Protection of brain

- Cranium: brain is enclosed in cranium

- Membranes: covered by three meninges
- Fluid: space between inner and middle meninges + cavities in the brain filled w
cerebrospinal fluid:  provide mechanical support to the brain  supply oxygen and
nutrients and remove wastes  act as a shock absorber
Cerebrum
- Left cerebral hemisphere receives sensory info from + controls actions in the right
side of the body
- Right cerebral hemisphere receives sensory info from + controls actions in the left
side of the body
- Outer layer of cerebrum (cerebral cortex)  highly folded  increases its capacity
enabling it to hold more neurones in a limited space
- Cerebral cortex made up of grey matter, inner part of cerebrum made up of white
matter

Spinal cord + medulla oblongata

- Outside: white, inside: grey
Cerebrum + cerebellum
- Outside: grey, inside: white
Functions of cerebrum
- Site for intelligence, enables thinking and decision-making and ability to have
memory
- Controls voluntary actions (actions under conscious control such as speaking and
writing)
- Sensory areas: receive nerve impulses from receptors and interpret them to
generate sensations
- Association area: integrate information from different sensory areas and relate them
to past experience  brain makes decisions and sends nerve impulses to the motor
areas to give response (adjust response according to past experience)
- Motor area: send nerve impulses to effectors to produce voluntary responses
Cerebellum
- Receives sensory information about body movement from eyes, ears, muscles and
joints  coordinates muscular actions for smooth body movements (e.g walking,
dancing, writing)  important for maintaining body posture and balance
Medulla Oblongata
- Continuous with spinal cord
- Controls many involuntary actions like breathing and heartbeat (occur automatically,
not under conscious control)
- Reflex centre for many cranial reflexes (e.g saliva secretion, dilation and constriction
of pupil, swallowing, sneezing, coughing)
Reflex actions
Nature of response
Automatic (not under conscious control)
Inborn
Stereotyped (same stimuli always produces same response)
Nervous pathway
Involves spinal cord/ brain (mainly medulla oblongata), doesn’t involve cerebrum
Needs a stimulus therefore receptors always involved
Speed of response
always fast
Voluntary actions
Nature of response
Under conscious control, not inborn, not stereotyped
Nervous pathway
Involves the cerebrum, may not need a stimulus and therefore receptors not always
involved (actions can be directly initiated by motor areas of the cerebrum)
Speed of response
Usually slower