Brain structures and functions

Pons

brainstem structure that helps regulate sleep, dreaming, and breathing, and relays signals between the cerebellum and higher brain areas

Reticular activating system

network of neurons in the brainstem that filters incoming stimuli and controls arousal, alertness, and wakefulness

Medulla

base of the brainstem that controls vital autonomic functions like heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure

Cerebellum

coordinates voluntary movement, balance, posture, and motor learning; important for timing and precision

Midbrain

part of the brainstem involved in visual and auditory processing, movement, and reflexes

Thalamus

sensory relay center that directs incoming sensory information (except smell) to the appropriate areas of the cerebral cortex

Cerebral cortex

thin outer layer of the brain responsible for higher

Hypothalamus

regulates homeostasis (hunger, thirst, body temperature), controls the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is involved in emotion and reward

Amygdala

limbic system structure that processes emotions, especially fear, aggression, and threat detection

Hippocampus

limbic system structure involved in forming, organizing, and storing new memories, especially explicit (declarative) memories

Frontal lobe

involved in decision

Temporal lobe

processes auditory information, language, and is involved in memory formation

Parietal lobe

processes sensory information such as touch, temperature, pain, and spatial awareness

Occipital lobe

processes visual information including color, shape, and motion

Motor cortex

located in the frontal lobe; controls voluntary movements of skeletal muscles (contralateral control)

Prefrontal cortex

part of the frontal lobe responsible for executive functions like planning, decision

Primary auditory cortex

located in the temporal lobe; receives and processes basic sound features like pitch and volume

Auditory association cortex

interprets and gives meaning to sounds, including speech and music

Primary visual cortex

located in the occipital lobe; processes basic visual information like lines, edges, and motion

Somatosensory cortex

located in the parietal lobe; processes touch, pressure, pain, temperature, and body position (proprioception)

Broca’s area

located in the left frontal lobe; controls speech production and language expression

Wernicke’s area

located in the left temporal lobe; responsible for language comprehension and understanding meaning