brain stem

(noun)

The part of the brain that connects the spinal cord to the forebrain and cerebrum.

Related Terms

Examples of brain stem in the following topics:

  • The Central Nervous System (CNS)

    • The CNS is comprised of the brain, brain stem, and spinal cord.
    • The cerebrum, or the top portion for the brain, is the seat of higher-level thought.
    • The brain stem is connected to the underside of the brain.
    • The spinal cord connects the brain and brain stem to all of the major nerves in the body.
    • The three major components of the central nervous system: 1) the brain, 2) brain stem, and 3) spinal cord.

  • Lower-Level Structures

    • The brain's lower-level structures consist of the brain stem, the spinal cord, and the cerebellum.
    • The brain's lower-level structures consist of the brain stem and spinal cord, along with the cerebellum.
    • The midbrain is located between the hindbrain and forebrain, but it is actually part of the brain stem.
    • In adults, the diencephalon appears at the upper end of the brain stem, situated between the cerebrum and the brain stem.
    • An image of the brain showing the limbic system in relation to the brain stem and spinal cord.

  • Development of the Human Brain

    • It includes the cerebellum, reticular formation, and brain stem, which are responsible for some of the most basic autonomic functions of life, such as breathing and movement.
    • The brain stem contains the pons and medulla oblongata.
    • The midbrain makes up part of the brain stem.
    • It is the large and complicated forebrain that distinguishes the human brain from other vertebrate brains.
    • The layers of the embryonic brain.

  • The Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

    • The CNS includes the brain, brain stem, and spinal cord, while the PNS includes all other sensory neurons, clusters of neurons called ganglia, and connector neurons that attach to the CNS and other neurons.
    • The somatic system also provides us with reflexes, which are automatic and do not require input or integration from the brain to perform.
    • The human nervous system, including both the central nervous system (in red: brain, brain stem, and spinal cord) and the peripheral nervous system (in blue: all other neurons and receptors).

  • Audition: Hearing, the Ear, and Sound Localization

    • The function of the cochlea is to transform mechanical sound waves into electrical or neural signals for use in the brain.
    • Hearing begins with pressure waves hitting the auditory canal and ends when the brain perceives sounds.
    • Auditory nerve fibers connected to the hair cells form the spiral ganglion, which transmits the electrical signals along the auditory nerve and eventually on to the brain stem.
    • The brain responds to these separate frequencies and composes a complete sound from them.
    • Much of the brain's ability to localize sound depends on these interaural (between-the-ears) differences in sound intensity and timing.

  • Hallucinogens

    • Hallucinogens affect the levels of serotonin or glutamate in the brain and are divided into psychedelics, dissociatives, and deleriants.
    • Hallucinogens are drugs that alter sensory input to the brain.
    • Most psychedelics work by interacting with serotonin receptors in the brain.
    • Hallucinogenic mushrooms often have a characteristic blue bruising on their stems.
    • Compare the effects of different types of hallucinogens on the brain

  • Evolutionary Psychology

    • Evolutionary psychology stems from Charles Darwin's theories of evolution, adaptation, and natural selection.
    • The brain produces behavior in response to external and internal inputs.
    • The brain's adaptive mechanisms have been shaped over time by natural and sexual selection.
    • Different neural mechanisms in the brain were developed to solve problems in humanity's evolutionary past; in many regards, humans can be considered to have Stone Age minds.
    • Most processes of the brain are unconscious; most mental problems that seem easy to solve are actually extremely difficult problems that are solved unconsciously through complicated actions within the brain.

  • Substance Abuse and Health

    • The psychoactive effects of drug abuse occur when the drugs impact the levels of neurotransmitters in the brain that control normal mental and physical functioning.
    • In the long term, users may suffer from dental and gum deterioration, sleep disorders, a variety of respiratory problems, and damage to the brain, kidneys, and liver.
    • Yet another set of secondary effects stems from the unhealthy conditions in which substances are often consumed: for instance, sharing or using unsterilized needles can cause users to contract AIDS, hepatitis, or other diseases.

  • Human Language and the Brain

    • Several areas of the brain must function together in order for a person to develop, use, and understand language.
    • Without the brain, there would be no language.
    • The human brain has a few areas that are specific to language processing and production.
    • This diagram shows the areas of the brain associated with languages.
    • The areas of the brain necessary for language.

  • Studying the Brain

    • Studying damaged brains is one of the most useful ways to increase our understanding of the links between the brain and behavior.
    • Lesions are important to the study of brain and behavior because if a psychologist sees a person with a partially damaged brain and then sees changes in that person’s behavior, those behavioral changes can often be attributed to the brain damage.
    • For example, damage to a part of the brain called Broca’s area causes patients to lose the ability to speak; knowing this, we can infer that that part of the brain is in some way related to language production.
    • Though brain damage is deeply unfortunate, it can help researchers to understand more about the function of different parts of the brain.
    • Trace the history of brain science in the field of psychology