Different Structures Of The Brain Essay

The reticular formation is essential for maintaining wakefulness and in conjunction with the cerebral cortex is referred to as the reticular activating system (p.450)

24. The larger swelling above the medulla that connects the top of the brain to the bottom and that plays a part in sleep, dreaming, left–right body coordination, and arousal is called the pons.

45.Cerebellum: the "little brain" at the rear of the brainstem; processes sensory input and coordinates movement output and balance.

These psychological disorders originate from different area of the brain. The brain consists of three main parts: the forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain. The forebrain is made up of the cerebrum, thalamus, and hypothalamus (part of the limbic system). The midbrain comprises the tectum and tegmentum. The hindbrain consists of the cerebellum, pons and medulla. The midbrain, pons, and medulla in conjunction are typically called the brainstem.

The first layer of the brain is the cortex which covers the top and sides of the brain. This area controls reasoning and language, and this area will be less active when under sedative drugs. The basal ganglia are located underneath the cortex and it is made up of by the striatum. The striatum controls muscle tone and is part of the dopamine pathway which is a potential transport highway for psychoactive drugs. The hypothalamus is at the base of the brain and serves as liaison between the brain and pituitary gland.

There are three interconnected layers in the brain, the central core, the limbic system, cerebral cortex. The central core has five main regions that help regulate basic life processes, such as breathing, pulse, arousal, movement, balance, and sleep. The first main region in the central core is the thalamus. The thalamus begins the process of interpreting sensory information and determines fundamental propriaties and then forwards the information to the approprIate areas of the cerebral cortex. The second main region is the pons. The pons triggers dreaming and waking from sleep. The next main region is the cerebellum, which coordinates body movements, controls, posture, and maintains equilibrium. The reticular formation is another main region that is responsible for sending signals to the cerebral cortex to attend new stimulation and remain alert even during sleep. Lastly, the medulla is the center for breathing, waking, sleeping, and beating of the heart.

The spinal cord and the brain are the main parts of the central nervous system. The spinal cord is aligned from the base of the brain, through the back, which allows the body to move and have sensation. The spinal cord contains dendrites, supporting cells, and axons, long nerve fibers, that attach to the brain to carry out messages. The axons have sheaths of insulation called myelin and the dendrites receive signals from other dendrites. Dendrites actually make

Cerebellum: Maintains balance, and corrects errors in motor commands generates normal muscle for cognitive functions.

The CNS contains the brain and spinal cord. Its main functions include: processing, integrating, and coordinating sensory information and motor instructions. The sensory data conducts information that is being processed from internal and external conditions the body is experiencing. Motor commands regulate and control peripheral organs (skeletal muscles). The brain functions under memory, emotions, learning, and intelligence. The PNS consist of the neural tissue found outside of the CNS. It functions in sending data to the CNS which motor commands are than carried out to the peripheral tissues/systems. Multiple nerve fibers send sensory data and motor commands in the PNS. The nerves that assist with transmitting data include the cranial nerves and spinal nerve. However, the PNS can be divided into afferent (to bring in) and efferent (to bring out) divisions of transferring data. The afferent division functions in bringing in sensory data to the CNS. Sensory structures are receptors that detect internal/external environmental change and adjusting accordingly. The efferent division functions in carrying out motor commands from the CNS to glands, muscles, and adipose tissue. The efferent division contains somatic

Medulla and cerebellum are the two important part of our brain. Medulla is located in the brain stem, it sits below the pons and above the spinal cord. Medulla is a major relay point that receive and send information between the brain and our body back and forth. Medulla directly control many autonomic nervous system (ANS) responses, for instance, it controls the blood vessel dilation to increase or decrease oxygen flow and respond to heart functions; it controls digestion to turn on or off during the "fight" or "flight" scenarios; it also controls sneezing and coughing to dispel particles from the nose; swallowing and vomiting to get rid of the bacteria or poisons that could harm our body. It controls when these activities start, when they stop and how fast they go at the right time. If medulla is damaged, people may lose the sense of touch and muscle coordination. They might have trouble breathing, coughing, swallowing and vomiting, they may not able to sense or detect pain or the changes of temperature.

The cerebellum is a larger portion of the brain which are all vertebrates. It is ten percent of the brain. The cerebellum can be separated in three parts, the midline vermis, and two lateral hemispheres. The hemispheres are large compared to other organisms and are used for motor control. The vermis is used for controlling muscle tone and level of force. Over all the cerebellum main functions are to control the cognitive

The cerebellum (or ‘Little Brain’) is an area located at the back of the brain, positioned underneath the occipital and temporal lobes [Figure 1]. The structure’s main purpose is the fine-tuning of movement, and maintaining posture and balance. The cerebellum is commonly thought of as a motor system, because it is mostly involved in outputting to the movement (motor) system. However, the cerebellum’s purpose is not the creation of motor commands, rather the moderation and adaptation of commands to increase their accuracy. It also uses a surprisingly large amount of neurons relative to its size: although it is only approximately 10% of the brain’s total volume, it accounts for over 50% of the total number of neurons in the

Even though the brain is the major control center if the body, its job would not be possible without the spinal cord. The spinal cord is the major organ that helps information travel between the body and the brain. Nerves branch in the peripheral system from, either the brain stem or spinal cord, each nerve attaches to a specific area of the torso and limbs it 's responsible for communication to and from those regions. There are three very important

     One of the most complex and fascinating things in the human body is the brain. The body is “capable of almost everything, but it would not be possible, without the brain receiving information, and analyzing the information.”

The cortex consists of four sections, called "lobes". The frontal lobe is connected to reasoning, planning, speech, movement, emotions, and problem solving. The parietal lobe is associated with balance, recognizing, and movement. The occipital lobe is associated with vision. The temporal lobe is connected to hearing, memory, and speech. The cortex is highly wrinkled, making the brain more convenient, as this increases the brain's surface area, giving it more room for neurons. The cerebrum is divided into two hemispheres- the left hemisphere, and the right hemisphere. The right hemisphere is associated with creativity, and the left one is linked with logic. A bundle of nerve fibers, known as the corpus callosum connects these "hemispheres" (Brain Structures and their Functions). The cerebellum, which is also known as the "little brain", is similar to the cerebrum, since it also has two hemispheres and a highly folded surface. This part of the brain is linked with movement and balance. The cerebellum is assumed to be older than the cerebrum "evolutionarily" (Brain Structures and Their Functions). The brain stem controls basic life functions such as blood pressure, breathing, and heartbeat. Scientists say that the brain stem is the simplest part of the brain (Brain Structures and Their Functions).