The largest part of the brain, the cerebrum has two hemispheres (or halves). The cerebrum controls voluntary movement, speech, intelligence, memory, emotion, and sensory processing.
Brain Stem - At the base of the brain, the brain stem connects to the spinal cord and is made up of the midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata.
The midbrain acts like a complex switchboard, allowing the brain to communicate with the rest of the nervous system. It is located at the top of the brain stem.
The pons relay messages from the cerebrum to the cerebellum and spinal cord. It is located in the centre of the brain stem.
Medulla Oblongata - This portion of the brain stem is located just above the spinal cord. It regulates vital functions, such as heartbeat and breathing.
Thalamus - Located in the central part of the brain, the thalamus processes and coordinates sensory messages, such as touch, received from the body.
Hypothalamus - The hypothalamus regulates functions like thirst, appetite, and sleep patterns. It also regulates the release of hormones from the pituitary gland. It is located above the brain stem.
Pituitary Gland - This tiny gland produces hormones involved in regulating growth, puberty, metabolism, water and mineral balance, the body's response to stress, and more.
Cerebellum - The cerebellum helps coordinate and fine-tune movement and balance.
A part of the peripheral nervous system called the autonomic nervous system is responsible for controlling many of the body processes we almost never need to think about, like breathing, digestion, sweating, and shivering. The autonomic nervous system has two parts: the sympathetic and the parasympathetic nervous systems.
The sympathetic nervous system activates what is often termed the fight or flight response.
Sometimes called the rest and digest system, the parasympathetic system conserves energy as it slows the heart rate, increases intestinal and gland activity, and relaxes sphincter muscles in the gastrointestinal tract.
All neurones have finger-like projections called dendrites and a long fibre called an axon.
