The Brainstem and the Size of the Universe

This week, we learned about all the different parts and functions of the brain. The most basic part of the brain, the brainstem, is what I would like to focus on. The brainstem controls all of a human's vital functions like heartbeat and respiration. It lies at the top of the spinal cord and at the bottom of the brain. The medulla is the bottom of the brainstem and controls breathing and heartbeat. It also serves as the nerve crossing site that allows for contralateral communication between the brain and the body. The pons lies just above the medulla. It regulates breathing, blood flow, sleeping, dreaming, kinesthetics, and serves as a bridge between the two sides of the cerebellum. The reticular formation is contained in strands inside the medulla and pons. It regulates sleep and arousal.

So why does this matter to me or to anyone? The brainstem is what keeps people and animals alive. For example, were someone to be pronounced brain dead, their brainstem would still be functioning. This truth makes my father's job so much more difficult and sad. For those who don't know, my father is a neuro-oncologist at St. Jude. Interestingly enough, he specializes in cancer in the pons. Unfortunately, since this cancer is in the life center of the brain, it is virtually inoperable and incurable. My father's clinical research is done in an attempt to prolong the life expectancy of children with this deadly disease. At this point, some of his patients have survived a few years past diagnosis. In those children, what often happens is that the treatment used to fight the cancer cause cognitive deficiencies and reduced intelligence.

Why am I bothering to tell you all this? If you look at the relative size of a human being compared to the size of the world or even the universe, you will see that humans don't even account for a microscopic speck in the universe. The same sort of analogy can be applied to the body. The brainstem is a tiny part of a relatively small organ that LITERALLY CONTROLS WHETHER YOU LIVE OR DIE. How cool is that?

No, you are not the center of the universe...but the brainstem keeps you alive.