Questions and Answers
Which structure in the midbrain is involved in motor coordination?
Red nucleus
What is the main function of the pons in the brainstem?
Regulating breathing
Which region of the brainstem receives sensory information from the skin and muscles of the head?
Medulla oblongata
What connects the cerebellum to the brainstem?
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Where is the red nucleus located in the brainstem?
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What vital functions are regulated by the medulla oblongata?
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Where do most of the motor fibers from the cerebral cortex cross over to the opposite side of the body?
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Which part of the medulla oblongata surrounds the central canal of the spinal cord?
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What functions are associated with the pons?
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Which of the following is NOT a function of the medulla oblongata?
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Study Notes
Brain Stem
- Medulla Oblongata: connects the brain to the spinal cord, responsible for regulating heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, swallowing, and reflexes
- Contains several cranial nerve nuclei and nerve fibers, site of pyramidal decussation where motor fibers from the cerebral cortex cross over to the opposite side of the body
- Two main parts: open part (continuous with the fourth ventricle of the brain) and closed part (surrounds the central canal of the spinal cord)
Medulla Oblongata Functions
- Regulation of heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, and reflexes
- Nucleus for REM sleep, salivation, deglutition, vomiting, taste, hearing, and maintenance of balance
- Control of neck and facial muscles
Pons
- Lies above the medulla oblongata and below the midbrain
- Relays signals between cerebral hemispheres and cerebellum, involved in controlling sleep and arousal, regulating breathing, and coordinating eye movements and facial expressions
- Contains four cranial nerve nuclei and nerve fibers that innervate the head and neck regions
- Forms the upper part of the fourth ventricle of the brain
Midbrain
- Contains two pairs of swellings (tectum) at the back: superior colliculus (visual reflex) and inferior colliculus (auditory reflex)
- Red nucleus is involved in motor coordination
- Central canal extends from midbrain to spinal cord, where cerebral equidac is found
Brain Stem Functions
- Mediates sensation and motor control of the head, neck, and face
- Site of entry for information from several specialized senses (hearing, taste, and balance)
- Mediates parasympathetic reflexes (decreasing CO and BP, increasing peristalsis of the gut and constriction of the pupils)
- Contains ascending and descending pathways that carry sensory and motor information to other divisions of the CNS
- Reticular formation: regulates alertness and arousal
Cerebellum
- Located in the posterior cranial fossa, separated from the cerebrum by tentorium cerebelli
- Overlies the 4th ventricle, connected to the brainstem by three cerebellar peduncles
- Functional anatomy: superior surface, inferior surface, anterior surfaces, right and left hemispheres, and midline structure (vermis)
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