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The cerebrum, cerebellum and medulla oblongata make up the brain. The cerebrum is part of the forebrain, which is also made up of the diencephalon. The thalamus relays nerve messages and the hypothalamus regulates many processes needed for homeostasis and is the link between the nervous system and the endocrine system. These two are make up the diencephalon. The cerebrum is the controller of sensory data, motor functions, intelligence, reasoning, learning and memory. It is divided two hemispheres, left and right. These are connected by the corpus callosum. The cerebral cortex, which is divided into four lobes, the occipital, temporal, parietal and frontal lobes, cover the cerebrum. None of these function alone. The occipital lobe and temporal lobe handle sight, hearing and language. The parietal lobe and frontal lobe handle sense organs, muscles, speech and thought. The cerebellum controls movements, posture and balance and is a section of the hindbrain, albeit the brain stem. Vital processes such as heartbeat and breathing are controlled by the medulla oblongata. It also provides reflexes for swallowing and vomiting, coughing and sneezing and hiccuping (now you and I know why we hiccup all of a sudden). Some sections of the midbrain and hindbrain are in the brain stem, which is just on top of the spinal cord. The midbrain connects the forebrain and hindbrain and provides eye reflexes.
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[©Martin and Ambrose 2001] |
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