Neuroscience - Brain Anatomy

Lateral Ventricle

1 for each hemisphere: The two largest in the cerebrum.

Cingulated Gyrus

A band of cerebral cortex that extends above the corpus collosum in the anterior-posterior direction and spans both the frontal and parietal lobes.

Corpus Callosum

A fibre system composed of axons that connect the cortex of the two hemispheres.

Tegmentum

A part of the midbrain that includes parts of reticular formation and is involved with many functions related to movement and arousal as well as the experience of pleasure and reward.

Tectum

A part of the midbrain that is involved in vision and hearing. s a region of the brain, specifically the dorsal part of the midbrain (mesencephalon). This is contrasted with the tegmentum, which refers to the region ventral to the ventricular system. The _____ is responsible for auditory and visual reflexes.

Sagittal Section

A section from front to back (Rostral to Caudal)(Anterior to Posterior)

Midsagittal or Medial Section

A section from front to back, directly through the middle of the brain.

Coronal Section

A section made from the top to bottom of the brain through the middle.

Lateral Section

A section of the brain from front to back that it slightly off to the side.

Axial, Transverse or Horizontal Section

A section that separates the dorsal and ventral.

The Basal Ganglia

A set of structures including 'putamen' and 'caudate nucleus' that's located near the thalamus and hypothalamus. It's involved in many functions, particularly movement and judgements that require minimal conscious thought. Damage to these structures can affect posture and muscle tone or cause abnormal movements (implicated in Parkinson's disease) and also lead to emotional, social and cognitive impairments. Is damaged in Parkinson's Disease. has the primary role in action selection and is responsible for voluntary movement, procedural learning relating to routine behaviours and eye movement. A collection of nuclie bilaterally located deep in the brain beneath the anterior portion of the later ventricles, near the thalamus.

Median Eminence

An area bordering the pituitary gland, releasing peptides into the circulatory system of the anterior pituitary gland.

Telencephalon

An area that includes the cerebral cortex, the limbic system and the basal ganglia.

White Matter

Axons and glial cells forming tracts inter-connecting the brain.

The Hindbrain

Consists of Medulla Oblongata, Cerebellum, Reticular Formation and Pons and links the brainstem to the spinal cord. It sustains life by controlling the supply of blood and air to the cells in the body, and regulates arousal level. is a developmental categorization of portions of the central nervous system in vertebrates. It includes the medulla, pons, and cerebellum. Together they support vital bodily processes.

Internal Capsule

Contains ascending and descending axons running btw the cerebral cortex, the medulla and the spinal cord.

Dorsal Horn

Contains sensory neurons and interneurons. The interneurons project to motor neurons on the same and opposite sides of the spinal cord to aid in the coordination of limb movements.

Central Sulcus

Divides the frontal lobe from the parietal lobe

Pituitary Gland

Found at the base of the and controlled by the hypothalamus. This area helps maintain the normal state of the body.

Hypothalamus

Helps to regulate eating, sleeping, sexual activity and emotional experience (regulating emotions and drives). It works closely with the pituitary gland and provides a key link between the nervous and endocrine systems. Homeostasis (keeping vital processes within a fairly narrow range) is an important function of this region. Is the main link btw the nervous system and the endocrine system and is the main site for hormone production and control. Found at the floor of the third ventricle.

Pulvinar Nucleus

Involved in attention and in integrative functions involving multiple cortical areas. Part of the thalamus.

Red Nucleus

Involved in certain aspects of motor coordination. Swinging your arms to help you walk.

The Somatosensory Cortex

Is located in the parietal lobes and is responsible for touch, pain, temp and limb proprioception.

Central Canal

Is surrounded by grey matter, it is an anatomical extension of the ventricles in the brain and contains CSF

The Cerebral Cortex

It consists of a 3mm thick layer of densely packed interneurons that folds and wrinkles (this allows a larger area of cortical cells to fit in a compact region). It performs three main functions: it allows a flexible construction of sequences of voluntary movements (changing a tyre, playing the piano), permits subtle discriminations among complex sensory patterns (distinguishing words like gene and gem) and makes symbolic thinking possible. Made up of large sheets of tissue of mostly layered neruons, draped and folded over the two symmetrical hemispheres.

