BRAIN STRUCTURES

HINDBRAIN Cerebellum – coordinates movement, balance, organizes sensory information that guides movement medulla – circulates blood, breathes, maintains muscle tone, regulates sneezing, coughing and salivation Pons – connects brainstem with cerebellum – is involved in sleep and arousal

MIDBRAIN Responsible for integrating sensory processes such as vision and hearing

FOREBRAIN Limbic system – loosely connected group of structures on the border between the cerebral cortex and subcortical areas thalamus – all sensory information (except smell) comes fist to the thalamus and then is sent to other parts of the brain after integration hypothalamus – regulates basic biological needs – hunger, thirst, fight or flight – also links brain to endocrine system amygdala – role in anger, fear and aggression hippocampus – plays a role in the formation of memories

Cerebrum – complex thought – learning, remembering, thinking and consciousness. It is divided into two hemispheres – connected by the corpus callosum cerebral cortex – the outer layer of the cerebrum occipital lobe – visual processing in the primary visual cortex parietal lobe – primary somatosensory cortex –receives signals from different regions of the body temporal lobe -- contains the primary auditory cortex (hearing), Broca’s area (speech) and Wernicke’s area (understanding language) frontal lobe – primary motor cortex – controls body movements prefrontal cortex – 28% of cortex. = “executive control system”

STRUCTURES SPANNING MORE THAN ONE AREA Reticular formation – runs through the hindbrain and midbrain – modulates muscular reflexes, breathing and pain perception. Best known for its role in regulating sleep and arousal Corpus callosum – fibers that connect the two brain hemispheres