1. The brain stem is responsible for many basic functions. It takes in information
from several senses through sensory regions for vision, hearing, taste, balance and
touch in the facial area. It controls involuntary activity of the tongue, the larynx,
the eyes, and the facial muscles through specific motor neurons for these areas. It
controls levels of sleep and arousal through the reticular formation, nestled within
its central core, and it coordinates the motor neurons in the spinal cord that control
such activities as walking, breathing, and the beating of our hearts.