Senior High School

Personal
Development
Quarter 1 – Module 5: The
Brain: Parts, Function &
Societal Relationship

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 What I Need to Know

The brain plays an important role in our consciousness. It is the center of our being,
which makes us who we are, what we are as an existential being. After all every system
in our body are interconnected from our brain (the nervous system). The ANS and CNS
are mainly responsible for the other systems function well, just like the heart, our skin,
our response to hunger and love, etc. This module was designed and written with you in
mind; to understand and study the underlying concept of the brain, its parts and
function, as well as, its relationship to its body and eventually to others.

The module is subjected to discuss namely:

● Lesson 1 Discuss that understanding the different parts of the brain, processes
and functions may help in improving thoughts, behavior and feelings

Most Essential Learning Competency:

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. Discuss that understanding the different parts of the brain, processes and function
may help in improving thoughts, behavior and feelings

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 Lesson
The Brain: Parts, Function &
Societal Relationship
1

Our brain is one of the most complex parts of the body that is very much attributed to
the consciousness of the very uniqueness of the self. Studies in the brain in field of
Neuroscience, is a challenging subject course that gives emphasis on the role of the
brain in our everyday function in the society. Especially, in this pandemic times, the
ability to cope and handle challenging situations, also call for the strength of the mind to
withstand any stressful predicament that we face. After all, our brain is a temple for the
consciousness to linger, without a house for the consciousness to think and act, we
become ordinary animal beings, the only consideration that we separated ourselves
from them.

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 What is It

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The Nervous System

The Brain organ is a part of one

of the eight (8) systems of the
human anatomy, the nervous
system. The
purpose of the nervous
system is to gather
information, produce
responses to stimuli, and
coordinate the workings of
different cells. It is the
command center of the
other eights systems in the
human body. The
development of life
organisms from union of the
egg cell and sperm cell, always starts from the development of the nervous system, the brain, its
spinal cord and nerves. Even the lowliest organisms such as the jellyfish and worms, have
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origins of a nervous system. The nervous system is divided into two main parts: the central
-
nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system or beyond the brain and the spinal
- Source: Wikimedia
cord (PNS). Let us take a closer look of this two systems.

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CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (CNS) –
processes, interprets and stores incoming
sensory information-information about our 5
senses to be exact; tastes, sounds, smells, color,
pressure on the skin, the state of internal organs
etc. It is the specific command center (depicted in
yellow color) that sends out orders destined for
muscles, glands and body organs. The (CNS) has
to major parts, the brain and spinal cord. The
spinal cord is the extension of the brain. It runs
from the base of the brain down the center of the
back, protected by a column of
bones. The cord acts as a sort of bridge between the brain and the parts of the body below the
neck. But the spinal cord is not merely a bridge. It also produces some

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behavior on its own, without any help from the brain. These behaviors, called spinal reflexes,
are automatic, requiring no conscious effort. Example, if you accidentally touch a hot iron, you
will immediately pull your hand away, even before the brain can actually comprehend the pain
or the receptors kicks in. This is due to the nerve impulses that brings message to the spinal
cord, in this case “hot”. The spinal cord immediately sends out a command via other nerve
impulses, telling muscles in your arm to contract and pull your hand away from the iron.
(Although there some specific parts in the brain that governs other reflexes such as our blinking
and sneezing). The neural circuitry underlying a reflex is called reflex arc. This could be best
explained through situations such as knee jerking, shifting balance of weight of the body, when
stepped broken glass or shards.

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PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (PNS) – as the term “outlying” or “beyond” the CNS, this
system handles the CNS’s input and output (depicted in green color). It contains all portions of
the nervous system outside the brain and spinal cord, right down to nerves in the tips of the
fingers
and toes. The sensory nerves
in the peripheral nervous system
carry messages from the special
receptors in the skin, muscles
and other internal and external
sense organs to the spinal
cord, which sends them along to
the brain. These nerves put us
in touch with both the outside
world and the activities of our
own bodies. Motor (motion-
producing) nerves carry orders
from the central nervous
system to muscles, glands and
internal organs. They enable us
to move our bodies, and they cause
glands to contract and secrete
various substances,
including chemical messengers
called the hormones. This system is
further divided in two parts: the somatic nervous system and the
autonomic nervous system. The somatic (body) nervous system, sometimes called the
skeletal nervous system, controls the skeletal muscles of the body and permits voluntary action.
Examples of these are, when you are running, writing, going to work by walking, doing a lecture
in front of the class, following a dance moves or simply creating your own moves, the somatic
system is presently active. The autonomic (self-governing) nervous system, as the term
implies; these are movements or actions that are involuntary, regulates blood vessels, glands
and internal (visceral) organs like the bladder, stomach and pumping of the heart. The
autonomic nervous system works more or less automatically, without a person’s conscious
control. Under the autonomic system, there are two subdivision,
sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. These two subdivisions work together

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but in opposing ways to adjust the body to changing circumstances (see illustration). To
simplify, the sympathetic system acts like the accelerator of a car, mobilizing the body for action
and an output of energy. It makes you blush, sweat, and it pushes up your heart rate and blood
pressure. The parasympathetic system is more like a brake. It doesn’t stop the body, but it
does tend to slow things down or keep them running smoothly. It conserves energy and helps
the body store it. If you have to jump out of the way of a preoccupied motorcyclist, sympathetic
nerves increase your heart rate. Afterwards, parasympathetic nerves slow it down again and
keep its rhythm regular. Both system are involved in emotion and stress.

