Brain
Orientation
- Left and right divided by corpus callosum, which can be thought of as the midline.
- Away from midline is lateral; toward midline is medial.
- Proximal means closer; distal means farther
- rostral/anterior = forehead; caudal/posterior = back of head
- dorsal/superior = top; ventral/inferior = bottom
- http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/kinser/BrainInfo.html
Parts
- forebrain
- cerebrum (cerebral cortex)
- gigantic crumpled sheet of tissue on the outside (surface area 1/4 sq meter)
- folds are sulci; bulges are gyri
- divided into four lobes:
- frontal - reasoning
- parietal - recognition, perception, orientation (separated from frontal by central sulcus)
- occipetal - vision
- temporal - memory, language (separated from parietal and frontal by Sylvan fissure)
- cerebrum (cerebral cortex)
- midbrain
- thalamus - relays motor inputs to cerebrum
- hypothalamus - regulates homeostasis, reflexes
- hindbrain
- cerebellum
- a small, evolutionarily old cortex behind the brain stem
- coordinates basic motor function and cardiopulmonary activity
- pons
- medulla
- cerebellum
Other systems
- limbic system
- comprises thalamus, hypothalamus, amygdala, hippocampus
- emotional behavior
- brain stem
- comprises pons, medualla