The Hindbrain the Hindbrain or the Reptillian Brain is the oldest part of the human brain.

As you might guess from it's name, it's a piece of brain anatomy that we share with reptiles and is the most primitive. Likewise it's in charge of our primal instincts and most basic functions. Things like the instincts of survival, dominance, mating and the basic functions of respiration, heartbeat all come from this area of the brain. Located in the Hindbrain are: The Spinal Cord This is the infomation superhighway of the body. It carries information up to the brain and instructions back down. The Medulla Oblongata Helps control the body's autonomic functions (things you don't need to think about to perform) like respiration, digestion and heart rate. Also acts as a relay station for nerve signals going to/from the brain The Pons -Has roles in your level of arousal or conciousness and sleep. Relays sensory information to/from the brain. Also involved in controlling autonomic body functions. -Relays sensory information between the cerebrum and cerebellum. The Cerebellum Mostly deals with movement. It regulates and coordinates movement, posture and balance. Also involved in learning movement. The Limbic System The Limbic System sometimes called the "emotional brain" or "Old Mammalian Brain" is the next part of the brain to have evolved in the more primitive mammals about 150 million years ago. This is where our emotions reside, where memory begins and where these two functions combine together to mark behaviours with positive or negative feelings. It's where mostly unconcious value judgements are made. Information going through the Limbic System are filed under "agreeable or disagreeable". It also plays a role in salience (what grabs your attention), spontaneity and creativity. Located in the Limbic System are: The Amygdala It's name is latin for almond which relates to its shape. It helps in storing and classifying emotionally charged memories. It plays a large role in producing our emotions, especially fear. It's been found to trigger responses to strong emotion such as sweaty palms, freezing, increased heart-beat/respiration and stress hormone release. The Hippocampus This guy is all about memory and a little about learning. It's primary role is in memory formation, classifying information, long-term memory. Like the RAM in your computer it processes and stores new and temporary memory for long term storage. It's also involved in interpreting incoming nerve signals and spatial relationships. The Hypothalamus It should be called the Hyperthalamus because it does so much. It's linked closely with the pituitary gland to control many of the body's functions. It monitors and controls your circadian rhythms (your daily sleep/wake cycle), homeostasis (making sure your body is running smoothly), apetite, thirst, other bodily urges and also plays a role in emotions, autonomic functions and motor functions. The Thalamus The Thalamus is THE relay station in the brain. Most of the sensory signals, auditory (sound), Visual, Somatosensory (from your skin and internal organs), go through this organ on their way to other parts of the brain for processing. It also plays a function in motor control.

The Neocortex The last and most advanced brain to evolve to date is called the Neocortex, neomammalian or rational brain. We share this part of our brain with other higher level mammals like the primates and dolphins, although in humans the neocortex is the largest. It takes up 2/3's of the human brain. This is where we find the brain power to develop language, abstract thought, conciousness and imagination. Let there be no doubt, this is what grants us our status on the food chain and allows us to be human. The Neocortex is divided into two hemispheres, right and left. The right side of the brain controls the left side of the body and vice versa. Also the hemispheres are divided in terms of what kind of thought they process or produce. The right being more concerned with the artistic, spatial and musical. While the left is more concerned with the colder, linear, rational and verbal aspects. Located in the Neocortex are: The Frontal Lobe This is the most recent evolutionary addition to the brain. If the brain had a White House it would be here. It is the true center for command and control in your body. The Frontal lobe is responsible for functions such as reasoning, problem solving, judgement, impulse control. This coupled with the fact that it's the last to develop when we are young adults, probably answers a lot of questions for many parents out there. It also manages our higher emotions such as empathy and altruism. This lobe is also involved in motor control and memory. The Parietal Lobe The Parietal Lobe is involved in processing pain and touch sensation. It's where the Somatosensory (from your skin and internal organs) Cortex resides. It's also associated with cognition (including calculating location and speed of objects), movement, orientation, recognition and speech. The Temporal Lobe The Temporal Lobe is involved in auditory (sound) sensation and is where the Primary Auditory Cortex and on the left hemisphere, Wernicke's Area (language recognition) are located. This lobe is also involved in emotion, memory and speech. The Occipital Lobe The Occipital Lobe controls visual sensation and processing. The Visual Cortex is resides here. Broca's Area This part of the cortex controls speech, language recognition and facial nerves. The Corpus Callosum(Frontal) This is the neural bridge that connects the two hemispheres to each other, located centrally in brain. There are basically 2 parts to the midsection of the brain. The Parietal lobe controls movement, orientation, balance, and recognition. The Temporal lobe is where memories take place, and helps with speech. The Forebrain is responsible for a variety of functions including receiving and processing sensory information, thinking, perceiving, producing and understanding language, and controlling motor function. There are two major divisions of Forebrain: The Diencephalon - contains structures such as the thalamus and hypothalamus which are responsible for such functions as motor control, relaying sensory information, and controlling autonomic functions. The Telencephalon - contains the largest part of the brain, the cerebrum. Most of the actual information processing in the brain takes place in the cerebral cortex. The Midbrain and the Hindbrain together make up the brainstem. The midbrain is the portion of the brainstem that connects the hindbrain and the forebrain. This region of the brain is involved in auditory and visual responses as well as motor function.

