Planning midbrain, pons and medulla

November 19 / 2017

Stage: b) planning

The following parts to be mentioned are all part of the brain stem.

Midbrain: - It is also known as mesencephalon
- Plays an important role in communication
- It is above the two other regions of the brainstem, it is also the smallest.
- It travels through the opening in the tentorium cerebelli (the meninges)
- It can be divided into two main parts: the tectum and the paired cerebral puducles
- The Tectum is the house for four round prominences called colliculi
- It serves as a relay center for visual, auditory and motor system information
- It regulates autonomic functions such as digestion and heart rate.

http://www.innerbody.com/image_nerv01/nerv46.html
http://teachmeanatomy.info/neuro/structures/midbrain/
http://www.strokeeducation.info/brain/brainstem/

Pons: - It regulates breathing rate through a structure called the pneumotaxic center.
- Located between the midbrain and the medulla
- Involved in transmission of signals in the brain
- Involved in sensations such as hearing taste and balance.
- It regulates deep sleep

http://www.strokeeducation.info/brain/brainstem/

Medulla: - Also known as medulla oblongata
- Located at the bottom of the brain stem
- Responsible for involuntary controls such as sneezing or vomiting
- Brain stem strokes happen when blood supply is interrupted in this area.
- It also regulates sustaining life functions such as breathing, swallowing and heart rate.
- Damage to the medulla is the hardest to fix because of all the important functions it carries out.

http://www.strokeeducation.info/brain/brainstem/
http://brainmadesimple.com/medulla-oblongata.html