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Brain

Invertebrate Brain, Vertebrate Brain, Human Brain, The Brain Stem, The Diencephalon, The CerebrumThe cerebellum



The brain is a mass of nerve tissue located in an animal's head that controls the body's functions. In simple animals, the brain functions like a switchboard picking up signals from sense organs and passing information to muscles. The brain is also responsible for a variety of involuntary behavior, including keeping the heart beating, and maintaining blood pressure and temperature. In more advanced forms, particularly vertebrates, a more analytical brain coordinates complex behaviors. In higher vetebrates, the brain coordinates thinking, memory, learning, and emotions. The brain is part of an animal's central nervous system, which receives and transmits impulses. It works with the peripheral nervous system, which carries impulses to and from the brain and spinal cord via nerves running throughout the body.




The cerebellum is located below the cerebrum and behind the brain stem, and is shaped like a butterfly. The "wings" are the cerebellar hemispheres, and each consists of lobes that have distinct grooves or fissures. The cerebellum controls the movements of our muscular system needed for balance, posture, and maintaining posture.


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