The Hindbrain extends from the spinal cord and is composed of the metencephalon and Myelencephalon. The Metencephalon contains structures such as the pons and cerebellum. These regions assists in maintaining balance and equilibrium, movement coordination, and the conduction of sensory information. The Myelencephalon is composed of the medulla oblongata which is responsible for controlling such autonomic functions as breathing, heart rate, and digestion. Prosencephalon - Forebrain -Diencephalon -Telencephalon Mesencephalon - Midbrain Rhombencephalon Hindbrain -Metencephalon -Myelencephalon Anatomy of the Brain: Structures The brain contains various structures that have a multitude of functions. Below is a list of major structures of the brain and some of their functions. Basal Ganglia -Involved in cognition and voluntary movement -Diseases related to damages of this area are Parkinson's and Huntington's Brainstem -Relays information between the peripheral nerves and spinal cord to the upper parts of the brain -Consists of the midbrain, medulla oblongata, and the pons. Broca's Area -Speech production Understanding language Central Sulcus (Fissure of Rolando) -Deep grove that separates the parietal and frontal lobes Cerebellum -Controls movement coordination Maintains balance and equilibrium Cerebral Cortex -Outer portion (1.5mm to 5mm) of the cerebrum -Receives and processes sensory information -Divided into cerebral cortex lobes Cerebral Cortex Lobes Frontal Lobes involved with decision-making, problem solving, and planning Occipital Lobes-involved with vision and color recognition Parietal Lobes receives and processes sensory information Temporal Lobes involved with emotional responses, memory, and speech Cerebrum -Largest portion of the brain Consists of folded bulges called gyri that create deep furrows

Corpus Callosum -Thick band of fibers that connects the left and right brain hemispheres Cranial Nerves -Twelve pairs of nerves that originate in the brain, exit the skull, and lead to the head, neck and torso Fissure of Sylvius (Lateral Sulcus) -Deep grove that separates the parietal and temporal lobes Limbic System Structures Amygdala - involved in emotional responses, hormonal secretions, and memory Cingulate Gyrus - a fold in the brain involved with sensory input concerning emotions and the regulation of aggressive behavior . Fornix - an arching, fibrous band of nerve fibers that connect the hippocampus to the hypothalamus Hippocampus - sends memories out to the appropriate part of the cerebral hemisphere for long-term storage and retrievs them when necessary Hypothalamus - directs a multitude of important functions such as body temperature, hunger, and homeostasis Olfactory Cortex - receives sensory information from the olfactory bulb and is involved in the identification of odors Thalamus - mass of grey matter cells that relay sensory signals to and from the spinal cord and the cerebrum Medulla Oblongata - Lower part of the brainstem that helps to control autonomic functions Meninges - Membranes that cover and protect the brain and spinal cord Olfactory Bulb -Bulb-shaped end of the olfactory lobe -Involved in the sense of smell Pineal Gland - Endocrine gland involved in biological rhythms -Secretes the hormone melatonin Pituitary Gland - Endocrine gland involved in homeostasis -Regulates other endocrine glands Pons - Reticular Formation - Nerve fibers located inside the brainstem -Regulates awareness and sleep Substantia Nigra - Helps to control voluntary movement and regulates mood Tectum - The dorsal region of the mesencephalon (mid brain) Tegmentum - The ventral region of the mesencephalon (mid brain). Ventricular System - connecting system of internal brain cavities filled with cerebrospinal fluid Aqueduct of Sylvius - canal that is located between the third ventricle and the fourth ventricle Choroid Plexus - produces cerebrospinal fluid Fourth Ventricle - canal that runs between the pons, medulla oblongata, and the cerebellum Lateral Ventricle - largest of the ventricles and located in both brain hemispheres Third Ventricle - provides a pathway for cerebrospinal fluid to flow Wernicke's Area - Region of the brain where spoken language is understood.