Cerebellum

The idea

The cerebellum, a part of the hind-brain, is responsible for the precision of voluntary actions and for maintaining the posture and balance of the body.

A wobbly ride

Riding a bicycle in a straight line, or picking up a pencil without knocking it over, looks easy. We do them without thinking about every small movement.

Which part of the brain do you think keeps these movements precise and keeps the body balanced?

• The cerebellum, a part of the hind-brain
• The motor areas, a part of the fore-brain
• The vertebral column, which is the backbone

Find the cerebellum

Open every tab.

Steady hands, steady body

The cerebellum fine-tunes actions that we decide to do. It also keeps us upright and balanced while we do them.

The cerebellum, a part of the hind-brain, is responsible for the precision of voluntary actions and for maintaining the posture and balance of the body.

Notes

The cerebellum, a part of the hind-brain, is responsible for the precision of voluntary actions and for maintaining the posture and balance of the body.

Check yourself

In which region of the brain is the cerebellum?

What is the cerebellum responsible for?

Which activity depends on the cerebellum?

Which part of the hind-brain controls blood pressure?

• The hind-brain — correct. Yes!
• The fore-brain. The fore-brain is the main thinking part. The cerebellum is part of the hind-brain.
• The mid-brain. The cerebellum is a part of the hind-brain.
• Receiving sensory impulses from receptors. Sensory areas of the fore-brain do that.
• The precision of voluntary actions and the posture and balance of the body — correct. Yes!
• Controlling blood pressure, salivation and vomiting. The medulla in the hind-brain does that.
• Feeling full after a meal. That feeling comes from a centre associated with hunger in the fore-brain.
• Salivation at the sight of food. Salivation is controlled by the medulla in the hind-brain.
• Riding a bicycle — correct. Yes!
• The medulla — correct. Yes!
• The cerebellum. The cerebellum is responsible for precision, posture and balance.
• The association area. Association areas are in the fore-brain and interpret sensory information.