THE BRAIN

The Brain Stem

The brain stem, consisting of the mid brain, the pons and the medulla oblongata, connects the brain and the spinal cord and acts as a pathway for information being transmitted between the brain and the body. It is also the control centre for the most basic of bodily functions such as blood pressure, heart rate and breathing. All but two of the cranial nerves arise in the brain stem. The anatomical area where the pons meets the cerebellum is known as the cerebellopontine angle.