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The brain and the eye

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Two of the body's most complex organs. Separate Biology only.

Parts of the brain

Cerebral hemispheres (cerebrum): thinking, memory, language, conscious action.
Cerebellum: balance and coordinating movement.
Medulla oblongata: automatic actions such as heart rate and breathing.

The eye

Cornea: refracts (bends) light into the eye. Iris: controls the size of the pupil. Lens: focuses light onto the retina. Retina: contains light-sensitive receptor cells (rods and cones). Optic nerve: carries impulses to the brain.

Eye defects

Short-sightedness: distant objects are blurred; corrected with a concave lens.
Long-sightedness: near objects are blurred; corrected with a convex lens.
Cataracts: the lens becomes cloudy.
Colour blindness: some cone cells do not work properly.
Worked example

Which part of the brain would a head injury affect if a person loses their balance?

  1. Balance and coordination are controlled by the cerebellum.

Answer: The cerebellum

Key idea

Cerebrum: thinking; cerebellum: balance; medulla: automatic actions. In the eye, the cornea and lens focus light on the retina, and the optic nerve carries impulses to the brain.

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