Brainstem: acts as a relay center connecting the cerebrum and cerebellum to the spinal cord. It performs many automatic functions such as breathing, heart rate, body temperature, wake and sleep cycles, digestion, sneezing, coughing, vomiting, and swallowing.
The brain stem has 3 areas:
- midbrain (also called the mesencephalon)
- pons
- medulla oblongata
The brain stem sends information to and from the other parts of the brain to the rest of the body and controls:
- breathing
- body temperature
- blood pressure
- heart rate
- hunger and thirst
- digestion of food
More specific functions of each part of the brainstem are dependent of the cranial nerve nuclei and tracts that reside in each area. The medulla oblongata controls the respiratory function, cardiovascular system, as well as gastrointestinal and digestive activities. The pons is involved in controlling movements of the body and equilibrium. Finally, the midbrain controls eye movements and integrates it with auditory input.
Picture Credit : Google