Brain
The brain is the master organ of the body and the control center of the entire nervous system. It is the bedrock of consciousness, perception, memory, emotion, and self-awareness. The brain is typically divided into four basic sections.
A. The Hindbrain – is attracted to the spinal cord and is responsible for many automatic functions such as breathing and heartbeat, as well as some voluntary actions like walking and facial movements. The hindbrain or brain stem consists of three parts. The first is the medulla, which is actually an extension of the spinal chord into the skull. The medulla also contains some of the essential nuclei that govern respiration and heart rate. The upper part of the medulla contains a pinky-sized complex of nuclei called the reticular formation. It is the regulatory system for sleep, walking, and alertness. The second part is the pons, which means bridge in Latin. It is primarily the pathways connecting the two halves of the next part, which is called the cerebellum. The cerebellum, which means “little brain” in Latin, is in fact shaped like a small brain, and it is believed that, when you learn complex motor tasks, the details are recorded in the cerebellum. The cerebellum also controls body balance.
B. The Midbrain – is in human beings, the smallest part of the brain. It is the area of the brain that serves primarily as a relay station between the forebrain and hindbrain, but does control some bodily movements like the startle reflex. It connects the hindbrain to the forebrain, and contains several pathways important to hearing and vision. The midbrain contains a variety of structures. One of these structures is the reticular formation. The reticular formation is involved in the awareness of sensory input; all sensory inputs project to the reticular formation.
C. The Posterior Forebrain – is the largest and most interesting part of the brain. Is starts with the thalamus, which is practically in the center of your head. The thalamus is like a switching station, conducting signals from the body up to the relevant parts of the higher brain, and down from the brain to the lower brain and spinal cord. Thus, thalamus sends out specific sensory information to the brain.
D. The Anterior Forebrain – Anterior means the “front”. The anterior forebrain contains the neocortex, which is the “gray matter” covering the frontal regions of the brain (the “wrinkly stuff”). Underneath the neocortex are the basal ganglia, a structure associated with Parkinson’s disease. The limbic system forms a part of the anterior forebrain as well. The limbic system is critical in areas such as learning and memory and sexual arousal.
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