 The Brain Stem
The brain stem plays a key role in controlling basic body functions such as balance, blood pressure, breathing, facial sensations, hearing, heart rhythms, and swallowing. The brain stem consists of three primary structures - the Midbrain, the Pons, and the Medulla Oblongata. The Midbrain is crucial for controlling eye movements. The Pons controls facial movements, hearing, and balance. The Medulla Oblongata controls breathing, heart rhythms, blood pressure, and swallowing. The Brain Stem also contains the Reticular Activating System which governs your sleep and wake cycles.
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  The human hippocampus. Very easy to see in the cartoon picture, in real life on an MRI scan very hard to see - the highlighting is artificial of course.
The hippocampus plays a big role in the formation of new memories - in particular explicit memories such as our knowledge of facts (semantic memories) and events (episodic memories). The hippocampus also plays an important role in consolidation - when the various parts of a memory are "tied" together so they have a relationship. Thing of your memory for last night - you need to consolidate the sights, smells, location, etc into one memory. The hippocampus also plays a key role in spatial navigation. |
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