New Brain Exhibit

1. Imagine visiting the new “brain exhibit” at the museum. A model has been built that is as big as a house, and people walk through it, beginning in a small waiting room that represents the very top of the spinal cord. Name and describe the functions of the various structures you would see as you walk through the brain. If you start at the spinal cord you might as well know what it does in relation to the brain. The spinal cord involves the traveling of neural fibers that go to the brain with information and back to the spinal cord with information. Next stop is the brain stem which lets us carry out life processes that are needed for survival. There are three important parts of the brain stem: medulla, reticular formation, and the pons. The medulla is what lets us walk and breath, …show more content…
Finally, the pons is the connector of the brain stem that connects the spinal cord with the brain but also the brain to other parts of the brain. Our next stop on our brain journey is the cerebellum. What the cerebellum does is enables us to move and perform daily activities that include, but are not limited to, walking/jogging or even swimming. After the cerebellum is the thalamus. The thalamus is like a news station in that it lets the rest of body know what is going on by sending sensory information to parts of the body that may be experiencing pain. The thalamus also receives information that is then used to alert the individual that something is not right. Our almost last stop is the limbic system. The limbic system has three parts that includes the hippocampus (plays a part in permitting memories and emotions.), amygdala (allow emotions to occur and be experienced), and hypothalamus (regulates the body’s homeostasis). The last stop on our brain journey is the cerebrum which is the largest part of the brain. But first, the cerebrum also has a cerebral cortex.