A Tour Through The Brain old reptilian brain

A Tour Through The Brain old "reptilian" brain

Boy born without a brain

The Brain Stem and Cerebellum • • • Thalamus Pons Cerebellum Reticular Formation Medulla

Thalamus • Top of the Brain Stem. • directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex. • *Smell is the only sense that it DOES NOT go through this structure.

Pons • Regulation of our states of wake/sleep cycle and dreaming. • Acts as a bridge that connects the brain stem to the cerebellum

Cerebellum • Involved in our sense of balance and coordination of our muscles. • If your cerebellum is damaged you would be exceedingly clumsy and uncoordinated.

Medulla • It controls basic life support functions like your heartbeat, blood pressure and breathing. • Operates on “autopilot”

Brain Stem • Oldest part of the brain, includes the previous mentioned medulla, pons and the Reticular (formation) Activation System = arouses the cortex to keep the brain alert and attentive. Wakefulness/consciousness