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The cerebrum is the most important organ in the nervous system. It is considered the most important organ in the human body. All information must pass through the cerebrum. The cerebrum is responsiblebrain.jpg (7569 bytes) for memory, thought, emotion, feeling, and intelligence. The cerebrum is divided into to lateral hemispheres; the left and the right.  The cerebrum contains a number of outlying areas. The cerebrum contains an umber of lobes. Lobes are large portions of the cerebral tissue which are named after the cranial bone which overlays the lobe. The outlying area of the cerebrum contains the gray matter. The gray matter constitutes the outer-most region of the cerebrum. The gray matter also contains a large amount of neurons. The white matter is the underlying cerebral tissue. The white matter is located under the gray matter. The white matter is identified by its large number of fiber tracts. The white matters responsibility is to transmit motor and sensory information to and from the cerebrum.

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The cerebellum is another of the three cranial brains. The cerebellum consists of two separate hemispheres, very similar to the two cerebral hemispheres. The cerebellum also consists of an outer gray matter and an inner white matter, which also relates to the cerebrum. The cerebellum regulates skeletal muscle activity. The cerebellum is also responsible for maintaining bodily equilibrium. The cerebellum maintains bodily equilibrium through the monitoring of metabolism and blood pressure. The cerebellum is also responsible for the coordination of the human body’s movements. Also, the cerebellum regulates bodily activity, i.e. heart functions.

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The brain stem is about ¾ of an inch in diameter and approximately three inches long. The brain stem is composed of the midbrain, the medulla oblongata, as well as the pons. The primary function that the brain stem serves is to provide a passageway for ascending and descending nervous tracts. The cerebral aqueduct is one of the midbrain’s lower formations. The cerebral aqueduct connects the third cranial ventricle to the Diencephalon. Yet another lower formation of the midbrain is the Pons, which forms a fiber tract area. The Pons is a rounded structure which extends from the posterior midbrain. The Pons contains certain nuclei which are responsible for regulating breathing. The medulla oblongata also forms the midbrain. The medulla oblongata is a caudal portion of the of the brain stem. The medulla oblongata extends from the pons and continues with the spinal cord.

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The spinal cord is the most important organ outside of the cranium. It is the hub through which most nerves transport motor and sensory information throughout the body. The spinal cord is approximately seventeen inches long in adults. The spinal cord is actually an elongated continuation of the midbrain. As mentioned before, the spinal cord provides a two way path from the body to the central nervous system, and from the central nervous system to the body. The spinal cord is extremely delicate. Slight tampermant with the spinal cord may result in serious permanent damage. In order to compensate for any damage which may occur to the spinal cord, the human body provides two means of defense, the cerebrospinal fluid, or CSF, and the vertebral column. The cerebrospinal fluid is a fluid which circulates in the vessels of the spine as well as the cranial ventricles. The purpose of the cerebrospinal fluid is to monitor all chemicals and biological organisms which may happen to be in the nervous system. The cerebrospinal fluid maintains the nervous systems homeostasis. The cerebrospinal fluid detects any and all pathogens in the nervous system and will exhume the pathogen if necessary. Yet another protection of the spinal cord is the vertebral column. The vertebrae encloses the entire spinal cord. The vertebral column is responsible for the protection of the spine from any harmful physical contact

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