Brain_Structures

Five Major Structures of the Brain There are many different structures of the brain. Each part of the brain works together in order to allow a person to function, feel, respond, think, and even process information. Each second of every single day, a person’s brain is obtaining information, including that information that we don’t even realize it is taking. It tells you when to blink, when to cough, when to sneeze, and when to breath in order to keep you alive. There are five major structures of the brain that I will be discussing in this though that fits along with psychology and how a person is studied for the likes of psychology. The first structure that I will be speaking about is called the myelencephalon. This section of the brain, also known as the medulla, is a part of the hindbrain. This part of the brain is also referred to as the brain stem. The medulla is the most posterior division of the brain. It consists of mainly tracts that carry signals between the rest of the brain and the body. The reticular formation is something that is very interesting in a psychological perspective. This part of the brain is responsible for a huge role in arousal. Though this is the case it also plays a huge part or is involved in functions such as sleep, attention, movement, and maintaining muscle tone. Also, it maintains various cardiac, circulatory, and respiratory reflexes. The second part of the major structure is the metencephalon. This section of the brain is another place that you would find many ascending and descending tracts as well as part of the reticular formation. These structures form a bulge known as pons that is found on the brain stem’s ventral surface. This is one major division of the metencephalon. The other major division of the metencephalon is the cerebellum. The cerebellum is a very important sensorimotor structure. With damage to this particular part of the brain, the person can’t control the ability to precisely control their own movements and are unable to adapt to changing conditions. With damage to this particular part, people also experience difficulty in making decisions as well as the use of language correctly. This tells that the cerebellum is not limited to just sensorimotor control. Mesencephalon is the third structure of the body that I will discuss. This also has two divisions, just like the metencephalon. These two divisions are called the tectum and the tegmentum. The tectum is the dorsal surface of the midbrain. When you look at mammals, the tectum is made up of two pairs of bumps. The posterior pair of bumps is called the inferior colliculi. These have an auditory function. The anterior pair is called the superior colliculi. The anterior pair has visual function. This is why the tectum is sometimes referred to as the optic tectum. The tegmentum has three colorful structures that are particularly interesting to biopsychologists. These three structures are the periaqueductal gray, the substantia nigra, and the red nucleus. The periaqueductal gray is of special interest to biopsychologists because of the role it has in mediating the pain-reducing effects of opiate drugs. The substantia nigra holds of special interest because of the same reason as the red nucleus. This is because of their roles in and how they are important components of the sensorimotor system. Deincephalon is the next structure that I will discuss. This is composed of two structures as well. The structures are the thalamus and the hypothalamus. The thalamus is a large, two lobed structure that sits at the top of the brain stem. One of the lobes sits on one side of the third ventricle, while the other sits on the opposite side of it. Both lobes are joined by the massa intermedia. This runs through the ventricle. White laminas are layers that are visible on the thalamus and are composed of myelinated axons. Many different pairs of nuclei are comprised by the thalamus. Most of these nuclei projects to the cortex. Along with these nuclei are the ones that are most understood. These are called the sensory relay nuclei. They receive signals from sensory receptors, process the signals, and then transmit them to the areas of the sensory cortex that they are to go to. Sensory relay nuclei do not only just give the information but also receive feedback signals from the areas of the cortex where they project. The hypothalamus is located below the anterior thalamus. It is important because it plays a huge role in the regulation of several motivated behaviors. Some examples of these behaviors are eating, sleeping, and sexual behavior. It regulates the release of hormones that are from the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland dangles from the hypothalamus on the ventral surface of the brain. Along with the pituitary gland, there are two other structures that appear on the inferior surface of the hypothalamus. These are the optic chiasm and the mammillary bodies. The optic chiasm is the point where the optic nerves from each eye come together. The mammillary bodies are often considered to be a part of the hypothalamus. They are a pair of spherical nuclei that are located on the hypothalamus. Telencephalon is the last structure to be discussed. This is the large division of the brain that mediates the brain’s most complex functions. It is what initiates the voluntary movements such as opening or closing your hand, interprets sensory input, and mediates complex cognitive processes. These cognitive processes are things such as learning, speaking, and problem solving. There are many parts to a human brain, and each part works together in order to allow a person to survive, to respond, to take in information, to absorb that information, and to react to certain feelings. Everything is based upon the brain, and when one part of the brain doesn’t work, you are left with things that are also broken, whether it be speech, breathing, body movement, or even loss of memory. It all depends on which part of the brain is damaged on what you could face as a result from this.