43 Facts About The Brain Stem That Explains Working Of Human Brain

The lowest, stick-like section of the human brain is known as the brainstem.

It is a tube that links the human brain to the spinal cord. It is the human brainstem function that sends information to major regions of the body to control balance, respiration, blood flow, and other vital systems of the body.

The human brain serves as a command center for the nerve system and takes control of the vital sections of the body. The brain takes in information from the body's sensory organs and sends it to the muscles of humans.

The brain has the same basic setting as other animal brains, but it has higher intelligence than the brains of many other types of mammals, such as dogs, whales, and rhinos.

The brain stem forms an important part of the brain, and it has many important functions which are critical for the working of the body. Continue reading to find out facts about brain stems.

Brain And Structure

The brain is the most critical unit of the human body that governs all bodily processes, analyzes information from the environment, and embodies the mind and soul's essence.

The five senses of the body, which are sight, smell, touch, taste, and hearing, all provide information to the brain through the central nervous system. It assembles signals in a fashion that makes sense to us, and it can store the data in the memory part of the brain.

The human brain is in charge of what we think, our memories, and what we speak, as well as the movement of our arms and legs, and the operation of many of our body's organs. The central nervous system's connection to the brain allows it to regulate the body.

The brain and spinal cord together come to form the central nervous system inside the body. The PNS inside the body is made up of spinal nerves that branch off from the spinal cord and cranial nerves, which is separate from the brain. These cranial nerves make it possible for the formation of PNS.

The brain of the human body is mainly composed of three things: the cerebrum, the cerebellum, and the brain stem.

Cerebrum: The cerebrum is the biggest region of the human brain and is divided into right and left hemispheres. The cerebrum is responsible for higher capabilities of the human body such as sensation, sight, listening, as well as speaking, thinking, feelings, cognition, and control of the movement of the body.

It is located in the upper part of the brain.

Cerebellum: The cerebellum, which is placed underneath the cerebrum, is another element of the brain's structure. The cerebellum is responsible for coordinating muscular actions, maintaining posture, and maintaining the balance of the body.

Brain Stem: The brain stem is one of the three major regions of the brain. The brainstem function is critical for the body. The cerebrum and cerebellum of the human are connected to the spinal cord through the brain stem, which serves as a relay hub.

Breathing rate, heartbeat through blood vessels, core temperature, waking and sleep cycles, metabolism, breathing, coughing, puking, and swallowing, and reflex functions are all autonomic activities that are performed with the help of brain stem function.

Brain Parts And Their Functions

The brain is the largest and most well-defined organ in the human body. It is made up of more than 1000 billion nerve fibers that communicate with each other via trillions of synapses present inside the body.

Many parts comprise our brain, and all of them have different functions which are important for the functioning of the brain. Here are some of the important brain parts and their functions:

Right & Left Brain

There is a division of functions between the right and left sides of the brain. The right and left hemispheres are separated into two parts. The corpus callosum, which is a network of nerve fibers that connects them, transfers signals from one side of the brain to another.

The opposite side of the body is controlled by each hemisphere of the brain. Your left arm or leg may be sluggish or paralyzed if you suffer from a stroke in the right side of your brain.

Not all hemispheric functions of the brain are shared, though. Speech, understanding, mathematics, and writing are all controlled by the left side of the brain. Meanwhile, things such as creativity, spatial awareness, and musical abilities are all controlled by the right hemisphere.

In around 90% of adults, it is the left hemisphere that is dominant in hand usage and speaking.

Brain Lobes

A longitudinal fissure goes through the cerebral hemispheres, which divide the brain into right and left hemispheres, joined together by the corpus callosum.

In our brain, there are mainly four lobes in each hemisphere. These lobes are frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital. Each lobe of the brain can be subdivided into sections that fulfill highly specialized roles once again.

It is very important to understand that every lobe inside the brain does not work independently; they work in relation. The interactions between the lobes of the brain, as well as the right and left hemispheres, are extremely complicated.

Cortex

The cortex forms another important part of the human brain. The cortex is located on the outermost layer of the cerebrum. The cerebral cortex has a folded aspect to its appearance.

Cortex's ability to fold increases the overall surface area inside the brain, allowing more neurons to fit within the skull and providing greater functions to the body.

The brain has 16 billion neurons, whereas the cerebellum inside the brain has 86 billion, all of which are organized into multiple well-defined layers.

Gray matter gets its name from the nerve cell bodies that color the cortex gray-brown. Long nerve fibers, referred to as white matter, go under the cortex and link brain regions. Gray matter is an important aspect of the brain.

