Clay Brain 3-D Model

 

Labels (coloring aids with locating label).

Pink-The forebrain is the largest part of the brain and has the right and left hemispheres which are responsible for memory, language, emotions, experiencing sensations, planning and decision making. It’s also the most evolved. At the core is the limbic system where half a dozen connected structures regulate motivational behaviors, emotions, and storing memories. The hypothalamus (controls endocrine system), amygdala, thalamus and hippocampus are located here.

White-The midbrain has a pleasure center which is activated by food, sex, money, music or some drugs. It has areas for reflexes and contains reticular information, which lets forebrain know to be ready about incoming stimuli.

White-The hindbrain is a combination of three main structures: the pons, medulla and cerebellum.

White- The pons act like a bridge to carry messages from the spinal cord to the brain, and they make chemicals that stimulate sleep.

White-The medulla includes cells that regulate vital reflexes like breathing, heart rate and blood pressure.

White-The cerebellum is there for coordinating motor skills, but only involuntary movements.

Pink-The wrinkled cortex is a layer of cells that cover the whole surface of the forebrain. Most of our neurons are in here, which folds over on itself so that it can store more information. This is divided into four areas called lobes: The frontal, parietal, occipital and the temporal lobe.

Blue-The frontal lobe is involved with personality maintenance, emotions and behaving in social situations, motor behaviors, choosing and planning. Without it, we could experience uncontrollable outbursts, poor decision making and impaired motor skills. The nerves in the left and right hemisphere control movement in opposite sides of the body (right-left and left-right). It also has Broca’s area that deals with putting words into meaningful sentences and speaking a language.

Purple-The motor cortex is located in the frontal lobe and is involved with the activation of all voluntary movements. It’s organized in two ways: First, a larger body part is a relatively bigger piece of the motor cortex and thus more ability to do complex body moves. Second, each part gets its own piece, so if damage to the brain has occurred only selected body parts will be paralyzed.

Brown-The parietal lobe deals with sensory information from body parts, like the five senses, and involves with cognitive functions like attending to and perceiving objects.

Light Blue-Somatosensory cortex is in the parietal lobe and processes sensory information about touch, location of limbs, pain, and temperature. It’s somewhat organized like the motor cortex. A bigger body part means a bigger area of the brain and thus more sensitivity to external stimuli. Damage to one area will lose sense in selected body parts yet sparing others.

Dark Green-The temporal lobe is used for hearing and speaking. It uses two structures to be able to process language.

Red-The primary auditory cortex turns electrical signals from ears into meaningless consonants and vowels.

Light Green-The auditory association area transforms vowels and consonants into recognizable information, like words and sentences.

Light Pink-Wernicke’s area is needed for analyzing and understanding spoken sentences and speaking correctly. Wernicke’s aphasia makes it difficult for the brain to understand the sentence, but still can speak fluently.

Yellow-Broca’s area is necessary for putting words into sentences and speaking fluently. Broca’s aphasia makes it hard for the person to speak in coherent sentences, but can still understand spoken and written ones.

Dark Yellow-The occipital lobe is responsible for visual information, which includes seeing colors, perceiving objects, and recognizing people.

Black-The primary visual cortex receives electrical signals from receptors in the eyes and transforms these signals into meaningless basic visual sensations like light, shadows, colors, lines and curves.

Orange-The visual association area turns meaningless sensations into complete visual perceptions. Damage to this area results in visual agnosia where an individual can’t recognize the complete object in sight. He/she only recognizes parts (lines, shadows, curves).