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Early brain development

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Your brain started building itself before you were born. Different parts appear early and take on very different jobs.

From neural tube to three regions

Early in pregnancy, the brain develops from a structure called the neural tube.
The front end swells into three main regions: the forebrain, the midbrain and the hindbrain.
These develop before birth (in the pre-natal stage), and the brain keeps growing and making connections after birth.

Forebrain and midbrain

Forebrain: at the front and top of the brain. It develops into the parts responsible for higher order functions such as thinking, planning, language and emotion. The cerebral cortex grows from it.
Midbrain: linked with sensory information (such as seeing and hearing), sleep and simple movement. The forebrain and midbrain overlap in what they do.

Hindbrain, cerebellum and medulla

Hindbrain: at the very back and bottom, directly connected to the spinal cord. It is the oldest part of the brain and controls the most basic functions, such as heart rate and coordination.
Cerebellum: part of the hindbrain. It manages balance and helps us learn motor skills such as crawling, walking, running and hopping.
Medulla: part of the hindbrain. It controls automatic (autonomic) body functions such as breathing, heart rate and blood pressure. These are needed for survival from birth.
Worked example

A baby is learning to walk. Which part of the hindbrain is most involved, and why?

  1. Walking is a motor skill that needs balance and coordination.
  2. The cerebellum manages balance and the learning of motor skills.

Answer: The cerebellum, because it controls balance and helps develop motor skills such as walking.

Key idea

The brain develops from the neural tube into the forebrain (higher thinking), midbrain (senses, sleep, simple movement) and hindbrain (basic functions). The cerebellum controls balance and motor skills; the medulla controls automatic functions like breathing and heart rate.

The interactive lesson includes the diagrams for this topic.

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