| Structure and Location | Connections...
| Function
|
| Spinal Cord
| Fibers on the exterior, Cell bodies on interior
Dorsal roots and ganglia: Sensory
Ventral roots and ganglia: Motor
| Between Brain and Body
| Conveys Sensory information from body to brain;
Conveys Motor impulses from brain to body
|
| Cranial Nerves
| I to XII includes Optic (II), olfactory,
auditory-vestibular, Vagus (heart and other parasympathetic
functions)
|
enter Medulla and Pons
|
conveys impulses between brain and cranial areas
|
|
Brainstem
|
|
Medulla | continuation of spinal cord into the brain; many cell
nuclei | |
autonomic nuclei for respiration, heart, digestion
|
|
Pons | upward continuation; ascending and descending fiber tracts; many
nuclei; | | feeding and facial expression
|
|
Midbrain (Mesencephalon)
| End of the basic tubular continuation |
bottom portion nuclei for cranial nerves; Red Nucleus and Substantia
Nigra for motor control (Parkinson's)
top portion (Tectum) nuclei for vision and audition; includes
Inferior Colliculus Nucleus, an auditory nucleus
|
|
Cerebellum |
over the Pons; convoluted into lobules with a 2-3mm layer
of cell bodies over underlying fiber and nuclei; very uniform in
structure
| from vestibular system, spinal and cranial
sensory nerves, auditory and visual systems, cerebral cortex and
brainstem; to thalamus, brainstem, more
| regulates motor
coordination & involved in learning
|
|
Thalamus |
group of nuclei anterior and dorsal to Midbrain; one ovoid
in each cerebral hemisphere
|
nuclei connected to and from many portions of brain
|
final relay station for visual, auditory and somatic senses
|
|
Limbic System
|
|
Hypothalamus |
group of small nuclei in lower portion of Cerebrum at
junction of Midbrain and Thalamus
| interconnects with many areas of
brain
|
directly controls pituitary gland; together with other portions
of Limbic System, controls emotions: both pleasure and rage
|