Cerebellum (Nursing)

00:01 So the next structure in the brain is going to be the cerebellum.

00:05 Recall that the cerebellum occupies the inferior and posterior aspect of the cranial cavity.

00:13 The cerebellum, like the cerebrum which we'll talk about shortly, has 2 hemispheres that are separated by an enlargement known as the central vermis.

00:25 The cerebellum is going to govern subconscious muscle movements.

00:31 So for example, when you go for a walk, you may not even realize but your arms swing back and forth as you're walking.

00:41 These are subconscious muscle movements that you're not actively thinking about as you're walking but they involve your voluntary skeletal muscles.

00:52 In the cerebellum, there are 3 peduncles.

00:56 We have the superior, inferior, and middle peduncles.

01:01 These are important for attachment of the cerebellum to the brainstem.

01:07 Also in the cerebellum, we have the flocculonodular lobe.

01:13 This lobe is important for helping the body maintain equilibrium and balance.

01:20 The cerebellum can be further divided into its gray and its white matter.

01:28 The cerebellar cortex or the outside of the cerebellum, is made up of gray matter.

01:35 The inner portion of the cerebellum is made up of white matter and as I said earlier, is referred to as the arbor vitae because of its tree-like shape.

01:48 The functions of the cerebellum include coordination of skeletal muscle contractions and also in maintaining normal muscle tone which allows for our muscles to always kind of have a little bit of contraction so they're not flaccid which is important for things like posture and being able to stand or sit up straight and also for balance.