Use the following example to discuss information flow through the lower and middle brain structures.

Use the following example to discuss information flow through the lower and middle brain structures.

Andrew, a 25–year-old graduate student, is lying quietly outside on his porch sunning himself, and he has fallen into a light sleep. A large black bumblebee bumps into his lower left leg, waking him. Describe the brain structures involved in:

·     waking him (the RAS)

·     processing the information about the bee (the thalamus),

·     generating a “fight or flight” response (the hypothalamus and amygdala),

·     allowing him to simultaneously shoo the bee away while moving his leg out of apparent danger (the cerebellum)

·     sending a message to his somatosensory cortex and frontal lobes for conscious processing

Note: Do not discuss processing in the cortex.