Module 1 The Nervous System
Lesson 1.1.2
Lesson 2—The Brain and Spinal Cord: The Boss and the Unthinking Boss
Get Focused
© Michael Monu/iStockphoto
Everyone has a brain and a spinal cord. Most people are born with both working the way they should. The brain is the centre of “who” you are—your personality, your values, and your ability to determine right from wrong. Your brain communicates with your spinal cord allowing you to walk, move, feel, experience life, and perform body functions like breathing.
When you walked across the room to meet your new friend in the Big Picture, it was your brain that projected your personality and your spinal cord that got you there.
In this lesson you will explore the relationships between the brain and the spinal cord and how dependant they are on each other to function correctly. When the communication is interrupted between the two, bad things happen. For example, your personality could change, you might lose the ability to walk, or your senses could be altered. Each of these is an example of interrupted communication.
In this lesson you will investigate the following focusing questions:
- What are the main structures of the brain and spinal cord, what are their functions, and how are these functions co-ordinated?
- What happens when the information to or from the brain or spinal cord is disrupted or interrupted?
Module 1: Lesson 2 Assignment
Once you have finished all of the learning activities for this lesson, you can complete the online assignment.
Here is a tutorial video for this lesson that you can watch if it suits your learning style. Bio30 tut#1.1.2 CNS
** The Self-Check and Try This questions in this lesson are not marked by the teacher; however answering these questions will help you review important information and build key concepts that may be applied in future lessons. You can respond to these mentally, write out your response, or record your answer in any other way that works for you. **