Dia Grid
Dia Grid
Dia Grid
Our
brain gives us awareness of ourselves and of our environment, processing a constant
stream of sensory data. It controls our muscle movements, the secretions of our
glands, and even our breathing and internal temperature. Every creative thought,
feeling, and plan is developed by our brain. The brain’s neurons record the memory of
every event in our lives.
In fact, the human brain is so complicated that it remains an exciting frontier in the
study of the body; doctors, psychologists, and scientists are continually endeavoring to
learn exactly how the many structures of the brain work together intricately to create
our powerful human mind.
There are different ways of dividing the brain anatomically into regions. Let’s use a
common method and divide the brain into three main regions based on embryonic
development: the forebrain, midbrain and hindbrain. Under these divisions:
HINDBRAIN (RHOMBENCEPHALON)
Brainstem
Connecting the brain to the spinal cord, the brainstem is the most inferior portion of our
brain. Many of the most basic survival functions of the brain are controlled by the
brainstem.
The brainstem is made of three regions: the medulla oblongata, the pons, and the
midbrain. A net-like structure of mixed gray and white matter known as the reticular
formation is found in all three regions of the brainstem. The reticular formation controls
muscle tone in the body and acts as the switch between consciousness and sleep in the
brain.
The medulla oblongata is a roughly cylindrical mass of nervous tissue that connects to
the spinal cord on its inferior border and to the pons on its superior border. The medulla
contains mostly white matter that carries nerve signals ascending into the brain and
descending into the spinal cord. Within the medulla are several regions of gray matter
that process involuntary body functions related to homeostasis. The cardiovascular
center of the medulla monitors blood pressure and oxygen levels and regulates heart
rate to provide sufficient oxygen supplies to the body’s tissues. The medullary
rhythmicity center controls the rate of breathing to provide oxygen to the body.
Vomiting, sneezing, coughing, and swallowing reflexes are coordinated in this region of
the brain as well.
The pons is the region of the brainstem found superior to the medulla oblongata,
inferior to the midbrain, and anterior to the cerebellum. Together with the cerebellum,
it forms what is called the metencephalon. About an inch long and somewhat larger and
wider than the medulla, the pons acts as the bridge for nerve signals traveling to and
from the cerebellum and carries signals between the superior regions of the brain and
the medulla and spinal cord.
Cerebellum
The cerebellum is a wrinkled, hemispherical region of the brain located posterior to the
brainstem and inferior to the cerebrum. The outer layer of the cerebellum, known as
the cerebellar cortex, is made of tightly folded gray matter that provides the processing
power of the cerebellum. Deep to the cerebellar cortex is a tree-shaped layer of white
matter called the arbor vitae, which means ‘tree of life’. The arbor vitae connects the
processing regions of cerebellar cortex to the rest of the brain and body.
The cerebellum helps to control motor functions such as balance, posture, and
coordination of complex muscle activities. The cerebellum receives sensory inputs from
the muscles and joints of the body and uses this information to keep the body balanced
and to maintain posture. The cerebellum also controls the timing and finesse of
complex motor actions such as walking, writing, and speech.
The midbrain (or mesencephalon), located near the very center of the brain between
the interbrain and the hindbrain, is composed of a portion of the brainstem.
The midbrain, also known as the mesencephalon, is the most superior region of the
brainstem. Found between the pons and the diencephalon, the midbrain can be further
subdivided into 2 main regions: the tectum and the cerebral peduncles.
The tectum is the posterior region of the midbrain, containing relays for reflexes that
involve auditory and visual information. The pupillary reflex (adjustment for light
intensity), accommodation reflex (focus on near or far away objects), and startle
reflexes are among the many reflexes relayed through this region.
Forming the anterior region of the midbrain, the cerebral peduncles contain many nerve
tracts and the substantia nigra. Nerve tracts passing through the cerebral peduncles
connect regions of the cerebrum and thalamus to the spinal cord and lower regions of
the brainstem. The substantia nigra is a region of dark melanin-containing neurons that
is involved in the inhibition of movement. Degeneration of the substantia nigra leads to
a loss of motor control known as Parkinson’s disease.
The basal ganglia (or basal nuclei) consist of multiple subcortical nuclei, of varied origin, in
the brains of vertebrates, which are situated at the base of the forebrain. Basal ganglia nuclei are
strongly interconnected with the cerebral cortex, thalamus, and brainstem, as well as several other
brain areas. The basal ganglia are associated with a variety of functions including: control of
voluntary motor movements, procedural learning, routine behaviors or "habits" such as bruxism, eye
movements, cognition[1] and emotion.[2]