He brain is an essential organ for life. In addition to vital functions (such as breathing), all of our emotions, sensations and what makes up our personality and makes us unique It is regulated by our brain.

It is, perhaps, the most complex organ of the human body. In fact, the organ inside the head is actually called the brain and is the main part of the central nervous system. The cerebrum, cerebellum and brainstem are some of the parts that make up the brain and work together to regulate different aspects of our physical and mental functioning. In this article we tell you what they are the parts of the brain and their functions.

Parts of the brain and their functions

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The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain and is responsible for control conscious thought, memory, movement and sensory perceptionamong other functions. It is divided, by a deep groove, into two hemispheres, each of which controls one side of the body.

• He left hemisphere controls the right side of our body.
• He right hemisphere, left side.

In each hemisphere, the brain is divided into four lobes:

• The frontal lobesas their name suggests, are located in the front part of the brain, just behind the forehead. They are the largest lobes and control the voluntary movement, speech and intellect. They also play an important role in memory and personality.
• The parietal lobes They are located in the center of the brain and receive and interpret sensory information, which gives us allows us to understand our environment and the state of our own body.
• The temporal lobes They are located near the ears and help remember words or places where we have been, to recognize people already understand the language and interpret emotions from other people.
• The occipital lobes They are in the back of the brain and allow detect and interpret visual information. They control how we process shapes, colors and movement.

In this video you can see how neurons in the brain work:

Cerebellum: Functions

He cerebellum (which in Latin means “little brain”) is located in the back of headbelow the cerebral hemispheres, and is the second largest structure in the brain.

Plays an important role in motor coordination and balance. It also contributes to learning and perfecting movements.

Brainstem: functions

He brainstem connects the brain to the spinal cord and is located at the bottom of the brain.

It is responsible for regulate basic body functionssuch as breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, sleep-wake cycles, and swallowing. These are essential life functions that are not under our conscious control.

It is made up of three main parts: the midbrain, the pons, and the medulla oblongata.

Thalamus and hypothalamus: functions

He thalamus and hypothalamus They are located in the central area of ​​the brain, just above the top of the brain stem. They are structures that have a lot to do with perception, movement and vital functions of the body.

• He thalamus It consists of two oval masses, each embedded in a cerebral hemisphere, joined by a bridge. They contain nerve cells that classify information from four of the senses (sight, hearing, taste and touch) and transmit it to the cerebral cortex. Only the sense of smell sends signals directly to the cerebral cortex, bypassing the thalamus. The sensations of pain, temperature and pressure They are also transmitted through the thalamus, as are the nervous impulses from the cerebral hemispheres that initiate the voluntary movement.
• He hypothalamus It is the main point of interaction of the body’s two physical control systems: the nervous system and the endocrine system and controls the rhythm of the heart, the passage of food through the digestive tract and the contraction of the bladder. It is the brain’s intermediary for translate emotions into a physical response (like a racing heartbeat). It also regulates various bodily functions, such as body temperature, hunger, thirst and circadian rhythms.

Hippocampus: functions

He hippocampus It is located in the inner part of the temporal lobe. Its name comes from Latin hippocampuswhich in turn comes from the Greek hippos (horse) and kampos (name of a mythological sea monster) and is called that because Its shape is reminiscent of a seahorse.

It plays an important role in consolidating recently acquired information (short term memory). In contrast, long-term memory is thought to be stored throughout the cerebral cortex.

Amygdala: functions

The amygdala is a brain structure located inside the temporal lobes, above the hippocampus. It is made up of two nuclei, one in each hemisphere.

It is involved in emotional processing and regulation of emotional responses.