to the lobby
and leaves the building. Upon his
return, however, he can only travel
halfway up in the lift and has to walk
the rest of the way - unless it's raining.
What is the explanation for this?
Situation 4:
A man and his son are in a car
crash. The father is killed and the
child who is gravely injured is
taken to hospital. When he gets
there, the surgeon says, 'I can't
operate on this boy - for he is my
son!!!' How can this possibly be?
Processing questions:

As you were thinking of

solutions to the puzzles, what
was going on inside you?
What organ was working?
In the next lesson, we will
talk about new scientific
discoveries about the
brain, and how these
affect learning.
What is the brain
and how does it
work?
 Know Your Brain!
 The brain is the most complex part of
the human body. This three-pound
organ is the seat of intelligence,
interpreter of the senses, initiator of
body movement, and controller of
behavior. Lying in its bony shell and
washed by protective fluid, the brain
is the source of all the qualities that
define our humanity.
 It is the crown jewel of the human
body.
The Structure of the Brain
The brain is like a group of
experts. All the parts of the
brain work together, but
each part has its own
special responsibilities. The
brain can be divided into
three basic units: the
forebrain, the midbrain,
and the hindbrain.
Hindbrain
The hindbrain includes the
upper part of the spinal
cord, the brain stem, and a
wrinkled ball of tissue
called the cerebellum. The
hindbrain controls the
body’s vital functions such
as respiration and heart
rate.
 Cerebellum
The cerebellum
coordinates movement
and is involved in
learned movements.
When you play the
piano or hit a tennis
ball, you are activating
the cerebellum.
 Midbrain
The uppermost part
of the brainstem is
the midbrain, which
controls some reflex
actions and is part of
the circuit involved in
the control of eye
movements and
other voluntary
movements.
 Forebrain
The forebrain is the
largest and most highly
developed part of the
human brain: it consists
primarily of the
cerebrum and the
structures hidden
beneath it.
When people see pictures of the
brain it is usually the cerebrum that
they notice.
The cerebrum sits at the topmost
part of the brain and is the source
of conscious thoughts and actions.
It holds your memories and allows
you to plan, imagine, and think.
It allows you to recognize friends,
read, and play games.
 Cerebral Hemispheres
 The cerebral hemispheres are
the two longitudinal halves into
which the cerebrum is divided.
 The cerebrum (brain) is divided
into two hemispheres; a left
cerebral hemisphere and a
right cerebral hemisphere.
These two hemispheres are
joined together by the corpus
callosum, which is a thick band
of white matter made up of
myelinated axons connecting
the left hemisphere cortex to
the right hemisphere cortex.
Which hemisphere of
your brain do you feel is
most active or influential
in your thinking and
learning style?
 The Inner Brain
 Deep within the brain, hidden from
view, lie structures that are the
gatekeepers between the spinal cord
and the cerebral hemispheres. These
structures not only determine our
emotional state, but they also modify
our perceptions and responses and
allow us to initiate movements that
without thinking about them. Like
the lobes in the cerebral
hemispheres, the structures
described below come in pairs: each
is duplicated in the opposite half of
 Hypothalamus
The hypothalamus, about the
size of a pearl, directs a
multitude of important functions.
It wakes you up in the morning
and gets the adrenaline flowing
during a test or job interview.
The hypothalamus is also an
important emotional center,
controlling the chemicals that
make you feel exhilarated,
angry, or unhappy.
 Thalamus
A major
clearinghouse for
information going
to and from the
spinal cord and the
cerebrum.
Hippocampus
Is a part of your brain that’s responsible
for your memory and learning. This
small structure helps you remember,
both short- and long-term, and gain
awareness from your environment. The
hippocampus is at risk of injury or
damage from underlying conditions like
Alzheimer’s disease.
 Basal Ganglia
are clusters of nerve cells
surrounding the thalamus.
They are responsible for
initiating and integrating
movements. Parkinson’s
disease, which results in
tremors,
bradykinesia ,rigidity,
shuffling walk, changes in
speech and writing affects
the nerve cells in the basal
ganglia.
The Neuron
The brain and the rest of the nervous system
are composed of many different types of cells,
but the primary functional unit is a cell called
the neuron. All sensations, movements,
thoughts, memories, and feelings are the result
of signals that pass-through neurons. Neurons
consist of three parts: the cell body, dendrites,
and the axon.
 Direction of the Nerve Signal
 The cell body contains the nucleus,
where most of the molecules that
the neuron needs to survive, and
function are manufactured.
Dendrites extend out from the cell
body like the branches of a tree
and receive messages from other
nerve cells. Signals then pass from
the dendrites through the cell body
and travel away from the cell body
down an axon to another neuron, a
muscle cell, or cells in some other
organ.
 Direction of the Nerve Signal
 The neuron is usually surrounded by
many support cells. Some types of
cells wrap around the axon to form an
insulating myelin sheath. Myelin is a
fatty molecule which provides
insulation for the axon and helps
nerve signals travel faster and farther.
Axons may be very short, such as
those that carry signals from one cell
in the cortex to another cell less than
a hair’s width away. Other axons may
be very long, such as those that carry
messages from the brain all the way
down the spinal cord.