4 main regions of the brain

1. Brain stem

medulla oblongata, pons, mid brain.

mid brain

most superior part of brain stem between pons and diencephalon - aqueduct of sylvius runs through midbrain -ventral side - cerebral peduncles - white matter tracts -dorsal side - corpora quadrigemina 2 superior colliculi -visual- are nuclei that control reflexes of the eyes and head due to visual stimuli 2 inferior colliculi - auditory-nuclei that control reflexes of the head due to auditory stimuli

brain stem

white matter tracts to the outside and gray matter to the inside (nucleus) - involuntary, unconscious brain

medulla oblongata

connects to the spinal cord -contains 3 vital reflex centers- gray matter nuclei a. cardiac center- regulates heart rate b. vasomotor center- regulates blood pressure c. respiratory center- regulates breathing - also has non-vital reflex centers for sneezing, vomiting, swallowing.

pons

large rounded bulge between the medulla and midbrain - contains two pontine reflex centers called the apneustic and pneumotaxic areas. they help the medulla fine tune breathing

2. diencephalon

thalamus and hypothalamus