Cerebellum

Little Bain

Credit: Alan Hoffring/National Cancer Institute

In Latin, the word cerebellum means little brain. The cerebellum is the portion of the brain that is responsible for the coordination of movement, balance, equilibrium and muscle tone. It is located just above the brainstem, beneath the occipital lobes at the base of the skull. Similar to the cerebral cortex, the cerebellum is comprised of white matter and a thin, outer layer of densely folded gray matter. The folded bulges add to its surface area and therefore increase the quantity of information that can be processed.

The cerebellum controls movement by processing and coordinating sensory input. The information is then sent to the motor nerves in order to produce fine motor movements. The cerebellum also calculates and corrects informational discrepancies in order to produce the desired movement. Whenever we perform a physical task, the cerebellum records the information so that we don't forget how to walk, run, or ride a bike.