1.4b The brain: brain regions and structures

Hindbrain

Directs essential survival functions, such as breathing, sleeping, and wakefulness, as well as coordination and balance; consists of medulla, pons, and cerebellum

Midbrain

Controls motor movement and transmits auditory and visual information

Forebrain

Manages complex cognitive activities, sensory and associative functions, and voluntary motor activities; consists of cerebral cortex, thalamus, hypothalamus

Brainstem

The central core of the brain, beginning when the spiral cord swells as it enters the skull; responsible for automatic survival functions; base is the medulla & above sits the pons

Medulla

Controls heartbeat and breathing

Pons

Helps coordinate movement and control sleep

Thalamus

Atop the brainstem; receives sensory information, except smell, & directs messages to sensory receiving cortices & transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla

Reticular formation

Extends from the spinal cord right up through the thalamus; filters information and plays role in controlling arousal

Cerebellum

Hind brain’s “little brain” of the rear of the brainstem; processes sensory input, coordinates movement output and balance, and enables procedural learning and memory

Limbic system

Neural system located mostly in the forebrain that includes the amygdala, hypothalamus, hippocampus, thalamus, and pituitary gland; associated with emotions and drives

Amygdala

Controls emotions like anger and fear

Hypothalamus

Governs endocrine system, linked to emotion and reward, maintains homeostasis of the body

Hippocampus

Helps process explicit memories of facts and events for storage

Corpus callosum

Connects the two hemispheres of the brain and carrying messages between them

Cerebral cortex

Intricate fabric of interconnected overall cells covering the forebrain's cerebral hemispheres; the body's ultimate control and information-processing center

Frontal lobe

Behind the forehead; enables linguistic processing, muscle movements, higher order thinking, and executive functions

Parietal lobe

At the top rear; receives sensory input for touch and body position

Occipital lobe

At the back of the head; receives information from the visual fields

Temporal lobes

Enables auditory and language processing

Motor cortex

A cerebral cortex area at the rear of the frontal lobe that controls voluntary movements

Somatosensory cortex

A cerebral cortex area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations

Association areas

Areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions; rather they are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking

Prefrontal cortex

Enables judgment, planning, social interactions, and processing of new memories.

Broca's area

Responsible for producing and coordinating speech

Wernicke's area

Responsible for understanding spoken and written language

Fusiform face area

Part of brain that recognizes faces