BOY BORN WITHOUT CEREBELLUM AND PONS

This 3 year old boy,Chase Britton has no cerebellum and no pons as well!!! But he can breathe, walk and carry out most of the functions these parts of the brain control or are thought to control. Doctors and scientists are baffled!

WHAT IS THE CEREBELLUM?
In Latin, the word cerebellum means little brain. The cerebellum is the area of the hindbrain that controls motor movement coordination, balance, equilibrium and muscle tone. It may also be involved in some cognitive functions such as attention and language, and in regulating fear and pleasure responses,but its movement-related functions are the most solidly established. The cerebellum does not initiate movement, but it contributes to coordination, precision, and accurate timing. It receives input from sensory systems of the spinal cord and from other parts of the brain, and integrates these inputs to fine tune motor activity. Cerebellar damage does not cause paralysis, but instead produces disorders in fine movement, equilibrium, posture, and motor learning.

WHAT IS THE PONS?
It is the part of the brain (Brainstem) that links the medulla oblongata and the thalamus.The pons contains nuclei that relay signals from the forebrain to the cerebellum, along with nuclei that deal primarily with sleep, respiration, swallowing, bladder control, hearing, equilibrium, taste, eye movement, facial expressions, facial sensation, and posture.

You can watch the video about him on this link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCisaP09yFU

HOW IS HE STILL ALIVE AND FUNCTIONING?