A gyrus is a fold between folds, while a lobe is a trench between folds. The folds and grooves here help designate distinct brain areas to have names. 

Brain Stem Location And Function

The brainstem is found near the base of the spine. The brainstem connects the remainder of your brain to your spinal cord. The brain stem has the appearance of a stalk. 

The brain stem is the part of the cerebrum with the spinal cord. The midbrain, medulla oblongata, and pons are all part of the brain stem. In other words, the brainstem is the part where motor and sensory neurons pass each other, allowing messages to be sent between the brain and the spinal cord.

The brainstem houses the majority of the cranial nerve nuclei which are found inside the body. Another important function of the brain stem is that it connects the cerebrum to the cerebellum, as well as the cerebrum to the spinal cord.

Movement coordination, balance, equilibrium, and muscle tone are among the processes that the cerebellum regulates inside the body. The cerebellum inside the brain is located above the brainstem and below the lobes of the cortex.

Signals from the cerebellum are sent to parts of the cerebral cortex involved in motor control through nerve tracts, and these go through with the help of the brain stem. This functioning of the brain stem enables the coordination of fine motor movements required for activities such as walking and moving any other part of the body.

The midbrain and sections of the hindbrain, notably the pons and medulla, come together for the formation of the brainstem.

The midbrain is responsible for the connection of the primary brain divisions: forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain, which come under its main functions.

The tectum and cerebral peduncle are two major structures that are located in the midbrain.

The tectum is made up of spherical brain matter bulges that play a role in visual and auditory responses.

The cerebral peduncle is made up of huge bundles of nerve fiber tracts that help in the connecting of the hindbrain and forebrain.

Trauma or stroke to the brain stem can cause major issues when it comes to mobility and movement coordination of the body. With a damaged brainstem, basic activities such as walking, writing, and eating become difficult, and the person may need to be treated for the rest of his or her life.

Strokes in the brain stem damage the medulla and spinal cord which are necessary for the control of key body processes, including breathing, heartbeat, and swallowing.

When blood pressure in the brain is disturbed, most usually by a blood clot, a stroke ensues. Signals between the brain and the body are disturbed when the brain stem suffers from some kind of injury.

Regions Of The Brain Stem

It is the brainstem that is responsible for establishing the connection of the brain with the rest of the body. The brain stem is divided into several sections that must be grasped in order to be fully comprehended.

The brain stem mainly consists of three parts: the midbrain, the pons, and the medulla oblongata.

MidBrain: The upper section of the brainstem, which is known as the midbrain, is responsible for controlling eye movements that happen.

Pons: The central system of the brain stem is known as the pons, and it is responsible for the movement of all facial expressions and coordinating body balance through body nerves. The pontine nuclei can be found inside the pons, and these are what facilitate transmission.

It is the pons that also allows communication between the cerebellum's left and right hemispheres.

Medulla Oblongata: The medulla oblongata comprises half of the brainstem. It is the medulla oblongata that is responsible for regulating your breathing, heart rhythms, blood pressure, and swallowing functions.

The myelencephalon is a secondary brain vesicle that emerges from the rhombencephalon and gives birth to the hindbrain (medulla). The pons is the other secondary brain vesicle that arises from the hindbrain and is higher than the functioning of the myelencephalon.

The reticular activating system is also found inside the brain stem. The RAS is a neuronal network that consists of cells carrying electrical signals and chemicals inside the brain.

Things such as sleeping and waking cycles are controlled by the reticular formation of the RAS system. The RAS inside the body stem also assists you in remaining awake and being aware of your surroundings.

The reticular formation is a large network of neurons inside the brain which are involved in sustaining awareness and alertness for the body. These neurons run from the spinal cord to the diencephalon, passing via several areas of the brainstem.

The nuclei for this reticular formation are located deep within the brainstem's vertical axis. A lateral, medial, and median set of nuclei exist on each side of the brain stem.

This group of nuclei has a combined impact that regulates the circadian cycle, coordinates the respiratory and antigravity muscles, alters reflex activity, and aids in the coordination of expression muscles.

A person with brainstem death has no presence of brain stem activities. When something irreversibly destroys the brain stem or stops the supply of oxygen to the brain, the brain stem automatically dies.

Since the brainstem is responsible for fundamental functions of life, someone who loses consciousness due to brainstem death will not be able to restore consciousness; it results in instant death for anyone. To stay alive, they require artificial life support. This illness for the brain stem is sometimes known as brain dead.