The Forebrain

1. The Forebrain

2. The forebrain is at the front of the brain. It is especially large in mammals. The structures in the forebrain include the limbic system, the thalamus, the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland, the basal ganglia, the hippocampus, the ventricles (containing cerebrospinal fluid) and the meninges .

3. The limbic system is composed of several structures and all of these together are important for such behaviors and responses as motivation, emotions, eating, drinking, anxiety, and aggression. Some of these structures will be discussed in more detail below, including the hypothalamus and the hippocampus.

4. The thalamus receives most sensory information before that information goes to the brain and acts as a relay for this information. The brain will then send the sensory information it processes back to the thalamus, where the thalamus helps focus attention on particular stimuli.

5. The hypothalamus sends messages to the pituitary gland (described below) and changes the pituitary gland’s release of hormones. The hypothalamus is responsible for eating, drinking, temperature regulation, fighting, and activity level, and other behaviors as well.

6. The pituitary gland is responsible for making hormones and for release these into the bloodstream. These hormones help control eating behavior and stress, among other things. The basal ganglia is also a group of structures. Among the roles of the basal ganglia is in planning a sequence of behavior and also for some types of memory and emotional expression. The hippocampus is important for storing certain types of memories, though it isn’t responsible for all memories. However, it does seem most responsible for storing new memories.

7. The ventricles are fluid-filled spaces in the brain. The ventricles contain cerebrospinal fluid. Cerebrospinal fluid cushions the brain when the head moves, provides buoyancy that helps support the weight of the brain, and contains hormones and nutrition for the brain. Meninges are membranes that surrounds the brain and spinal cord.