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Lesson: Chapter 6 — Human body processes

6.5. Co-ordination and the nervous system 4 of 5

The brain

The brain weighs about 1/50 of the body weight but controls the whole body.

Figure to be added

Figure — the human brain from the side: the large folded cerebrum, the cerebellum at the back below it, and the medulla oblongata leading into the spinal cord.

Cerebrum

The largest part: thinking, memory, intelligence, the senses and voluntary movement.

Cerebellum

Balance, and smooth, co-ordinated muscle movement.

Medulla oblongata

Involuntary actions: heartbeat, breathing, blood pressure, swallowing, coughing and sneezing.

The hypothalamus, at the base of the brain, controls body temperature, thirst and hunger, and links the nervous system with the hormones.