hindbrains
Cerebellum and medulla
The hindbrain is the rear portion of the brain, comprising the cerebellum, pons, and medulla oblongata.
It controls basic functions like breathing, heart rate, balance, and coordination.
In casual or figurative use, hindbrain sometimes refers to primitive instincts or reflexive responses: My hindbrain told me to run.
Innermost organ tissue
- ponsBrainstem relay station
- cerebellumMovement coordination organ
- medulla oblongataLower brainstem structure
- cranial nervesTwelve brainstem-emerging neural pairs
spinal cord · neural pathways · vestibular nuclei · pyramids · fourth ventricle · choroid plexus · white matter · gray matter
Self-regulating without awareness
- respirationGas exchange in organisms
- circulationMovement through a system
- reflexesAutomatic physical responses
- homeostasisBiological internal stability maintenance
arousal · sleep · wakefulness · heart rate · blood pressure · swallowing · vomiting · coughing
Animals with dorsal nerve cords
- fishesGilled water dwellers
- amphibiansVertebrates with aquatic larvae
- reptilesCold-blooded scaly vertebrates
- mammalsHair-bearing, milk-producing animals
birds · sharks · lampreys · hagfish · tetrapods · bony fish · amniotes · neural tube
Acute threat reaction
- survivalRemaining alive against odds
- reflexiveDirected back at subject
- primalFirst in origin
- innateExisting since birth
automatic · unconscious · visceral · hardwired · reactive · startle response · defensive · instinctive behavior
Evolutionary relationships among organisms
- homologyStructural similarity through descent
- ancestralOf one's forebears
- conservedKept from being used up
- brain developmentMental faculties emerging over time
medulla
Innermost organ tissue
- ponsBrainstem relay station
- cerebellumMovement coordination organ
- medulla oblongataLower brainstem structure
cranial nerves · spinal cord · neural pathways · vestibular nuclei · pyramids · fourth ventricle · choroid plexus · white matter · gray matter · neuroanatomy
autonomic
Self-regulating without awareness
- respirationGas exchange in organisms
- circulationMovement through a system
- reflexesAutomatic physical responses
homeostasis · arousal · sleep · wakefulness · heart rate · blood pressure · swallowing · vomiting · coughing · sneezing
chordates
Animals with dorsal nerve cords
- fishesGilled water dwellers
- amphibiansVertebrates with aquatic larvae
- reptilesCold-blooded scaly vertebrates
mammals · birds · sharks · lampreys · hagfish · tetrapods · bony fish · amniotes · neural tube · notochord
fight-or-flight
Acute threat reaction
innate · automatic · unconscious · visceral · hardwired · reactive · startle response · defensive · instinctive behavior
phylogeny
Evolutionary relationships among organisms
- homologyStructural similarity through descent
- ancestralOf one's forebears
- conservedKept from being used up
brain development · embryology · Hox genes · comparative anatomy
hindbrainsforebrains
Frontal neural masses
cerebrum · neocortex · cerebral cortex · frontal lobes · cortex