Week 2

Question 1

Important functions of the hindbrain region

Answer 1

Medulla
- contains circuits of neurons that control functions vital for survival such as heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration.

Pons
includes a bridge of fibres that connect the brainstem with the cerebellum. The pons also contains several clusters of nuclei. One of these clusters that runs through the pons is the reticular formation which has an influence on our level of consciousness and alertness.

Cerebellum
The word “cerebellum” comes from the Latin word for “little brain“. The cerebellum is a relatively large structure located behind the brain stem. It is critical to the co-ordination of movement and to balance.

Question 2

Important functions of the midbrain region

Answer 2

Superior (anterior) colliculi
-relay visual information and are important for visual attention.

Inferior (posterior) colliculi
- relay auditory information and are important for auditory attention.

These colliculi appear as pairs of small bumps on the back of the brain stem

Question 3

Important functions of the Forebrain (diencephalon) Regions

Answer 3

Thalamus
- relay station through which all sensory information (except smell) must pass to get to the cerebral cortex. The thalamus filters and begins to organise the sensory input.

Hypothalamus
-‘hypo’ means ‘less than’ or ‘beneath’ and as its name suggests the hypothalamus is located below the thalamus, at the base of the brain.
-The hypothalamus plays a major role in the regulation of basic biological drives such as hunger and thirst. It also controls the autonomic nervous system and is involved with the regulation of body temperature.
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The hypothalamus also controls the pituitary gland which is attached by a stalk to the base of the hypothalamus. The pituitary releases hormones into the body and controls other glands.

Question 4

Important Functions of the Forebrain Regions (Telencephalon)

Answer 4

Basal Ganglia
- The basal ganglia are a group of structures crucial for planning and producing movement.

Limbic System
The limbic system, a loosely connected network of structures, plays an important role in learning and memory and in the expression of emotion.
Two important structures of the limbic system are the hippocampus and the amygdala.
The hippocampus plays an important role in memory, particularly in the consolidation of new memories (learning).
The amygdala, located immediately in front of the hippocampus, serves a vital role in processing emotional information, particularly the learning of fear responses.

Cerebral Cortex
- the outer layer of the cerebral hemispheres. The cortex is about 2-6mm think, and is folded so that the relatively large surface area can fit inside the skull.

-A bump or bulge on the cortex is called a gyrus (the plural of the word gyrus is “gyri”) and a groove is called a sulcus (plural: “sulci”).

Question 5

What is the Occipital Lobe and where is it located?

Answer 5

• Located at the back of the brain and includes the primary visual cortex
• Concerned with many aspects of vision

Question 6

What is the Parietal Lobe and where is it located?

Answer 6

• Located behind the central sulcus

- Concerned with perception of stimuli, related to touch, pressure , temperature and pain

Question 7

What is the Temporal Lobe and where is it located?

Answer 7

• Located below the lateral fissure

- Concerned with perception and recognition of auditory stimuli ( hearing) and memory

Question 8

What is the Frontal Lobe and where is it located?

Answer 8

• located in front of the central sulcus

- Concerned with reasoning, planning, parts of speech and movement ( motor cortex), emotions, and problem solving