When we say someone has a quick mind, it may be in part thanks to our expanded cerebellum that distinguishes human brains from those of macaque monkeys, for example.
Sometimes referred to by its Latin translation as the “little brain,” the cerebellum is located close to the brainstem and sits under the cortex in the hindbrain. New research at San Diego State University, however, calls the “little” terminology into question.
The cerebellum plays a versatile role, contributing to our five senses as well as pain, movements, thought, and emotion.
It’s essentially a flat sheet with the thickness of a crepe, crinkled into hundreds of folds to make it fit into a compact volume about one-eighth the volume of the cerebral cortex. For this reason, the surface area of the cerebellum was thought to be considerably smaller than that of the cerebral cortex.
Read more at San Diego State University
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