Contained within the hindbrain, the medulla regulates the automatic processes of the autonomic nervous system, such as breathing, blood pressure, and heart rate. Along with the pons and other structures, it forms the brainstem, which spans both the midbrain and the hindbrain.

Medulla

Deriving its name from the Latin word for 'bridge,' the pons is a hindbrain structure that connects the hindbrain with other brain regions. It also plays a role in managing brain activity levels during sleep.

Pons

The cerebellum, a hindbrain structure known as the 'little brain,' governs balance, coordination, and motor skills. It also plays a critical role in processing and storing implicit memories. This includes procedural memory for tasks, motor learning, and classical conditioning. Consequently, damage to the cerebellum can impair the ability to learn conditioned responses.

Cerebellum

A patient is brought to the emergency room after a fall. While their breathing and heart rate are stable, they are unable to walk in a straight line and have great difficulty performing coordinated actions like touching their finger to their nose. This loss of balance and motor coordination suggests damage to which part of the hindbrain?

The parts of the hindbrain include:

- Medulla
- Pons
- Cerebellum

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New Mexico Highlands University

The hindbrain is the part of the brain located at the back of the head and looks like an continuation of the spinal cord. The hindbrain contains the medulla, pons, and cerebellum.

Hindbrain

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

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