What brain structure regulates alertness?

The brain stem connects the cerebrum with the spinal cord. It contains a system of nerve cells and fibers (called the reticular activating system) located deep within the upper part of the brain stem. This system controls levels of consciousness and alertness.

What area of the brain acts as a gatekeeper?

paraventricular thalamus
A part of the brain called the paraventricular thalamus, or PVT, serves as a kind of gatekeeper, making sure that the brain identifies and tracks the most salient details of a situation.

What is the function of the RAS?

The RAS controls sleep and waking and fight-or-flight responses. While this system provides signals that modulate our wake-sleep states, it also serves to help us respond to the world around us.

What is the thalamus responsible for?

Your thalamus serves as the main relay station for your brain. All motor and sensory signals (except smell) pass through this structure in the center of your brain. Your thalamus is arranged in regions, called nuclei, that each possesses specialization for dealing with that particular information.

What neurotransmitter controls alertness and arousal?

As a neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, norepinephrine increases alertness and arousal, and speeds reaction time. Norepinephrine has been shown to play a role in a person’s mood and ability to concentrate.

Which part of the brainstem is involved in arousal alertness and attention?

the reticular formation
Arousal and attention take place in the brainstem, specifically in the reticular formation.

What does RAS stand for in the brain?

Reticular Activating System
RAS (Reticular Activating System)

What is the cerebellum responsible for?

Maintenance of balance and posture. The cerebellum is important for making postural adjustments in order to maintain balance. Through its input from vestibular receptors and proprioceptors, it modulates commands to motor neurons to compensate for shifts in body position or changes in load upon muscles.

Which structure in the brain is responsible for linking the left and right hemispheres?

the corpus callosum
The two sides of the brain are joined at the bottom by the corpus callosum. The corpus callosum connects the two halves of the brain and delivers messages from one half of the brain to the other.

Can the brain control alertness at a local level?

However, recent studies have shown that sleep-deprived animals can exhibit slow waves in parts of their brain while they are still awake, suggesting that the brain can also control alertness at a local level.

What is the role of the midbrain in sleep and wakefulness?

The midbrain plays a major role in both wakefulness and regulation of homeostasis. The midbrain or mesencephalon is a portion of the central nervous system (CNS) associated with vision, hearing, motor control, sleep and wake cycles, arousal (alertness), and temperature regulation.

Which structure generates pockets of sleep within the brain?

Brain structure generates pockets of sleep within the brain. Images for download on the MIT News office website are made available to non-commercial entities, press and the general public under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives license . You may not alter the images provided, other than to crop them to size.

What is the function of the brainstem Quizlet?

It regulates the central nervous system (CNS) and is pivotal in maintaining consciousness and regulating the sleep cycle. The three components of the brainstem are the medulla oblongata, midbrain, and pons.