The central nervous system, which consists of the brain, spinal cord and nerves, controls every function in the body. The brain is divided into three parts: the forebrain, the midbrain and the hindbrain, each of which is further divided into parts. The forebrain is made up of the cerebrum, the thalamus and the hypothalamus. The midbrain is composed of the tectum and tegmentum, while the hindbrain is made up of the cerebellum, pons and medulla. Each part of the brain controls different aspects of body function.
Cerebrum
The cerebrum or cerebral cortex, the main part of the brain, is divided into four lobes and two hemispheres. The four lobes are referred to as the frontal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe and the temporal lobe. The frontal lobe controls planning, reasoning, movements of the body, problem solving, parts of speech and creativity. The occipital lobe is responsible for vision and for recognizing objects. The parietal lobe is known to control certain movements and receive stimuli from pain, touch and taste sensors. The temporal lobe helps modulate memory, hearing and language, and plays a part in emotion and learning.
Cerebellum
The cerebellum is also divided into hemispheres and looks like a miniature version of the cerebrum. It is primarily responsible for balance, posture and coordinated movements. It also receives information from the inner ear, muscles and eyes and coordinates all of this to give us our sense of position. The cerebellum does not actually initiate our movements, but it helps fine tune them and allows for precision and accuracy in movement. When the cerebellum is damaged it does not lead to paralysis, but rather dysfunctional and uncoordinated movements.
Limbic System
The limbic system includes the thalamus and hypothalamus and is responsible for regulation of sleep and alertness, the creation and release of hormones, hunger, thirst and body temperature. Digestion, blood pressure and immune response are also affected by the function of the limbic system.
Brainstem
The brain stem, which comprises the midbrain and hindbrain, is the portion of the brain that connects with the spinal cord; neurons from other parts of the brain pass through the brainstem on their way to the spinal cord and the rest of the body. The brainstem helps regulate the sleep cycle and plays a role in heart and lung function.