The Midbrain

It consists of the tectum and tegmentum. These structures play an important role in learning to produce behaviours that minimise unpleasant consequences and maximise rewards. Lies superior to the pons and can only be seen in a medial view. Surrounds the cerebral aquaduct which connects the third and fourth ventricles. Consists of the tectum and tegentum and large fibre tracts pass through these ventral regions. Contains some cranial nerve ganglia and the superior and inferior colliculus.

Reticular Formation

It is a network of neurons that extend from the lowest parts of the medulla to the upper end of the midbrain. It's major functions are to maintain consciousness, to regulate arousal levels and to modulate activity of neurons throughout the Central Nervous System. It also helps higher brain centres to integrate information from different neural pathways by calling attention to their simultaneous activation. It can affect sleep patterns and the ability to be alert or attentive. Damage to this section is a major cause of a coma.

Lateral Sulcus

It is the name given to the deepest and largest indentation of the cortical sulci. It is one of the group of sulci and a most prominent brain section. It first arises around the 14th gestational week.

Medula Oblongata

It links the spinal cord to the brain and controls vital physiological functions like heartbeat, circulation and respiration.

The Hippocampus

It's important for storing new information in the memory. Located on the ventromedial aspect of the temporal lobe and is apart of the limbic system. receives inputs from wide regions of the cortex vie inputs from the surrounding regions of the temporal lobes and sends projections out the subcortical targets. Involved with learning and memory.

The Forebrain

It's involved in complex sensory, emotional and cognitive behavioural processes and consists of the hypothalamus, thalamus, and the cerebrum. also called prosencephalon, region of the developing vertebrate brain; it includes the telencephalon, which contains the cerebral hemispheres, and, under these, the diencephalon, which contains the thalamus, hypothalamus, epithalamus, and subthalamus. The _______ plays a central role in the processing of information related to complex cognitive activities, sensory and associative functions, and voluntary motor activities.

Pons

Links medulla oblongata and cerebellum with the upper portion of the brainstem. It's involved in respiration, movement, sleep, waking and dreaming, the main connection btw the brain and the cerebellum, sits anterior to the medulla. Many cranial nerves synapse here including the face, mouth and eyes. Key in REM sleep.

Insula

Located between the temporal and frontal lobe and is an island of folded cortex hidden deep in the lateral sulcus. divided into the larger anterior insula and the smaller posterior insula.

Motor Cortex

M1, is one of the principal brain areas involved in motor function. M1 is located in the frontal lobe of the brain, along a bump called the precentral gyrus (figure 1a). The role of the primary ____ ____ is to generate neural impulses that control the execution of movement.

The Brain Stem

Made up of the Medulla, the Pons and Cerebellum and the Midbrain. These sections form the CNS btw the spinal cord and the diencephalon. Contains groups of motor and sensory nuclei, nuclei of widespread modulatory neurotransmitter systems and white matter tracts of ascending sensory information and descending motor signals. Damage to this area is life threatening as this region controls respiration and states of consciousness

Diencephalon

Made up of the thalamus and hypothalamus, pineal gland, massa intermedia, corpus callosum, fornix, anterior commissure

Cerebellar Cortex

Most of the fibres from the cerebellum project here, conveying information about motor outputs and sensory inputs describing body position.

Grey Matter

Neurons arranged in layers forming a sheet of tissue. Has a Dorsal and Ventral Horn

Thalamus

One of its' most important functions is processing sensory information as it arrives and transmits information to higher brain centres. It's 'switch board' function is to route messages to appropriate structures and to filter (highlighting/de-emphasising) them. Located at the centre of the brain and atop the brainstem. Divided into two hemispheres. They are connected in most people by a bridge of grey matter called the Massa Intermedia. With the exception of some olfactory inputs, all of the sensory modalities make synapse here before continuing to the primary sensory receiving areas. Also involved in relaying primary sensory information as well as receiving inputs form the basal ganglia, cerebellum, neocortex and medial temporal lobe and then projects back to these structures to create circuits. Divided into several nuclei.

Prefrontal Cortex

Only found in mammals, the youngest part of the brain. Damage to this area resulting in impaired decision making

Ventral Posterior (Medial & Lateral) Nuclei

Part of the Thalamus. Somatosensory information projects via this ear to the primary somatosensory cortex.

