Where is the primitive brain located

As such they are geared more toward basic bodily processes necessary to survival. It is the more recent layers of the brain the forebrain which are responsible for the higher-level cognitive functioning language, reasoning not strictly necessary to keep a body alive. The hindbrain, which includes the medulla oblongata, the pons, and the cerebellum, is responsible some of the oldest and most primitive body functions.

Each of these structures is described below. The medulla oblongata sits at the transition zone between the brain and the spinal cord. It is the first region that formally belongs to the brain rather than the spinal cord. It is the control center for respiratory, cardiovascular, and digestive functions. The pons connects the medulla oblongata with the midbrain region, and also relays signals from the forebrain to the cerebellum.

It houses the control centers for respiration and inhibitory functions. The cerebellum is attached to the dorsal side of the pons. The cerebellum is a separate region of the brain located behind the medulla oblongata and pons. It is attached to the rest of the brain by three stalks called pedunculi , and coordinates skeletal muscles to produce smooth, graceful motions.

It also receives output from the cerebral cortex about where these body parts should be. After processing this information, the cerebellum sends motor impulses from the brain stem to the skeletal muscles so that they can move. The main function of the cerebellum is this muscle coordination.

However, it is also responsible for balance and posture, and it assists us when we are learning a new motor skill, such as playing a sport or musical instrument. Recent research shows that apart from motor functions the cerebellum also has some role in emotional sensitivity. The midbrain is located between the hindbrain and forebrain, but it is actually part of the brain stem. It displays the same basic functional composition found in the spinal cord and the hindbrain.

Ventral areas control motor function and convey motor information from the cerebral cortex. Dorsal regions of the midbrain are involved in sensory information circuits.

The substantia nigra, a part of the brain that plays a role in reward, addiction, and movement due to its high levels of dopaminergic neurons is located in the midbrain. The diencephalon is the region of the embryonic vertebrate neural tube that gives rise to posterior forebrain structures. In adults, the diencephalon appears at the upper end of the brain stem, situated between the cerebrum and the brain stem. It is home to the limbic system, which is considered the seat of emotion in the human brain.

The diencephalon is made up of four distinct components: the thalamus, the subthalamus, the hypothalamus, and the epithalamus. The thalamus is part of the limbic system. It consists of two lobes of grey matter along the bottom of the cerebral cortex. Lesions of, or stimulation to, the thalamus are associated with changes in emotional reactivity.

However, the importance of this structure on the regulation of emotional behavior is not due to the activity of the thalamus itself, but to the connections between the thalamus and other limbic-system structures.

Limbic system, brain stem, and spinal cord : An image of the brain showing the limbic system in relation to the brain stem and spinal cord. The hypothalamus is a small part of the brain located just below the thalamus. Lesions of the hypothalamus interfere with motivated behaviors like sexuality, combativeness, and hunger. The hypothalamus also plays a role in emotion: parts of the hypothalamus seem to be involved in pleasure and rage, while the central part is linked to aversion, displeasure, and a tendency towards uncontrollable and loud laughing.

When external stimuli are presented for example, a dangerous stimuli , the hypothalamus sends signals to other limbic areas to trigger feeling states in response to the stimuli in this case, fear. Hypothalamus : An image of the brain showing the location of the hypothalamus.

The spinal cord is a tail-like structure embedded in the vertebral canal of the spine. The adult spinal cord is about 40 cm long and weighs approximately 30 g. The spinal cord is attached to the underside of the medulla oblongata, and is organized to serve four distinct tasks:.

The cerebral cortex is the outermost layered structure of the brain and controls higher brain functions such as information processing.

The cerebral cortex, the largest part of the mammalian brain, is the wrinkly gray outer covering of the cerebrum. The cerebral cortex is considered the ultimate control and information-processing center in the brain. The cortex is made of layers of neurons with many inputs; these cortical neurons function like mini microprocessors or logic gates. It contains glial cells, which guide neural connections, provide nutrients and myelin to neurons, and absorb extra ions and neurotransmitters.

The cortex is divided into four different lobes the parietal, occipital, temporal, and frontal lobes , each with a different specific function. Lobes of the brain : A diagram of the brain identifying the different lobes by color. Counterclockwise from bottom: It contains the parietal lobe green , the occipital lobe red , the temporal lobe yellow , and the frontal lobe blue.

The cortex is wrinkly in appearance. Evolutionary constraints on skull size brought about this development; it allowed for the cortex to become larger without our brains and therefore craniums becoming disadvantageously large. Current research suggests that both of these may be at least partially true, but the degree to which they correlate is not clear. While there are variations from person to person in their sulci and gyri, the brain has been studied enough to identify patterns.

One notable sulcus is the central sulcus, or the wrinkle dividing the parietal lobe from the frontal lobe. Beneath the cerebral cortex is the cerebrum, which serves as the main thought and control center of the brain. It is the seat of higher-level thought like emotions and decision making as opposed to lower-level thought like balance, movement, and reflexes.

The cerebrum is composed of gray and white matter. Gray matter is the mass of all the cell bodies, dendrites, and synapses of neurons interlaced with one another, while white matter consists of the long, myelin-coated axons of those neurons connecting masses of gray matter to each other.

Grey matter and white matter : A sagittal cross-section of a human brain showing the distinct layers of grey matter the darker outer layer and white matter the lighter inner layer in the cerebrum.

