The parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for slowing down the body after a stress response, is part of the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic system helps regulate involuntary functions of our body such as heart rate, internal organ activity, gland secretions, etc. The sympathetic nervous system is also part of the autonomic system. Alternatively, the somatic nervous system controls our voluntary muscle movements and our central nervous system only refers to the brain and spinal cord.

The limbic system is primarily located in the forebrain. Key structures of the limbic system include the hypothalamus (which moderates biological needs, such as hunger), hippocampus (which stores long-term memory), and the amygdala (which plays a role in emotional associations). The primary purposes of the limbic system are to store memories, moderate survival behaviors, and generate emotional responses. It plays a key role in biological motivations by determining such responses as hunger, sex drive, and fear.

The medulla oblongata is located in the hindbrain and brain stem. Its key purpose is to facilitate functions of the autonomic nervous system, initiating such things as respiration, heart beat, and blood pressure. It is not considered part of the limbic system.

The parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS) is responsible for activating "rest and digest" and returning the body to equilibrium after a fight or flight response. This is opposed to the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) that is involved in the "fight or flight" response. They are both branches of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) which involuntarily regulates function of internal organs.

The temporal lobe is one of the four major lobes of the brain, located on the sides of the brain behind the temples and ears. This lobe of the cerebrum houses the auditory cortex, which processes sound.

Vision is processed in the occipital lobe, located in the back of the brain. Balance is maintained by a variety of sensorimotor systems in the vestibular system, located in the inner ear. Smell is processed in the olfactory bulb, which is located in the frontal cortex of the brain.

The occipital lobe is responsible for vision. The rest of the answers are functions that belong to different parts of the brain. For instance, auditory information processing belongs to the temporal lobe, while higher-order cognitive processes tend to be done by the frontal lobe. The medulla is responsible for habitual, automatic behaviors, and the cerebellum is responsible for coordination of motor movements and regulatory functions.

Alcohol is a depressant that suppresses the secretion of excitatory neurotransmitters like glutamate, while increasing the production of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA. At the same time, it increases the release of dopamine to the nucleus accumbens, creating a pleasure sensation.

Varolio, a 16th-century anatomist and lecturer, was likely the first anatomist to study the brain from the bottom upwards, instead of the traditional top-down approach used by anatomists until that time. He also correctly theorized the pons as being vital in communication between the brain and spinal cord.

The "cerebral cortex" is the large, folded exterior portion of the cerebrum that contains the different lobes of the brain. This structure is responsible for memory, perception, and consciousness—among other things. The fornix and the amygdala are part of the limbic system and do not play a large role in higher level thought. Additionally, the corpus callosum is anatomically defined simply as the connections between the two hemispheres of the brain.

The ventromedial hypothalamus controls feelings of hunger.

The thalamus relays sensory and motor signals to the cerebral cortex and regulates conciousness, sleep, and alertness. The frontal lobe carries out higher mental processes such as thinking, decision-making, and planning. The brain stem is the part of the brain that is connected to the spinal cord and controls the flow of messages between the brain and the rest of the body, as well as basic body functions.

The hindbrain is the division of the brain containing the pons, medulla, and cerebellum, which are together largely responsible for autonomous processes of the body, such as breathing, blood pressure, heart rate, and body temperature.