The nervous system can be likened to complex system, a network strands connected to every
fiber or part of the body.
And this system mostly run, just like in
the circulatory system, blood cells and
the like, the nervous system has a nerve
cells or neurons. This neurons conducts
electromagnetic signal; and are the basic
unit of the nervous system; and they are
held in place by glial cells (from the
greek word, “glue”), which also provide
them with nutrients,
insulate them, and remove cellular
“debris” when they die.
Neurons are
communication cells. They
transmit information to, from or inside
of the central nervous
system, and are often called the building blocks of the nervous system. The structure of a simple
neuron differs in every region of the brain, and it differs also in main function. But the simple
neuron has its three (3) major basic structure namely, cell body, dendrites, and axon.

The Cell Body is shaped roughly like a sphere or a pyramid. It contains the biochemical
machinery for keeping the neuron alive. It is responsible in the transmission of messages to
other neurons.

The Dendrites of a neuron look like branches of a tree, which is used as an antennas,
receiving messages from other nerve cells and transmitting them toward the cell body.

The Axons can be likened to trunk of a tree, which is more slender. It transmits
messages away from the cell body to other cells. Axons have branches at their tips, but these
branches are usually less numerous than dendrites. Dendrites and axons give each neuron a
double role: As one researcher in the field of Neurology, a neuron is first a catcher, then a batter
(Gazzaniga, 1988).

In adult human beings, axons vary from only a tenth of a millimeter to few feet in length. The
large ones, of course, are found outside the brain. In the peripheral nervous system, the axons of
individual cells collect in bundles called nerves (not to be confused with nerve cells). The
human body has 43 pairs of peripheral nerves, one nerve from each pair on the left side of the
body and the other on the right. Most of these nerves enter or leave the spinal cord, but the 12
pairs that are in the head go directly to and from the brain. (the central nervous system also

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contains bundles of neuron fibers, but they are called tracts.) Most axons are insulated by a layer
of fat cells called the myelin sheath. A major purpose of this covering is to prevent signals from
adjacent cells from interfering with each other. The myelin sheath is divided into segments that
make the axon look a little like a string of link sausages. When a neural impulses travels down
the axon, it “hops” from one break in the “string” to another, making direct contact with the
nerve cell. This action allows the impulse to travel faster that it could if it had to move along the
entire axon. The thicker the myelin sheath, the faster the impulse. Nerve impulses travel more
slowly in babies than in older children and adults, because babies’ myelin sheaths have not fully
developed. The communication of neuron to neuron usually involves separated tiny gaps called
synapses.

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The Brain

The storage of our memories, the seat of our intelligence (Davis, 1984) and you may not know it,
it is also where our emotions are found (Darwin, 1872; James & Lange, 1884; Cannon & Bard,
1900; Papez, 1937; Macchi, 1989). The brain’s structure is also as complicated as its counterpart
on moving the body itself. In this term, we are also speaking on how we should feel, elicit
emotion, act towards an emergency, our brain plays an important role in our thoughts, behavior
and feelings. The brain have three (3) main sections divided: Hindbrain, Midbrain and
Forebrain. The reflexive or autonomic behavior is controlled by the Hindbrain and Midbrain.
The complex behavior of the individual belongs to controlled area of the Forebrain.

The Hindbrain (Rhombencephalon)

This part of the brain starts at the base of the skull and the brain stem.
It is the region of the brain in which the medulla oblongata, pons and
cerebellum. The Hindbrain coordinates functions that are fundamental
to survival, including respiratory rhythm, motor activity, sleep and
wakefulness.

The Midbrain (Mesencephalon)

Located towards the base of your

brain is a small but important region called the midbrain
(derived from the developmental mesencephalon), which serves
as a vital connection point between the other major regions of
the brain - the forebrain and the hindbrain. The midbrain is the
topmost part of the brainstem, the connection central between
the brain and the spinal cord. There are three main parts of the
midbrain - the colliculi, the tegmentum, and the
cerebral peduncles. Of the 12 cranial nerves, two thread
directly from the midbrain- the oculomotor and trochlear
nerves, responsible for eye and eyelid movement.

Forebrain (Prosencephalon)

Source: Wikimedia

The Forebrain (derived from the developmental

prosencephalon) which contain the entire

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cerebrum and several structuresdirectly
nestled within it - the thalamus,
hypothalamus, the pineal gland and the limbic
system. This area of the brain plays a central role in the
processing of information related to complex cognitive
activities, sensory and associative functions, and
voluntary motor activities. Included in this region is the
visible area, the cerebrum; and this cerebrum is divided
into two parts or most popularly known for the two
major division of the brain, cerebral hemispheres
(Michel et. al., 2020; MacNeilage,
2013). When you picture the iconic shape of the human brain, the majority of what’s visible is
the cerebrum with its wrinkly, pinkish-grey outer appearance. It makes up around 85% of the
brain and consists primarily of grey matter, divided into two hemispheres.