The brain is divided into two hemispheres and four lobes, each of which specializes in a different function. The brain is divided into two halves, called hemispheres. There is evidence that each brain hemisphere has its own distinct functions, a phenomenon referred to as lateralization. The left hemisphere appears to dominate the functions of speech, language processing and comprehension, and logical reasoning, while the right is more dominant in spatial tasks like vision-independent object recognition such as identifying an object by touch or another nonvisual sense.

However, it is easy to exaggerate the differences between the functions of the left and right hemispheres; both hemispheres are involved with most processes. Additionally, neuroplasticity the ability of a brain to adapt to experience enables the brain to compensate for damage to one hemisphere by taking on extra functions in the other half, especially in young brains.

The two hemispheres communicate with one another through the corpus callosum. The corpus callosum is a wide, flat bundle of neural fibers beneath the cortex that connects the left and right cerebral hemispheres and facilitates interhemispheric communication. The corpus callosum is sometimes implicated in the cause of seizures; patients with epilepsy sometimes undergo a corpus callostomy, or the removal of the corpus callosum. Lobes of the brain : The brain is divided into four lobes, each of which is associated with different types of mental processes.

Clockwise from left: The frontal lobe is in blue at the front, the parietal lobe in yellow at the top, the occipital lobe in red at the back, and the temporal lobe in green on the bottom. The frontal lobe is associated with executive functions and motor performance. Executive functions are some of the highest-order cognitive processes that humans have. Examples include:. The frontal lobe is considered to be the moral center of the brain because it is responsible for advanced decision-making processes.

It also plays an important role in retaining emotional memories derived from the limbic system, and modifying those emotions to fit socially accepted norms.

The temporal lobe is associated with the retention of short- and long-term memories. Enter and space open menus and escape closes them as well. Tab will move on to the next part of the site rather than go through menu items. The brain serves many important functions. It gives meaning to things that happen in the world surrounding us. Through the five senses of sight, smell, hearing, touch and taste, the brain receives messages, often many at the same time.

The brain controls thoughts, memory and speech, arm and leg movements and the function of many organs within the body. It also determines how people respond to stressful situations i. The brain is an organized structure, divided into many components that serve specific and important functions. The weight of the brain changes from birth through adulthood. At birth, the average brain weighs about one pound, and grows to about two pounds during childhood.

The average weight of an adult female brain is about 2. The nervous system is commonly divided into the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. The central nervous system is made up of the brain, its cranial nerves and the spinal cord. The peripheral nervous system is composed of the spinal nerves that branch from the spinal cord and the autonomous nervous system divided into the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system.

The brain is made up of two types of cells: neurons and glial cells, also known as neuroglia or glia. The neuron is responsible for sending and receiving nerve impulses or signals. Glial cells are non-neuronal cells that provide support and nutrition, maintain homeostasis, form myelin and facilitate signal transmission in the nervous system.

In the human brain, glial cells outnumber neurons by about 50 to one. Glial cells are the most common cells found in primary brain tumors. When a person is diagnosed with a brain tumor, a biopsy may be done, in which tissue is removed from the tumor for identification purposes by a pathologist. Pathologists identify the type of cells that are present in this brain tissue, and brain tumors are named based on this association. The type of brain tumor and cells involved impact patient prognosis and treatment.

The brain is housed inside the bony covering called the cranium. The cranium protects the brain from injury. Together, the cranium and bones that protect the face are called the skull. Between the skull and brain is the meninges, which consist of three layers of tissue that cover and protect the brain and spinal cord. From the outermost layer inward they are: the dura mater, arachnoid and pia mater.

Dura Mater: In the brain, the dura mater is made up of two layers of whitish, nonelastic film or membrane. The outer layer is called the periosteum. An inner layer, the dura, lines the inside of the entire skull and creates little folds or compartments in which parts of the brain are protected and secured.

The two special folds of the dura in the brain are called the falx and the tentorium. The falx separates the right and left half of the brain and the tentorium separates the upper and lower parts of the brain. Arachnoid: The second layer of the meninges is the arachnoid. This membrane is thin and delicate and covers the entire brain. There is a space between the dura and the arachnoid membranes that is called the subdural space.

The arachnoid is made up of delicate, elastic tissue and blood vessels of varying sizes. Pia Mater: The layer of meninges closest to the surface of the brain is called the pia mater. The pia mater has many blood vessels that reach deep into the surface of the brain.

The pia, which covers the entire surface of the brain, follows the folds of the brain. The major arteries supplying the brain provide the pia with its blood vessels. The space that separates the arachnoid and the pia is called the subarachnoid space. It is within this area that cerebrospinal fluid flows.

Cerebrospinal fluid CSF is found within the brain and surrounds the brain and the spinal cord. It is a clear, watery substance that helps to cushion the brain and spinal cord from injury. This fluid circulates through channels around the spinal cord and brain, constantly being absorbed and replenished. It is within hollow channels in the brain, called ventricles, that the fluid is produced.

A specialized structure within each ventricle, called the choroid plexus, is responsible for the majority of CSF production. The brain normally maintains a balance between the amount of CSF that is absorbed and the amount that is produced. However, disruptions in this system may occur. The ventricular system is divided into four cavities called ventricles, which are connected by a series of holes, called foramen, and tubes.

Two ventricles enclosed in the cerebral hemispheres are called the lateral ventricles first and second. They each communicate with the third ventricle through a separate opening called the Foramen of Munro.

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