The brainstem projects from the center of the underside of the brain. This elongated structure connects the upper areas of the brain to the spinal cord. Evolutionarily, the brainstem is one of the oldest parts of the brain. It is responsible for...
The normal heart rate for an average adult is 60 to 100 beats per minute. This number can increase to a maximum heart rate during exercise that varies with age. Your heart rate, both at rest and during exercise, is controlled by the nervous...
Making up the central nervous system are the brain, spinal cord and the peripheral nervous system. The highly complex brain is the center of the nervous system, in charge of the body. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders...
The brain, the cranial portion of the central nervous system, is the center for control of all nerve and sensory activity in the body. The weight of the brain is about three lbs. Parts of the brain include the cerebrum, cerebellum, pons, medulla...
Before food is even in sight, the brain prepares the body for digestion. The mere thought of food can trigger a release of chemicals in the stomach. The process of digestion then continues in the mouth, proceeding on into the stomach and then...
When you breathe, you draw oxygen into your lungs and exhale carbon dioxide wastes. While you can exert some control on your breathing rate, the basic process is controlled automatically by your body. The mechanisms that regulate your breathing...
The brainstem describes the area at the base of the brain that connects the brain to the spinal cord. All signals traveling to and from the brain must pass through the brain stem. Cells of the brain require a constant supply of oxygenated blood in...
There are three main structures that make up the brain. These include the cerebrum, cerebellum and the brainstem, explains the Brain Explorer site. Within each of these main structures are several smaller, but very important parts. The brain is...
Homeostasis is a process of maintaining certain body states at equilibrium, to ensure normal body function to sustain life. The brain, in conjunction with the autonomic nervous system, or ANS, regulates emotions, appetite, heart rate, breathing...
The brain is made up of several compartments; however, there are three main parts of the brain. The three main partitions are the cerebrum, cerebellum and brain stem, according to Thinkquest.org. Each section controls different things in the body...
Your digestive juices are secretions in your gastrointestinal system that help your body to break down the nutrients in food for absorption in your small intestine. The active component of digestive juices in your stomach is hydrochloric acid,...
Your brain is an amazing structure that coordinates all voluntary movements, involuntary movements and plays a role in your vision, emotions and storage of memories. Your brain must constantly process information coming from within your body as...
The brain, sitting atop the spinal column, controls everything a person does, whether the functions classify as voluntary, such as standing up or running, or involuntary such as breathing and having a heartbeat. The brain itself consists of...
The inside of the human brain consists of structures of the forebrain and brain stem. These include the thalamus, hypothalamus, midbrain, pons, medulla oblongata, corpus callosum, fornix, amygdala and hippocampus. Additionally, the interior of the...
The brain stem, the bottommost section of the brain, connects the rest of the brain with the spinal cord. This means that all nerve transmissions must travel through the brain stem. The brain stem consists of specialized areas known as the...
The nervous system is comprised of three primary structures: the brain, spinal cord and nerves. Together, these systems control all aspects of the body from simple movements to solving complex calculations. The spinal cord and nerves play vital...
The brain is the most complex part of the body. It controls our movements, communication, decisions and emotions, as well as our organs. Neuroscientists from Duke University write that the human brain is composed of six basic parts: the medulla...
Pepsin, classified as an enzyme, performs important digestive functions. Digestion describes the process by which the digestive tract breaks down food particles into smaller molecules the body can absorb. Digestion occurs through mechanical...
The human brain is responsible for overseeing an entire network of nerves that relay messages throughout the body, regulating every aspect of its activity. Our brains are complex and have evolved specialized structures to handle particular types...
The brain is a complex structure that is composed of different structures and tissues. According to the National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), the brain has three major parts: prosencephalon, mesencephalon and...
Your brain and body work in conjunction to produce the movements needed for exercise. Exercise requires select muscle contractions to provide the coordinated movements necessary for activities such as running, walking, jogging, swimming, skating...
The human brain, or encephalon, is composed of the forebrain, the midbrain and the hindbrain. The forebrain includes the cortex, the latest to appear in evolutionary development, and deeper structures. The cortex is responsible for the higher...
Breathing rate is primarily regulated by neural and chemical mechanisms. Respiration is controlled by spontaneous neural discharge from the brain to nerves that innervate respiratory muscles. The primary respiratory muscle is the diaphragm, which...
The brain is an amazing organ. It is responsible for everything we think, see and do. The different components interact like a precision machine, processing and sending signals with the efficiency of a powerful computer. The billions of neurons...
The brain is a complex network of structures that work in harmony to control the many vital functions of the body and process information from the internal and outside environment. The vast majority of these functions are reflex actions that occur...
Your brain receives information from the rest of your body in the form of electrical signals. The brain then integrates the information and generates electrical signals of its own, sending directions that allow you to move, react, think and learn....
The respiratory system controls your breathing, providing oxygen to your body and eliminating carbon dioxide. Exercise causes muscle movement, increasing carbon dioxide in your body and resulting in an increased respiratory rate -- the frequency...
Every animal, from mammals to amphibians, has a brain. But the human brain is unique. It generates the ability to think, imagine, move and breathe. It weighs about 3 lbs. and tends to be slightly larger in men than in women; however, there is no...
The brain is the control center for all voluntary movement in the human body. Within the brain are lobes that control functioning, such as consciousness, emotions and personality. Different lobes are responsible for different functions. Buried...
