http://blog.vitonis.com Random thoughts on irrelevant matters. Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:36:10 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Dopamine is a neurotransmitter,* and pretty doggone fun as neurotransmitters go. It works with serotonin and norepinephrine to regulate various components of your well-being: mood, attention, motivation, desire, pleasure, and as you might imagine from the rest, sexuality. Dopamine itself helps to generate the feeling of pleasure associated with rewarding ... http://blog.vitonis.com/2009/11/29/what-does-dopamine-do/ First off: As I've mentioned before, clusters of neural co-laborers in the brain are called nuclei. However, certain nuclei are referred to en masse as the basal ganglia. That's just the way it is. We may as well learn to live with the situation. Anyway. The basal ganglia are functionally related ... http://blog.vitonis.com/2009/11/01/what-do-the-basal-ganglia-do/ The hypothalamus lies quietly under the thalamus,* but it doesn't mind its own business: Together with the pituitary gland, it links the nervous system to the endocrine system. In that capacity it's quite the busybody, playing a role in fear and anger, hunger and thirst, blood pressure and pulse rate, ... http://blog.vitonis.com/2009/10/17/what-does-the-hypothalamus-do/ Neurotransmitters are chemicals used to transmit signals between neurons. (Makes sense, doesn't it?) They're emitted from the axon of the sender, cross the synapse to the receiver, and attach to a receptor site on a dendrite there. If the receiver is properly excited by the intrusion, it sends its own ... http://blog.vitonis.com/2009/10/11/what-are-neurotransmitters/ The nucleus accumbens — Latin for leaning nucleus — is a cluster of neurons* that acts as a liaison between the limbic system and the central gray nuclei. It's a paired structure, like the hippocampus, and is involved in the brain's reward system, releasing dopamine and other neurotransmitters that produce ... http://blog.vitonis.com/2009/09/27/what-does-the-nucleus-accumbens-do/ The hippocampus (Greek for seahorse, someone's idea of its shape) is a paired structure, with mirror-image parts on both sides of the brain. Part of the limbic system, it lurks beneath the surface of the temporal lobe. It's involved in: The perception and navigation of space Behavioral inhibition Memory of experienced events Its role ... http://blog.vitonis.com/2009/09/22/what-does-the-hippocampus-do/ Or rather, the amygdalae — there are two of them. They're part of the limbic system (about which more later), and each consists of several nuclei. The nuclei are roughly almond-shaped; the Greek word for almond is "amygdale" (αμυγδαλη); you see the connection. Together they are involved in many brain ... http://blog.vitonis.com/2009/09/18/what-does-the-amygdala-do/ The hindbrain comprises the cerebellum, pons, and medulla oblongata. It is the rearmost of the three primary divisions of the brain; namely, the: Hindbrain (rhombencephalon), Midbrain (mesencephalon), and Forebrain (prosencephalon) As the picture below shows, the hindbrain itself has two parts, the metencephalon and the myelencephalon. I may talk about them later. To labor ... http://blog.vitonis.com/2009/09/12/what-is-the-hindbrain/ The midbrain is the top portion of the brain stem, adjoining the diencephalon above and the pons below. It comprises the inferior and superior colliculi (together called the tectum), and the tegmentum, crus cerebri, and substantia nigra (together the cerebral peduncle). It's involved in vision, hearing, body movement in general, ... http://blog.vitonis.com/2009/09/09/what-does-the-midbrain-do/ The medulla oblongata is the lower portion of the brain stem, adjoining the pons above and the spinal cord below. It aids in communication between the spinal cord and the brain, and between the brain hemispheres. It also plays a role in several autonomic functions, such as respiration and circulation, ... http://blog.vitonis.com/2009/09/05/what-does-the-medulla-oblongata-do/