1. THE BRAIN

Here are some brain structures in close-up.

Exercise 1

Read the text and do the exercise that follows.

The brain is the most complex organ in the body (in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals), serving as a part of the central nervous system. The remaining part of the nervous system is the spinal cord. The brain is responsible for our thoughts, emotions, moods, ability to learn and remember, speech, personality, all our experiences and basic functions. Although nearly everything we do is controlled and coordinated by the brain, there are some things we don't need it to do, such as simple reflex actions.

The brain is located within the skull and comprises the cerebrum, the cerebellum and the brainstem. The brain consists of two classes of cells: glial cells and nerve cells also called neurons. Glial cells are supporting cells that provide neurons with nutrients, protection and physical support. Neurons are considered the most important cells in the brain. They are each connected by synapses to thousands of other neurons, forming neural networks. The neurons transmit information to the rest of the body through electrical and chemical signals and relate information back to specific areas of the brain, where it is processed into an appropriate response.

The cerebrum is the largest portion of the human brain. It consists of the cerebral cortex (also referred to as grey matter) and several subcortical structures including the amygdala, the hippocampus, the thalamus, the hypothalamus and olfactory bulbs.

The cerebrum is divided into left and right hemispheres joined together by the corpus callosum (a structure containing nerve fibers) and into four sections: frontal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe and temporal lobe. The left hemisphere controls the right side of the body and the right hemisphere controls the left side.

The brainstem is made of the midbrain, the pons and the medulla oblongata.

In the course of evolution, the human brain has tripled in size and developed three distinctive layers. The brainstem and cerebellum developed first. The limbic system (consisting of different brain structures located on both sides of the thalamus, including the hippocampus, amygdala and hypothalamus) developed next, and the cerebral cortex developed last.

Representing only 2% of the total body weight, the adult human brain consumes about 20% of energy produced by the body.

In the past physicians and researchers had to wait until a post-mortem was performed to examine the brain. Now they can use sophisticated brain imaging techniques to cope with the complex anatomy of the brain without cutting it open. The most common techniques currently used include the computed tomography scan (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and positron emission tomography (PET). When scientists want to study the structure of the brain, they use CT scanning or MRI. When they are more interested in the brain's activity, they turn to PET scanning and fMRI.

Here are the main functions of the brain structures.

The cerebrum controls higher mental functions.

The amygdala controls emotions.

The hippocampus is involved in the formation of long-term memory.

The thalamus relays sensory information.

The hypothalamus maintains the body in a balanced condition. It controls body temperature, hunger, thirst, fatigue, sleep, anger and more.

The olfactory bulbs are responsible for the sense of smell.

The cerebellum coordinates body's movement, posture and balance.

The midbrain is responsible for the regulation of vision and hearing.

The pons regulates sleep-wake cycles.

The medulla oblongata regulates basic body functions, including heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration.

Decide if the following statements are true (T) or false (F).

Exercise 2

Complete the sentences using the verbs from the text in Exercise 1. Sometimes two words are possible.

Exercise 3

Choose the correct option.

Exercise 4

Choose the correct option.

From Brain Injury to Maths Genius

Back in 2002, Jason Padgett was an average Joe from the streets. He had little interest in academia and he spent every spare moment drinking in bars, hanging out at the gym or chasing girls.

Then, however, something happened that forever changed his life. On the night of September 13, 2002 Jason Padgett went out to a karaoke bar near his home and was brutally mugged. The blows he received to the forehead/head/scalp (1) that night left him with a traumatic/trauma/traumatised (2) brain injury. At hospital doctors diagnosed Padgett with severe concussion/collision/contusion (3), but released him the same night. Soon after the attack, Padgett discovered that he could visualise geometric shapes and physical concepts. In an interview for Live Science he described this experience: 'I see shapes and angles everywhere in real life.' There were downsides that came along with Padgett's new skills. Once a people person and a heavy partier, he has developed obsessive-compulsive disorder and debilitating social anxiety.

A series of brain scans that Padgett underwent revealed profound changes in the left lobe/cortex/hemisphere (4) of his brain and hyperactivity in the left parietal cortex/cerebrum/cerebellum (5) - an area that integrates information from different senses - which seems to be causing his extraordinary abilities called 'savant/prodigy/genius (6) syndrome.'

Jason Padgett's case is an example of neurotransmission/neurogenesis/neuroplasticity (7), the ability of the brain to change. It shows that a brain injury can alter an individual's behaviour and personality. It also provides yet another argument in the 'mind-body' debate in favour of materialism, indicating that we are all the work/workings/workers (8) of our brains - all of mental life including thoughts, emotions, sensations, reasoning, and the like is the product of brain activities.

Exercise 5

Put the names of brain diseases in the correct column.

epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, stroke, meningitis, brain aneurysm, encephalitis, Huntington's disease, brain abscess, (mild, moderate, severe) traumatic brain injury (TBI), concussion, intracerebral haemorrhage, dementia, cerebral edema, Parkinson's disease, (malignant or benign) brain tumour

BRAIN DISEASES

Infections

Seizures

Trauma

Growth

Vascular Conditions

Neurodegenerative Conditions

Exercise 6

Complete the sentences with the names of brain diseases.

Klucz ?