The human brain is a very complex structure and is responsible for all human behavior. There are five major structures compiled in the brain, myelencephalon, metencephalon, mesencephalon, deincephalon, and telencephalon. Each are delicate and powerful in their own way each responsible for pulling their weight necessary for the function of the human brain. Within this thesis, the five major structures, and functions of the brain will be discussed.
The myelencephalon, often referred to as the medulla, is the posterior part of the brain. The medulla, which is composed of tracks, is responsible for carrying the signals between the brain and the body and any damage to this part is often life-threatening. The reticular formation is in the central core of the brain stem to the posterior boundary of the myelencephalon, is a network that consists of 100 tiny nuclei (Pinel, 2007, p. 52). The reticular formation is sometimes referred to as the reticular activating system because of it contributing to arousal. The nuclei are involved in controlling various functions such as sleep, attention, muscle tone, movement, and also some cardiac, circulatory, and respiratory reflexes (Pinel, 2007, p.52).
The metencephalon is the posterior portion of the cerebrum and is also a part of the brain stem. The metencephalon consists of pons and the cerebellum. The pons create a bridge to the cerebellum that contain neural fibers that connect to the cerebellum. The purpose of this part is to control motor skills and any damage will most likely affect movement (Pinel, 2007, pg.53).
The mesencephalon consists of two divisions, the tectum, and the tegmentum. The tectum, which is the dorsal surface of the midbrain, consists of two pairs of bumps called colliculi. Inferior and superior colliculi each control a different function. Inferior colliculi is responsible for the control of auditory function whereas the superior colliculi is responsible for visual functions. The...