brainstem

Everyday

The bottom part of the brain that joins it to the spinal cord and controls automatic actions like breathing, heartbeat, swallowing and sleeping. tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons on the nervous system, the brain has three main parts: the cerebrum (thinking), the cerebellum (balance) and the brainstem (life-keeping automatic jobs). It tells the reader about things the body does without us thinking. In safety lessons, it shows why helmets protect the head and neck.

Examples

• The brainstem controls your breathing even when you sleep. tree →
• Messages travel through the brainstem to the spinal cord. tree →
• The brainstem keeps your heart beating. tree →
• Our model brain had a brainstem at the bottom. tree →
• You do not have to think to breathe; your brainstem does it. tree →
• The brainstem connects the brain to the rest of the body. tree →

Note

Usually «the brainstem»; also spelt «brain stem». Countable but mostly used in the singular. It is not a separate brain; it is part of the brain.