The Two Hemispheres of the Brain.

Source: https://qbi.uq.edu.au/brain/brain-
anatomy/corpus-callosum

We could recall from the lesson that the

cerebrum can be divided into two parts
which can be called
hemispheres. And this hemispheres can
control opposite sides of the body. Though
similar in structure, the hemisphere
have somewhat separate
talents or areas of
specialization. But before we discuss the
distinction that separate the
hemispheres,we have acknowledge
what makes them connect. This importance and function belongs to the corpus callosum.
These are a band of nerve, which carries back and forth between the two. A combination of
sensory motor and cognitive information is constantly being transferred between hemispheres
via this neural highway. If the corpus callosum is severed, the brain’s hemispheres are not able
to communicate properly, and the loss of a range of functions can occur – for example, changes
to visual perception, speech and memory. Surgical severing of the corpus callosum is a last-
resort method for untreatable epilepsy, to stop seizures spreading across the brain.

These also provided proof that there is no truth that some people use one brain hemisphere
more than the other depending on their personality. Some functions may be specialized in a
particular cerebral hemisphere, but the truth is that we use both.

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hemispheres equally. Even though one hemisphere is specific for a function. The truth on the
matter is that the continuous communication of both hemispheres works far better. Even, the
theory that the establishment of creativity is strictly for the right-brained or the right
hemisphere, on the contrary, there is no specific evidence to really establish this theory.
Creativity is a complex process. According to a study, creative thinking does not seem to depend
on a single mental process or the brain region. Nor is it particularly associated with the right
brain, attention, low level of activation or synchronization with the alpha waves emitted by the
brain (Cerdan, 2017).

A psychologist by the name of Roger W. Sperry was responsible for the theory of the right and
left brain dominance. Sperry and his colleagues showed that perception and memory had been
profoundly affected, just as they had been in earlier animal research. In 198, Sperry received a
Nobel Prize for his work.

Function Left Brain Hemisphere Right Brain Hemisphere

Functions Speech and Language, Intuition
Mathematical Computation, Rational Spatial Awareness
reasoning, Music Creativity
Logical Analysis Facial recognition
Art
Rhythm
Personality Logical Artistic
Attention to details Creative
Analytical Open-
minded
Traits Rational decision making Random thoughts
Linear thinking Non-verbal
Reality-oriented processing
Holistic
Thinking
Fantasy-
oriented
Thought Verbal and Sequential Non-verbal random thoughts
Process
Problem- Solve the problem in the most logical way Solve problems in the most intuitive way
Solving ability
Overall Detail - Oriented Holistic Approach
Thinking

Strengths Language both verbal and written Arts Music Coordinating Multi-dimensional
Mathematics and analytics thinking
Sequencing Remembering a place, face or events
Reading
Writing, Spelling
Difficulties Visualization Organizing a huge body of information
Abstract thinking Difficulty in following a sequence
Remembering names
Parts of It controls the right side of the body It controls the left side of the body
the
body
being
controlled

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 Effects on the Not able to understand both spoken and Visual perception is impaired
body written words Can’t see or perceived things on the left side of
Can’t see or perceive things on the right side the body
when of the body Short attention span
damaged Slow movements Poor decision making
Slow learning process
Impulsiveness

Source: https://human-memory.net/left-and-right-hemisphere-of-the-brain/

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 What I Have Learned

1. The Brain is a major part of the Nervous System, responsible for the peripheral and
autonomic responses of the other parts of the system in the body.
2. The Central Nervous System (CNS) is responsible for the processes, interprets and
stores sensory information, considered the central command system, alongside the
spinal cord that acts as the bridge to the different parts of the body.
3. There two (2) types of the nervous system, the central and peripheral nervous system.
The Peripheral Nervous System, is located beyond the (CNS) and handles the input and
output of the latter. It has two division, autonomic and Somatic.
4. Autonomic is responsible for actions or responses that are involuntary, while Somatic,
for the voluntary responses.
5. The Autonomic Division has to system, the Parasympathetic; which is tasked to slow
down the actions and responses of the body, while the Sympathetic is the accelerator,
mobilizing the body for action and output of the body.
6. A Nerve Cell or Neuron has three (3) major structures; the axons, the cell body and the
dendrite.
7. The Brain can be divided in to three (3) major parts, each responsible for the processes
of memory, intelligence can be found and emotion that can be elicited.
8. The Cerebral Cortex which is the cap of the brain, has four (4) Lobes. The Frontal,
Parietal, Temporal and Occipital Lobes.
9. The Cerebellum is responsible for the cognitive skills, procedural learning and
movement coordination.
10. The Corpus callosum is a bridge that connects the interaction of the two hemispheres of
the brain.
11. Understanding the brain from the point of the lateralization of the left and right
hemisphere tend to produce different evidences that suggests the distinction of the
personality. The personality of the individual is complex and unique, therefore the
interaction and communication of both hemispheres is needed to further understand
the complexity of personality in every individual.

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