Red nucleus - definition

nucleus in the midbrain that is thought to be involved in movement along with a number of other functions. The red nucleus plays a diminished role in humans due in part to the development of other movement-related structures like the corticospinal tract, and its functions in humans are poorly understood in general.

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Know Your Brain: Red Nucleus

The red nuclei are colored red in this cross-section of the midbrain.

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YOUR BRAIN, EXPLAINED

Sleep. Memory. Pleasure. Fear. Language. We experience these things every day, but how do our brains create them? Your Brain, Explained is a personal tour around your gray matter. Building on neuroscientist Marc Dingman’s popular YouTube series, 2-Minute Neuroscience, this is a friendly, engaging introduction to the human brain and its quirks using real-life examples and Dingman’s own, hand-drawn illustrations.

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This book shows a whole other side of how brains work by examining the most unusual behavior to emerge from the human brain. In it, you'll meet a woman who is afraid to take a shower because she fears her body will slip down the drain, a man who is convinced he is a cat, a woman who compulsively snacks on cigarette ashes, and many other unusual cases. As uncommon as they are, each of these cases has something important to teach us about everyday brain function.

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