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