Located in the innermost region of the brain is brainstem. The brainstem consist of two parts the medulla, and the pons. The brainstem begins where the spinal cord starts to enlarge right after it passes through the skull. This enlargement is called the medulla, the medulla is the control mechanism of our heartbeat, and breathing. Connected right above the medulla are the pons, this section is responsible for the help of coordinating movement. “The brainstem is a crossover point. Here, you’ll find a peculiar sort of cross-wiring, with most nerves to and from each side of the brain connecting to the body’s opposite side. Thus, the right brain controls the left side of the body, and vice versa. This cross-wiring is one of the brain’s many surprises”(Myers,
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The reticular formation is a strenuous set of connected neurons that extend throughout the brainstem, also up and down the spinal cord. The reticular formation travels through both the brainstem and the thalamus. The reticular formation is comprised of two parts, the ascending reticular formation and the descending formation. The ascending reticular formation which is responsible for awakening and falling asleep. It is also a mediator that regulates the level of awareness at any given time. “The descending reticular formation is involved in posture and equilibrium as well as autonomic nervous system activity. It receives information from the hypothalamus. The descending reticular formation also plays a role in motor movement.”(McCaffrey). The formation also acts like a screen for sensory messages that are traveling towards the thalamus, while relaying important messages to other area in the brain. For example the reticular formation is similar to a light switch, when you are lying down your reticular formation has to switch to the “off” mode for you to sleep and to the “on” mode for you to awaken. Next in line is the …show more content…
Impressively enough the thalamus consist of not one but for parts, the epithalamus, the thalamus, the hypothalamus, and the subthalamus. In particular the different parts are just were the parts are oriented around the thalamus itself, the epithalamus is towards the frontal part of the thalamus, the hypothalamus is just under, and the subthalamus is below the hypothalamus. “The thalamus is a vital structure lying deep within the brain that has several important functions. There are extensive nerve networks that send signals all around the structures of the brain including the cerebral cortex. The thalamus is involved in sensory and motor signal relay and the regulation of consciousness and sleep” (Mandal). Sensory messages that travel to the thalamus come from the senses of the body such as seeing, hearing, tasting, touch, and the only sense not to be received is the sense of smell. In addition to the senses traveling through the thalamus, it also inherits with the help of vision. The brain receives input from the optic nerve with is connected to the retina in the eye. This input that is received is sent to a part of the thalamus called the lateral geniculate nucleus, after this then it is relayed to the primary visual cortex in the optical lobe. The hearing sense works by the medial geniculate nucleus relays auditory
The reticular formation is a strenuous set of connected neurons that extend throughout the brainstem, also up and down the spinal cord. The reticular formation travels through both the brainstem and the thalamus. The reticular formation is comprised of two parts, the ascending reticular formation and the descending formation. The ascending reticular formation which is responsible for awakening and falling asleep. It is also a mediator that regulates the level of awareness at any given time. “The descending reticular formation is involved in posture and equilibrium as well as autonomic nervous system activity. It receives information from the hypothalamus. The descending reticular formation also plays a role in motor movement.”(McCaffrey). The formation also acts like a screen for sensory messages that are traveling towards the thalamus, while relaying important messages to other area in the brain. For example the reticular formation is similar to a light switch, when you are lying down your reticular formation has to switch to the “off” mode for you to sleep and to the “on” mode for you to awaken. Next in line is the …show more content…
Impressively enough the thalamus consist of not one but for parts, the epithalamus, the thalamus, the hypothalamus, and the subthalamus. In particular the different parts are just were the parts are oriented around the thalamus itself, the epithalamus is towards the frontal part of the thalamus, the hypothalamus is just under, and the subthalamus is below the hypothalamus. “The thalamus is a vital structure lying deep within the brain that has several important functions. There are extensive nerve networks that send signals all around the structures of the brain including the cerebral cortex. The thalamus is involved in sensory and motor signal relay and the regulation of consciousness and sleep” (Mandal). Sensory messages that travel to the thalamus come from the senses of the body such as seeing, hearing, tasting, touch, and the only sense not to be received is the sense of smell. In addition to the senses traveling through the thalamus, it also inherits with the help of vision. The brain receives input from the optic nerve with is connected to the retina in the eye. This input that is received is sent to a part of the thalamus called the lateral geniculate nucleus, after this then it is relayed to the primary visual cortex in the optical lobe. The hearing sense works by the medial geniculate nucleus relays auditory