Major Structures of the Brain

Major Structures of the Brain

-By Timothy Lyons

There are three main structures of the brain. The first is the forebrain which has two major sections which are the telencephalon and the diencephalon. The telencephalon contains the cerebrum or cerebral cortex which is divided into areas known as lobes. The lobes are the frontal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe, and temporal lobe. The diencephalon contains the areas known as the thalamus, hypothalamus, amygdala, and hippocampus (Ackerman, 1992; Carson & Birkett, 2017; Kinser, 2012).

According to (Carson & Birkett, 2017; Rogers, 2009) the second of the Major Structures of the Brain is the Midbrain. This area contains the tectum and tegmentum. The tectum contains areas known as superior colliculus and inferior colliculus. The tegmentum has three areas which are divided by color which are known as the red nucleus, the periaqueductal gray, and the substantia nigra but also contains a portion called the reticular formation.

The third of the Major Structures of the Brain from (Carson & Birkett, 2017; Kinser, 2012) is the hindbrain which contains the cerebellum, pons, and medulla. The cerebellum is like a smaller version of the cerebrum. The pons is like a bridge between the medulla oblongata and the thalamus. The Medulla is part of the spinal cord that is inside the skull.

Functions of Major Structures of the Brain

The forebrain is an area of the brain that is primarily involved in higher order functions that include action and thinking. It is also involved in sensory input and association (Carson & Birkett, 2017; Kinser, 2012). The structures within the forebrain are associated with analysis and logic, preparation, parts of speech, motion, emotions, and solving problems for the Frontal Lobe. The Parietal Lobe deals with perceptual features dealing with movement, recognition and spatial orientation. Visual processing occurs in the Occipital Lobe and the Temporal Lobe is linked with the ability to understand and recognize auditory inputs, speech and memory (Khanacademy.org, n.d.; Kinser, 2012). The Thalamus is the main part of the forebrain that is responsible for neural input to this area. Much of the forebrain can be divided into parts that receive specific sensory input such as visual and auditory from the thalamus. The hypothalamus then is an important but small area that controls the autonomic and endocrine systems. This area is responsible for the release of hormones to control that endocrine system. This area also controls the functions of which are known as the four “f’s” contain the fight or flight system, mating and eating (Carson & Birkett, 2017). The amygdala deals with memory, emotion, and fear. The hippocampus deals with memory by conversion of short term memory into long term storage (Kinser, 2012).

The Tectum area of the midbrain is involved with audio and visual systems that deal with reactions to stimuli that are moving. The reticular formation area of the Tegmentum in the midbrain plays roles in sleeping, waking, attention and reflexes. The periaqueductal gray matter is associated with movement such as fighting and mating and both the red nucleus and substantia nigra are major fiber systems that transport information from the forebrain to the hindbrain and spinal cord (Carson & Birkett, 2017).

The cerebellum area of the hindbrain relates to the reception of audio and visual information. It deals with processing balance and spatial orientation and somatosensory input such as pressure and warmth (Carson & Birkett, 2017; Daugherty & Tsuchitani, 2000). The Pons moves information from the forebrain’s cerebral cortex to the cerebellum in the hindbrain and seems to play an important part in waking and sleeping. The medulla controls the cardiovascular system and deals with respiration breathing and heartrate while also controlling the skeletal muscles (Carson & Birkett, 2017; Kinser, 2012)

References for Major Structures of the Brain

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Carlson, N. R., & Birkett, M. A. (2017). Physiology of Behavior (12 ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education.

Daugherty, P., & Tsuchitani, C. (2000). Somatosensory Pathways. Retrieved January 16, 2017, from http://neuroscience.uth.tmc.edu/s2/chapter04.html

Dragoi, V., & Tsuchitani, C. (2007). Visual Processing: Cortical Pathways. Retrieved January 19, 2017, from http://neuroscience.uth.tmc.edu/s2/chapter15.html

Khanacademy.org. (n.d.). Overview of neuron structure and fuction. Retrieved January 8, 2017, from http://www.khanacademy.org

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Rogers, K. (2009, April 1). Midbrain. Retrieved January 15, 2017, from https://www.britannica.com/science/midbrain