It controls all kinds of automatic processes totally necessary for survival, such as cardiac control or secretion of gastric substances. The medulla oblongata (or brainstem) is located in the lowest part of the brain stem. This part of the brain stem intervenes in the control of breathing, in the transition between sleep phases and in the regulation of the level of consciousness, among other basic survival processes. This structure is the largest part of the brain stem, and its anterior surface sags outwards as if it were half an egg. On its back side (the one closest to the nape) is the cerebellum. The brainstem bridge, or pons, is located just below the midbrain and above the medulla oblongata. The two basic components of the midbrain are structures called tectum Y tegmentum. The midbrain It is the structure of the brainstem located in a higher position and, therefore, closer to structures located in the upper part, such as the thalamus.Like other parts of the brain stem, it intervenes in such primitive functions as the regulation of the sleep-wake cycle and body temperature, but it also plays a role in reacting quickly to visual and auditory stimuli in a reflexive way, as well as in control of certain movements. The brain stem is made up of three main structures: the midbrain, the brainstem bridge and the medulla oblongata. This is a more passive role than the previous ones, but equally essential for the survival of the brain and of the entire organism in general. A communication bridge with the spinal cordīesides all these functions, of course, the brain stem serves to communicate the cranial nerves and the spinal cord with the brain, thus being the communication pathway between the brain and the rest of the body in both afferents and efferences. Specifically, a network of neurons distributed in part throughout the brain stem called the reticular formation intervenes both in the regulation of the circadian cycle (sleep-wake) and in the maintenance of consciousness. It also has a very important role in regulating arousal levels. Other functions of the brainstem that are somewhat less important but almost as primitive include control of hiccups, sneezes and coughs, sucking, swallowing, vomiting, and sensitivity to pain. That is why the brain stem is composed of vital centers that when damaged can cause immediate death. Maintaining vital signsĪmong the functions in which the brainstem plays a fundamental role are: regulation and maintenance of heart rate and automatic control of respiration. Thus, the brain stem is responsible for performing the most basic tasks of the nervous system for our survival, those which we can barely influence voluntarily and which have been automated from millions of years of evolution precisely so that our wrong decisions or our distractions do not cost us our lives. It's part of what, according to Paul MacLean's 3-brain theory, it has been called "reptilian brain", precisely because it has been associated with ancestral physiological processes (although MacLean's ideas are not considered valid, among other things, because they are based on a very simplified vision of the evolution of the human brain. The brain stem is the part of the human brain that houses the most primitive and ancestral functions, and it appeared in our evolutionary line in species that did not resemble human beings at all. That means that the brainstem is aligned with the neural fibers that run through the spinal cord under the spinal cord specifically, it passes in front of the cerebellum. The brainstem, sometimes called brain stem, is a part of the brain shaped like a cylinder or elongated cone and that is located between the rest of the brain and the spinal cord. S e deals with the brainstem, or brainstem, located in the lowest part of the brain and in direct contact with the spinal cord. In fact, if we were to consider the importance of each of the parts of the brain judging them according to how relevant they are to our survival, we would conclude that the most fundamental structure is one that neither has the folded shape of the cortex nor has a oval. The brain is almost always associated with a kind of oval with a rough surface full of folds, but below this cerebral cortex there are many very important structures. A communication bridge with the spinal cord.Video: Brainstem - Structure & Function - Neuroanatomy Content
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