Mesencephalon facts for kids
| Brain: Mesencephalon | ||
|---|---|---|
Quick facts for kids
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| Diagram depicting the main subdivisions of the embryonic vertebrate brain. These regions will later differentiate into forebrain, midbrain and hindbrain structures. | ||
| Latin | mesencephalon | |
| Gray's | subject #188 800 | |
| NeuroNames | hier-445 | |
| MeSH | Mesencephalon | |
The mesencephalon, or midbrain, is a very important part of your brain stem. Think of it as a busy control center. It helps you with many daily activities. The midbrain is involved in your vision and hearing. It also helps you control your body's movements. Plus, it plays a role in your sleep and wake cycles, keeping you alert, and even regulating your body temperature.
Contents
How Your Brain Grows
When animals, including humans, are developing, their brain starts as a simple tube. This tube is called the neural tube. As it grows, the neural tube forms three main "bubbles" or vesicles. The mesencephalon, or midbrain, is the middle one of these bubbles. It then develops into a key part of the brain stem.
What Does the Midbrain Do?
The midbrain has many important jobs.
- Seeing and Hearing: It helps process what you see and hear. This means it helps your brain understand the sights and sounds around you.
- Movement Control: It helps control your body's movements. This includes both big movements, like walking, and small ones, like moving your eyes.
- Sleep and Wake: The midbrain helps regulate when you feel sleepy and when you are awake. It's part of what keeps your internal clock running.
- Alertness: It helps keep you alert and aware of your surroundings.
- Temperature: It even helps your body maintain a healthy temperature.
An Ancient Part of Your Brain
The midbrain is a very old part of the brain, in terms of evolution. This means that its basic design is shared with many other vertebrate animals. Even very ancient creatures have a midbrain that works in a similar way.
A special chemical called Dopamine is made in a part of the midbrain called the substantia nigra. Dopamine is like a messenger in your brain. It helps with things like motivation (what makes you want to do things) and habituation (how you learn to get used to things). This is true for many different species, from humans to insects!
Images for kids
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Principal connections of the tectum
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Ventricular system anatomy showing the cerebral aqueduct, labelled centre right.
See also
In Spanish: Mesencéfalo para niños