Medial Geniculate Nucleus

Part of the thalamus. Receives information from the inner ear, via other brainstem nuclei in the ascending auditory pathway and sends axons to the primary auditory cortex.

Superior Colliculus

Plays a role in perceiving objects in the periphery and orientation our gaze towards them, bringing them into sharper view.

Lateral Geniculate Nucleus

Receives information from the ganglion cells of the retina and sends axons to the primary visual cortex. Part of the thalamus.

The Septal Area

Recent research has linked this area with responses to environmental stressors (like maternal defence). It has distinct yet related functions.

Nucleus

Relatively compact arrangement of nerve cell bodies and their connections.

Vertebrae

Separate bone structure that extents from the base of the skull to the fused vertebrae at the tailbone.

Sylvian (Lateral) Fissure

Separates the temporal lobe from the frontal lobes.

The Spinal Cord

Takes sensory information form the body's peripheral sensory receptors, relays it to the brain and conducts the final motor signals from the brain to the muscles. Has 31 segments. Each segment has a left and right spinal nerve that enters and exits through foramen.

Cerebellum

The 'little cerebrum' is involved in coordinating smooth, well sequenced movements, maintaining balance and posture and other cognitive and sensory processes like learning to associate one stimulus with another. Little brain than clings to the base of the brain stem, home to the most of the brain's neurons. It is an continuous layer of tightly folded neural tissue. Massive input and output fibre tacts. Many subdivisions: The cerebellar cortex, four pairs of deep nuclei and inter white matter. Is vital in body position but integrating information about size and speed. Damage to this area results in impairment in movement and balance.

The Temporal Lobes

The ____ lobes are important in audition (hearing) and language. The primary cortex receives sensory information from the ears, and the association cortex breaks the flow of sound into words. The left hemisphere consists of Wernicke's area which is important in language comprehension. These lobes have multiple sections that serve different functions (regions towards the back responds to concrete visual features of objects like colour and shape, regions towards the front respond to more abstract knowledge like memory for objects, meaning of the concept of 'democracy') Involved speech comprehension, auditory perception and explicit memory.

Ventral (Inferior)

The belly or underneath.

Vertebral Column

The bony structure enclosing the spine. Has sections: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral and coccygeal.

Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF)

The brain is immersed in _____ ____, allowing it to float to help offset the pressure that would be present if the brain were sitting on the base of the skull. Reduces shock to the brain and spinal cord from rapid accelerations or decelerations. Formed by an ultra filtrate of blood plasma

Medulla

The brainstems most posterior portion, with is continuous with the spinal cord. Houses cell bodies of many of the 12 cranial nerves. Controls functions such as respiration, heart rate and arousal. Ascending somatosensory information passes through the _____ via two bilateral nuclear groups, Gracile and Cuneate Nuclei. These systems continue through the ___ ___ to synapse in the thalamus en route to the somatosensory cortex.

Gyri

The crowns of the folded tissue that one observes when viewing the surface.

Cauda Equina

The first spinal vertebrae.

Sulci

The foldings in the brain, valleys

Rostral (Anterior)

The front end of the brain. Towards the frontal lobe

Contralateral

The opposite side

Neocortex

The portion of the cortex that typically contains six main cortical layers and has a high degree of specialisation of neural organisation. Composed of areas like the primary sensory and motor cortex and association cortex, newest cortex.

Visual Cortex

The region of the cerebral cortex occupying the entire surface of the occipital lobe and receiving the visual data from the lateral geniculate body of the thalamus

Ipsilateral

The same side

Caudal (Posterior)

The tail end. Towards the occipital lobe.

Dorsal (Superior)

The top or back

Mammillary Bodies

The two small bumps on the surface of the brain, the small collection of nuclei and fibre tracks contained in the hypothalamus. It receives input from the limbic system structures and other brain areas. Also involved in the control on the circadian rhythms with inputs from the mesencephalic reticular formation, amygdala and the retina.

Association Cortex

The volume of the neocortex that is not strictly sensory or motor but receives inputs from multiple sensorimotor modalities.

