Henry Family Blog

The largest part of the brain is the Cerebrum.  It controls muscle contraction and movement, storing memory, reasoning and intelligence.  It is the largest part of the brain.  It’s the big macaroni looking part of your brain.

The second largest part of the brain is the Cerebellum.  It compares intended and observed motions.  It recognizes what was supposed to happen and compares it to what actually happen.  It also controls your posture and balance.  The Cerebellum is below your Cerebrum.

Then there is the Basal Ganglia.  It is a paired subcortical nuclei involved in voluntary movement.  It refines motor commands and movement sequencing.  It has scaling of movement amplitude and velocity. The movement initiative indicates impending stimulus to change direction.

If you get Parkinson’s Disease it is because your Basal Ganglia  had a dramatic decrease in dopamine activity.  The Basal Ganglia contains 80% of the brain’s dopamine supply.  The symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease is bradykinesia (slowness of movement and prolonged reaction time.), Tremors (involuntary, oscillatory movements), Rigidity (increased muscle tone and resistance to external force

Next is the Brain Stem.  The Brain Stem is the Midbrain, the Pons and the Medulla Oblongata.  The Brain Stem is involved with sensory and motor relay.  There are various respiratory and cardiac centers and it’s where the cranial nerves originate.

Last I will talk about the Diencephalon.  The Diencephalon encases the Thalamus and the Hypothalamus.  The Thalamus’ job is motor control, receive auditory somatosensory and visual sensory signals and relay sensory signals to the Cerebral Cortex.  The Hypothalamus controls autonomic functions, emotions, endocrine functions, homeostasis, motor functions, regulates food and water intake and regulates the sleep wake cycles.

 That’s the brain.  If you would like to quiz yourself…go here.  Midway down the page click “Start the Quiz.” 

Good luck!

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