Cerebellum

The human brain is a complex part of the body because it controls every function in the body. From voluntary to non voluntary actions, personality traits and emotions, the brain does it all. Although the brain seems very complicated, it is more easily understood when broken down and each part described. The cerebrum, cerebellum and brain stem are the three main parts of the brain.

The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain; it takes up the entire upper part of the skull. The cerebrum is divided into lobes that each serves their own function. The frontal lobe controls voluntary muscle movement and makes speech possible. Because of how much this part of the brain helps with speech any damage done to it results in knowing what to say but not

CSF protects the brain from shock by acting like a cushion. It is clear and has no color; it consists of lymphocytes, sugar, and proteins. CSF can sometimes be removed for diagnosis or relief from pressure on the brain. (Saunders, 348) Located behind the pons and beneath the cerebrum lies the cerebellum. The cerebellum’s surface consists of gray matter, and the interior is consisted of white matter. The white matter has treelike markings on it called arbor vitae, which means “tree of life”. The Cerebellum controls muscle movement and coordination well as any type of voluntary movement. Balance, muscle tone, and coordination of muscle movement are all controlled by the cerebellum. (Scott and Fong, 159) The main function of the cerebellum is to control any and all of the body functions having to do with skeletal muscles. If the body becomes imbalanced, sensory receptors that are located in the inner ear will send nerve messages to the cerebellum. The cerebellum then restores balance by stimulating muscle contraction. Another function of the cerebellum is transmitting nerve impulses to the spinal cord which then goes to the skeletal muscles to perform the function the cerebrum transmitted. The final function of the cerebellum is coordination of muscle movements. (Scott and Fong,

The incoming axons will carry messages to the cerebellum that have to do with movement. Anything that relates to skeletal muscle activity will be carried directly to the cerebellum. Outgoing axons will carry nerve messages to the parts of the brain that are controlling skeletal muscles. (Senisi Scott and Elizabeth Fong, 159) (Another interesting fact about the cerebellum is that it is the second largest part of the brain and also one of the four major parts of the brain.) An important part that the cerebellum plays is controlling reflexes and helping with the coordination in muscles and balance. (Gunstream, 16) The cerebral ventricles are the four lined cavities within the brain that are filled with cerebrospinal fluid. Cerebrospinal fluid is a substance forms within the four brain parts from the blood vessels of choroid plexus. This fluid serves as a shock absorber and its purpose is to protect the brain and the spinal cord. (Senisi Scott and Elizabeth,