Neuroscience for Kids

The Brain:
Right down theMiddle

Whilesome people may think that the brain is like a bowl of jell-O, thebrain is NOT a bowl of jell-O. Unlike abowl of jell-O, the brain is not a uniform material. Rather, the brain ismade up of many different areas, each having a particular structure andfunction. To separate the brain into right and left hemispheres, you needto cut the brain in the "midsagittalplane". After such a cut, the inner surface of the brain would look abit like this drawing:

Only some of the structures thatare visible on a real brain have been labeled.

BrainStructures
Cerebral
Cortex
Functions:
Thought
Voluntary movement
Language
Reasoning
Perception
The word "cortex" comes from thelatin word for "bark" (of a tree). This is because the cortex is a sheetof tissue that makes up the outer layer of the brain. The thickness ofthe cerebral cortex varies from 2 to 6 mm. The right and left sides ofthe cerebral cortex are connected by a thick band of nerve fibers calledthe "corpuscallosum". In higher mammals like humans, the cerebral cortex lookslike it has many bumps and grooves. A bump or bulge on the cortex iscalled a gyrus (the plural of the word gyrus is"gyri") and a groove is called a sulcus (theplural of the word sulcus is "sulci"). Lower mammals like rats and micehave very few gyri and sulci.
Cerebellum
Functions:
Movement
Balance
Posture
The word "cerebellum" comesfrom the latin word for "little brain".The cerebellum is located behind the brain stem. In some ways, thecerebellum is a bit like the cerebral cortex: thecerebellum is divided into hemispheres and has a cortex that surroundsthese hemispheres.
Brain stem
Functions:

Breathing
Heart Rate
Blood Pressure
The brain stem is ageneral term for the area of the brain between the thalamus and spinalcord. Structures within the brain stem include the medulla, pons, tectum,reticular formation and tegmentum. Some of these areas are responsiblefor the most basic functions of life such as breathing, heart rate andblood pressure.
Hypothalamus
Functions:
Body Temperature
Emotions
Hunger
Thirst
Circadian Rhythms
The hypothalamus is composedof several different areas and is located at the base of the brain. It isonly the size of a pea (about 1/300 of the total brain weight), but it isresponsible for some very important behaviors. One important function ofthe hypothalamus is the control of body temperature. The hypothalamusacts as like a "thermostat" by sensing changes in body temperature andthen sending out signals to adjust the temperature. For example, if youare too hot, the hypothalamus detects this and then sends out a signal toexpand the capillaries in your skin. This causes blood to be cooledfaster. The hypothalamus also controls the pituitary.
Thalamus
Functions:
Sensory Integration
Motor Integration
The thalamus receivessensory information and relays this informationto the cerebral cortex. The cerebral cortex also sends information to thethalamus which then transmits this information to other areas of the brainand spinal cord.

Check out the glossary fordefinitions of other brain areas.

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Exploring theNervous System

BrainStructures
Cerebral Cortex Functions: Thought Voluntary movement Language Reasoning Perception	The word "cortex" comes from thelatin word for "bark" (of a tree). This is because the cortex is a sheetof tissue that makes up the outer layer of the brain. The thickness ofthe cerebral cortex varies from 2 to 6 mm. The right and left sides ofthe cerebral cortex are connected by a thick band of nerve fibers calledthe "corpuscallosum". In higher mammals like humans, the cerebral cortex lookslike it has many bumps and grooves. A bump or bulge on the cortex iscalled a gyrus (the plural of the word gyrus is"gyri") and a groove is called a sulcus (theplural of the word sulcus is "sulci"). Lower mammals like rats and micehave very few gyri and sulci.
Cerebellum Functions: Movement Balance Posture	The word "cerebellum" comesfrom the latin word for "little brain".The cerebellum is located behind the brain stem. In some ways, thecerebellum is a bit like the cerebral cortex: thecerebellum is divided into hemispheres and has a cortex that surroundsthese hemispheres.
Brain stem Functions: Breathing Heart Rate Blood Pressure	The brain stem is ageneral term for the area of the brain between the thalamus and spinalcord. Structures within the brain stem include the medulla, pons, tectum,reticular formation and tegmentum. Some of these areas are responsiblefor the most basic functions of life such as breathing, heart rate andblood pressure.
Hypothalamus Functions: Body Temperature Emotions Hunger Thirst Circadian Rhythms	The hypothalamus is composedof several different areas and is located at the base of the brain. It isonly the size of a pea (about 1/300 of the total brain weight), but it isresponsible for some very important behaviors. One important function ofthe hypothalamus is the control of body temperature. The hypothalamusacts as like a "thermostat" by sensing changes in body temperature andthen sending out signals to adjust the temperature. For example, if youare too hot, the hypothalamus detects this and then sends out a signal toexpand the capillaries in your skin. This causes blood to be cooledfaster. The hypothalamus also controls the pituitary.
Thalamus Functions: Sensory Integration Motor Integration	The thalamus receivessensory information and relays this informationto the cerebral cortex. The cerebral cortex also sends information to thethalamus which then transmits this information to other areas of the brainand spinal cord.