Imagine taking a bite of a pizza. Briefly discuss the role that each part of the brain takes in this simple act. Medulla, Pons, Cerebellum, Thalamus, Hypothalamus, Amygdala, Hippocampus, Parietal Lobe, Occipital Lobe, Temporal Lobe, Frontal Lobe.

- Medulla: transmits signals between the spinal cord and higher brain levels

- Pons: transmits impulses related to the voluntary skeletal movements from the cerebrum to the cerebellum

- Cerebellum: coordinates skeletal muscle contraction, conscious/subconscious movements, maintains muscle posture, and balance

- Thalamus: regulation of the human nervous system

- Hypothalamus: maintains the overall homeostasis of the body

- Amygdala: processes fearful and threatening stimuli  

- Hippocampus: regulates learning, memory encoding and consolidation, and spatial navigation

- Parietal Lobe: processes information from the outside world (e.g., touch, taste, temperature)

- Occipital Lobe: interprets information from the eyes

- Temporal Lobes:  process sensory information (i.e., pain and auditory stimuli)

- Frontal Lobe:  higher cognitive functions (e.g., memory, problem-solving, emotions, impulse control, etc)

Explanation:

The medulla (medulla oblongata) is the lowest portion of the brainstem, which is linked by the pons to the midbrain and continues with the spinal cord. The medulla is known to transmit signals between the spinal cord and higher brain levels, thereby controlling autonomic activities (e.g., heartbeat and respiration). The pons is a mass of transverse nerve fibers that links the medulla with the cerebellum, it transmits signals from the forebrain to the cerebellum. The pons is involved in different functions, e.g., sleep, respiration, hearing, equilibrium, taste, eye movement, swallowing, bladder regulation, facial expression, etc. The cerebellum is a small part of the brain involved in physical movements (e.g., posture, balance, coordination), which receives sensory information from sensory systems, the spinal cord, and different parts of the brain. The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain, it is involved in speech, thinking, reasoning, problem-solving, emotions, initiating/coordinating movements, regulating temperature, learning, etc. The thalamus is a mass of gray matter located in the forebrain which is involved in diverse functions (i.e., relay of sensory signals, regulation of consciousness, sleep, alertness, etc). The hypothalamus is a small, central, area of the brain that connects the nervous to the endocrine system that acts to maintain the overall homeostasis of the body. The amygdala is a structure located in each hemisphere of the brain that processes fearful and threatening stimuli. The hippocampus is a structure located in the depths of the temporal lobe that regulates learning, memory encoding and consolidation, and spatial navigation. The parietal lobe is located at the upper back area in the skull, it is involved in processing sensory information from the surrounding world (e.g., touch, taste, temperature). The occipital lobes are responsible for transmitting visual information to the temporal lobes, and they are also associated with memory skills. The frontal lobe is the most anterior part of the brain, which is involved in higher cognitive functions (e.g., social interaction, motor function, memory, emotions, impulse control, problem-solving, etc).