The Triune Brain

Description

The Triune Brain

Paul MacLean, the former director of the Laboratory of the Brain and Behavior at the United StatesNational Institute of Mental Health, developed a model of the brain based on its evolutionary development. It is referred to as the "triune brain theory" because MacLean suggests that the human brain is actually three brains in one. Each of the layers or "brains" were established successively in response to evolutionary need. The three layers are the reptilian system, or R-complex , the limbic system , and the neocortex . Each layer is geared toward separate functions of the brain, but all three layers interact substantially. The Reptilian Complex

The R-complex consists of the brain stem and the cerebellum. Its purpose is closely related to actual physical survival and maintenance of the body. The cerebellum orchestrates movement. Digestion, reproduction, circulation, breathing, and the execution of the "fight or flight" response in stress are all housed in the brain stem. Because the reptilian brain is primarily concerned with physical survival, the behaviors it governs have much in common with the survival behaviors of animals. It plays a crucial role in establishing home territory, reproduction and social dominance. The overriding characteristics of R-complex ...

Original URL

http://www.buffalostate.edu/orgs/bcp/brainbasics/triune.html

http://www.buffalostate.edu/orgs/bcp/brainbasics/triune.html