Three regions of the brain

The idea

The brain has three major regions, the fore-brain, mid-brain and hind-brain, with different parts responsible for integrating different inputs and outputs.

Many jobs, one brain

The brain thinks, sees, hears, keeps us balanced and does much more. It would be hard for one lump to do all of that in the same way.

How do you think the brain is arranged for these different jobs?

• It has major regions, with different parts handling different inputs and outputs
• It is one part that does everything in the same way
• Each job is done by a different bone of the skull

Meet the regions

Open every tab. The picture is a simple drawing, not an exact map.

Different parts, different jobs

Each region has parts that deal with different inputs and outputs. You will meet the jobs of the fore-brain, medulla and cerebellum next.

The brain has three major regions: the fore-brain, the mid-brain and the hind-brain. Different parts are responsible for integrating different inputs and outputs.

Notes

The brain has three major regions, the fore-brain, mid-brain and hind-brain, with different parts responsible for integrating different inputs and outputs.

Check yourself

How many major regions does the brain have?

Answer: 3

Fore-brain, mid-brain and hind-brain make three.

Which of these is a major region of the brain?

Which region is the main thinking part of the brain?

Why does the brain have different parts?

• The spinal region. The spinal cord is not a region of the brain. The three regions are fore-brain, mid-brain and hind-brain.
• The cranial region. Cranial nerves arise from the brain, but the three regions are fore-brain, mid-brain and hind-brain.
• The hind-brain — correct. Yes!
• The fore-brain — correct. Yes!
• The mid-brain. Many involuntary actions are controlled by the mid-brain and hind-brain.
• The hind-brain. The hind-brain includes the medulla and cerebellum. The main thinking part is the fore-brain.
• So that each part can protect the other parts. Protection comes from the bony box and the fluid-filled balloon, not from the parts themselves.
• Different parts are responsible for integrating different inputs and outputs — correct. Yes!
• So that it can make hormones for the whole body. The book describes the parts as integrating different inputs and outputs.