structures of the brain

• thalamus: located deep inside the brain and theres two of them: one in the left hemisphere and right hemisphere of the brain. it is a sensory processing station that receives information from the five senses and turns them into appropriate behaviour. the thalamus is also well developed at birth.
• the cortex (also known as frontal lobe) is located in the outer layer of the brain. its function is to carry out complex functions animals cant, and it also controls all thinking and decision making. it develops during the early ages of development
• the cerebellum is located at the back of the brain, near the top of the spinal cord. it plays a very important role in the coordination of movement such as walking and keeping your balance. it also coordinates sensory information with motor activity called sensorimotor. it is one of the last parts of the brain to reach maturity, meaning it is underdeveloped.
• the brain stem connects to the spinal cord. it controls basic autonomic functions such as breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure. many of these functions are controlled by the autonomic nervous system. it is the most highly developed part of the brain at birth..
• brain development begins during the third week of pregnancy
• the multiplying cells form a structure called the neural plate.
• this neural plate folds onto itself to form a tube-shaped structure called the neural tube.
• during the fourth week of pregnancy, the neural tube begins to divide into a spinal cord, forebrain,midbrain, and hindbrain.
• during the 6th week of pregnancy, neurons and synapses begin to develop in the spinal cord which allows the fetus to move around and react to its environment.
• in the 15th week, the cerebellum is formed from the hindbrain.
• during the sixth month of pregnancy, the brain is fully developed but has not reached its full size.
• autonomic function: involuntary,automatic, and unconcious functions controlled by the brain and spinal cord such as heartbeat and blinking.
• sensory processing: the brain and the nervous system receive and understand sensory information from the world around us. it takes place in the visual area (for seeing) and the auditory area (for hearing)