Other parts of the brain

Question 1

What is the structure of the medulla oblongata?

Answer 1

• medulla oblongata contians many important regulatory centres of the autonomic nervous system

Question 2

What is the function of the medulla oblongata

Answer 2

• control reflex activities such as:
  
  • ventilation (breathing rate)
  • heart rate
• also controls:
  
  • swallowing
  • peristalsis - wave-likr muscle contactions that moves food to different processing stations in the digestive tract
  • and coughing

Question 3

What is the hypothalmus and what is its general strcutre?

Answer 3

• main controlling region for the autonomic nervous system
• two centres:
  
  • pme for parasympathetic
  • one for sympathetic nervous system

Question 4

What are the functions of the hypothalmus?

Answer 4

• controlling complex patterns of behaviour, such as:
  
  • feeding
  • sleeping
  • aggressions
• monitoring the composition of blood plasma
  
  • such as the conc of water and blood glucose
  • therefore it has a very rich blood supply
• producing hormones
  
  • it is an endocrine gland

Question 5

Where is the pituitary gland? How big is it?

Answer 5

• found at the base of the hypothalmus
• approxmately the size of a pea

Question 6

What is the general function of the pituitary gland?

Answer 6

• controls most of the glands in the body

Question 7

What are the sections of the pituitary gland?

Answer 7

• anteriror pitutary (front section)
  
  • produces six hormones
  • including follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), whcih is involved in reproduction and growth hormones
• posterior pituitary (back)
  
  • stores and releases hormones produced by the hypothalmus
  • such as ADH involved in urine production