#cheatsheet #brain #neuroscience Created at 250223 # [Anonymous feedback](https://www.admonymous.co/louis030195) # [[Epistemic status]] #shower-thought #human-in-the-loop Last modified date: 250223 Commit: 0 # Related - [[Biology/Neuroscience/Brain functions]] - [[Biology/Neuroscience/Limbic system]] - [[Readwise/Articles/en.wikipedia.org - Limbic System - Wikipedia]] - [[Biology/Neuroscience/Neocortex]] - [[Biology/Neuroscience/The brain s god module]] - [[Biology/Neuroscience/Dopamine]] # TODO > [!TODO] TODO # Brain cheatsheet | Brain Part | Function | | --- | --- | | Brainstem | Controls basic life-support functions like breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure | | Cerebellum | Coordinates movement and balance | | Thalamus | Relays sensory information to the cerebral cortex | | Hypothalamus | Regulates basic needs like hunger, thirst, and sleep, and controls the pituitary gland | | Pituitary Gland | Regulates hormone production and release | | Hippocampus | Processes and stores memories | | Amygdala | Processes emotions, especially fear and aggression | | Basal Ganglia | Helps initiate and control movement | | Cerebral Cortex | Controls conscious thought and perception, and coordinates complex behaviors like language and decision-making | ## Detailed | Brain Part | Function | | ------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Brainstem** | | | Medulla oblongata | Controls automatic functions like breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure | | Pons | Connects the cerebellum to the rest of the brain and controls sleep, respiration, swallowing, and facial movements | | Midbrain | Coordinates sensory and motor functions and controls the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter involved in motivation, reward, and pleasure | | **Cerebellum** | Coordinates voluntary movements, balance, and posture, and helps refine motor skills through constant feedback and correction | | **Diencephalon** | | | Thalamus | Processes and relays sensory information to the cerebral cortex, the outermost layer of the brain responsible for conscious thought and perception | | Hypothalamus | Regulates homeostasis, the body's internal balance, by controlling autonomic, endocrine, and behavioral functions like hunger, thirst, body temperature, and sleep-wake cycle. It also plays a role in emotion, sexual behavior, and stress response | | Epithalamus | Contains the pineal gland, which secretes melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycle and circadian rhythm | | **Telencephalon** | | | Cerebrum | The largest part of the brain that consists of two hemispheres connected by the corpus callosum, a thick band of nerve fibers. The cerebrum is responsible for conscious thought, perception, memory, language, emotion, and voluntary movement | | Basal Ganglia | A group of structures involved in the initiation, execution, and modulation of voluntary movements. It includes the striatum, globus pallidus, substantia nigra, and subthalamic nucleus | | Limbic System | A complex network of structures involved in emotion, motivation, learning, and memory. It includes the hippocampus, amygdala, cingulate gyrus, and septal nuclei | | **Cerebral Cortex** | The outermost layer of the cerebrum that is folded into convolutions and has distinct regions or lobes with specialized functions. The cortex processes and integrates sensory information, generates motor commands, and coordinates higher cognitive functions like attention, perception, language, decision-making, and consciousness |