The Limbic System

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The brain is the ultimate meaning of life over death. Your heart can still be beating, but if you do not have brain activity you are not experiencing any of the pleasures or even the dullness of everyday life. The brainstem, limbic system, and the cerebral cortex are the most important structures within the brain. The brainstem provides the ability for a person to survive from moment to moment through the breathing process and maintaining the consciousness. The structures of the brain stem are the medulla, pons, cerebellum, the reticular formation, and the thalamus. The structure that surrounds the thalamus is called the limbic system. This specific system is “a group of brain structures that, through their influence on emotion, motivation, and memory, promote the survival of the individual and, as a result, the continuation of a species” (Sdorow, et.al. …show more content…
Limbic comes from the Latin origin meaning “border” which suggests that the structures from the limbic system form a border between the upper and lower portions of the brain. The limbic systems main function is to promote survival of the species and to lead to reproduction. The last structure which is considered the crowning achievement of the brains evolution is the cerebral cortex which is the outer and protective layer of the brain. The outer layer, called the cerebrum, is the thin 3mm layer on the upmost layer of the brain. This specific structure has been evolved through convolutions which are folds in the cerebrum. It also divides the brain into right and left cerebral hemispheres. This structure aids in everyday activities such as recognizing objects whether they are near or far, interacting with people who are around us, and solving problems that can surface during

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