PS101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Substantia Nigra, Locus Coeruleus, Reticular Formation
Document Summary
The brain: 3 major sections, hindbrain - medulla, cerebellum, pons, midbrain - reticular formation. Medulla: closest to spinal cord, controls vita; bodily function )heartbeat, breathing, blood pressure, circulation, reflexes - coughing, swallowing. Cerebellum: deep convolutions (packed together, controls bodily balance and muscular coordination. Functions as a relay mechanism: assists in control of movement (swallowing, breathing, eyes, face) Hindbrain to midbrain: contains neural centres (nuclei, reticular formation (between hind and midbrain) Midbrain: reticular formation: regulates attention and alertness (sleep/wake and arousal, contains neural centres that control some motor reactions/movement. Largest and most complex region: thalamus, hypothalamus, pituitary gland. Forebrain relay and regulation: thalamus: relay system for all sensory information (except smell, hypothalamus: regulation of basic biological needs (fighting, fleeing, feeding, mating, pituitary gland. Hormones - growth, reproduction, impact endocrine and adrenal glands thyroid. Limbic system: multicomponent system, emotion/fear - amygdala, memory - hippocampus, basal ganglia - constellation of components - cognition.