The Frontal Lobes

These lobes are involved in movement, attention, planning, social skills, abstract thinking, memory and some aspects of personality. It's primary zone is called the motor cortex which projects to the basal ganglia, cerebellum, and spinal cord initiating voluntary movement. The association cortex is involved in planning and putting together sequences of behaviour. The left ____ lobe is involved language (Broca's area - specialised for movements of the mouth and tongue necessary for speech production and plays a pivotal role in the use and understanding of grammar. The mass of cortex anterior to the central sulcus and dorsal to the Sylvain fissure. Contains two principle regions, the motor and the prefrontal cortex. serves to regulate and mediate the higher intellectual functions. The ____ ____are important for controlling thoughts, reasoning, and behaviours.

The Parietal Lobes

These lobes are involved in the sense of touch, detecting movement in the environment, locating objects in space and experiencing one's own body when moving though space. It's primary area is called the somatosensory cortex and lies directly behind the central fissure. The posterior regions are particularly involved in complex visual processing. A cortical lobe located posterior to the central sulcus, anterior to the occipital lobe and superior to the posterior temporal cortex. The regions contains a variety of neurons including the somatosensory cortex, gustatory cortex and parietal association cortex. Which includes regions involved in visuomotor orienting, attention an representation of space.

Amygdala

This almond shaped region is involved in many emotional processes, especially learning and remembering emotionally significant events. It's also important in fear responses and involved in recognising emotion, particularly fearful emotion, in other people. A group of neurons anterior to the hippocampus, along with the orbitofrontal cortex and parts of the basal ganglia. Involved with fear

The Limbic System

This is a set of structures involving emotion, motivation, learning and memory. It includes the septal area, the amygdala and the hippocampus. It appears to be involved with some forms of emotionally significant learning. Early research linked it to experiencing pleasure. Supports olfaction. Includes the hippocampus, amygdala, anterior thalamic nuclei, septum, mammillary bodies and the fornix

Occipital Lobes

This lobe is specialised for vision. It's primary areas receive visual input from the thalamus (that receives information from receptors in retina). The associated areas organise the simple characteristics into more complex maps of features of objects and their position in space. Bounded by the parietal and temporal lobes. the visual processing center of the mammalian brain containing most of the anatomical region of the visual cortex. The primary visual cortex is Brodmann area 17, commonly called V1 (visual one).

Corticospinal Motor Axons.

Tightly packed axons in a pyramid-shaped bundle (Pyramidal tract), cross here to from the pyramidal decussation. Thus, the motor neurons originating in the right hemisphere cross to control muscles on the left side of the body and visa versa.

Inferior Colliculus

Used to locate and orient towards auditory stimuli.

DURA MATER.

a lining of very tough connective tissue that surrounds the brain and spinal cord.

Post-central Gyrus

a prominent gyrus in the lateral parietal lobe of the human brain. It is the location of the primary somatosensory cortex, the main sensory receptive area for the sense of touch.

Peptides

a short chain of amino acids. ... Proteins can be digested by enzymes (other proteins) into short ______fragments. Among cells,_______ can perform biological functions. For example, some ______ act as hormones, which are molecules that when released from cells affect other areas of the body.

Spinal Nerve

has sensory and motor axons. The sensory input goes through the dorsal root into the spinal cord and the other neurons carries motor output through the ventral root away from the brain.

Superior Olive

is a collection of brainstem nuclei that functions in multiple aspects of hearing and is an important component of the ascending and descending auditory pathways of the auditory system.

Parahippocampal Gyrus

is a grey matter cortical region of the brain that surrounds the hippocampus and is part of the limbic system. This region plays an important role in memory encoding and retrieval

Pre-central Gyrus

is a prominent structure on the surface of the posterior frontal lobe. It is the site of the primary motor cortex (Brodmann area 4).

Third Ventricle

is in the diencephalon of the forebrain between the right and left thalamus.

Great Longitudinal Fissure

is the deep groove that separates the two hemispheres of the vertebrate brain.

Fornix

joins the hippocampus and mammillary bodies, structures in the base of the brain that are involved in memory formation and recall. It is part of the limbic system

Fourth Ventricle

located at the back of the pons and upper half of the medulla oblongata of the brainstem.

Deep Nuclei

the output from the cerebellum originates from herer, ascending output travels to the thalamus and then to the motor and premotor cortex.

Cytoarchitectonics

the way in which cells differ between brain regions.