Introduction

to Neuroanatomy: Structure and Function (21:120:404)

Instructor: Tracy Tran, PhD

LAB2: ANATOMY AND DISSECTION OF THE SHEEP BRAIN

Turn in your Lab1 Write-up NOW!

Objectives:
1. Define the major coordinates of the sheep brain and spinal cord as used in
science and medicine
2. Identify major brain regions in the intact brain, half brain, brainstem and spinal
cord
3. Compare sheep and human brains

Materials:
1. Display models
2. Digital images
3. Whole and half sheep brains (without dura or blood vessels; one brain per group)

The necessary dissection tools will be provide for each group

Procedure:
1. Place a dissecting tray on your lab bench, and your TA will give you a whole
sheep brain. Wear a pair of gloves and always view and keep the sheep brain
on the tray. Observe the whole sheep brain. Determine the planes/axes.

Axes of the brain

• Anterior (rostral) – Posterior (caudal)
• Dorsal – Ventral
lateral
Sagittal plane
coronal plane

medial

lateral
anterior posterior

Fig. 1: Dorsal view of a sheep brain

Introduction to Neuroanatomy: Structure and Function (21:120:404)
Instructor: Tracy Tran, PhD

Dorsal

horizontal plane

Ventral
Anterior Posterior

Fig. 2: Lateral view of a sheep brain

These terms are not only used for the whole brain; they are also used for various views
of specific structures (e.g., medial thalamus, caudal midbrain, etc.).

Brains can be sectioned in different orientations to view internal structures:

Examples:
Coronal sections
Sagittal sections
Horizontal sections

2. Observe the whole sheep brain in three views (dorsal, lateral, ventral) and
identify the structures listed.

Dorsal view
• Cerebral cortex
o Frontal lobe
o Parietal lobe
o Occipital lobe
• Interhemispheric fissure (medial longitudinal fissure)
• Cerebeullum (vermis)
• Cerebellum (hemispheres)
• Medulla

You will see that the cerebral cortex is divided into right and left hemispheres by the
interhemispheric fissure. Similar to humans, the cerebral cortex is folded containing the
gyri and sulci.

As you look posteriorly, there is the cerebellum (vermis and hemispheres), and the
medulla (maybe even the most anterior part of the spinal cord).
Introduction to Neuroanatomy: Structure and Function (21:120:404)
Instructor: Tracy Tran, PhD
Posterior view
• Occipital lobe
• Cerebellum
o Vermis (medial)
o Hemispheres (on each side of the vermis)
• Medulla

Located caudal to the cerebral cortex you will find the cerebellum consists of medially
placed vermis and the laterally placed hemispheres. You should also find the medulla,
which is located caudally to the pons and the cerebellum.

Lateral view
• Lobes of the cerebral cortex:
o Frontal lobe
o Temporal lobe
o Parietal lobe
o Occipital lobe
o (limbic lobe or insula: not visible)
o Lateral (Sylvian) fissure
• Other structures:
o Cerebellum (vermis)
o Cerebellum hemisphere
o Pons
o Medulla
o Olfactory tract (depends on the model or image)
o Optic nerve (depends on the model or image)
o Trigeminal nerve (depends on the model or image)

On lateral view (side view), find the four lobes of the cerebral cortex (frontal, parietal,
temporal and occipital). Caudal to the cerebral cortex, you should see the cerebellum
(vermis in the middle and one of the hemispheres on the side) and the brainstem, which
includes the pons and medulla. You will also notice some cranial nerves (depending on
the model and image), including the optic nerve and trigeminal nerve. The olfactory
tract is a bundle of axons that is attrached to the frontal and temporal lobes of the
cerebral cortex.

Ventral view
• Cerebral cortex (frontal and temporal lobes)
• Olfactory tract and optic nerve (2nd cranial nerve)
• Hypothalamus (ventral surface)
• Optic chiasm
• Optic tract
• Midbrain
• Cerebral peduncle
• Oculomotor nerve (3rd cranial nerve)
• hindbrain
Introduction to Neuroanatomy: Structure and Function (21:120:404)
Instructor: Tracy Tran, PhD
• pons
• medulla
• trigeminal nerve (5th cranial nerve)
• abducens nerve (6th cranial nerve)

Ventral view reveals the underside of the temporal lobe of the cerebral cortex. In this
view, the anterior-posterior division of the brain is easily seen: you should find the
hypothalamus, the brainstem (midbrain, hindbrain (pons and medulla)). Near the
hypothalamus, you should observe the optic nerves crossing the midline at the optic
chiasm and continuing further caudally as the optic tracts. The floor of the midbrain
consists of a pair of cerebral peduncles separated by a space. You should find a large
pair of nerves (oculomotor nerves) coming out of this space. Further caudally, you will
find the ventral part of the pons and medulla, with a number of cranial nerves exiting
and entering. Mammals have a total of 12 pairs of cranial nerves.
Warning: due to the handling during brain extraction by commercial suppliers, many of
the cranial nerves may have been damaged already.

3. Place the whole sheep brain on the dissecting tray with the ventral surface
down. Using a brain knife, carefully cut the whole sheep brain at the midline
into right and left halves. Then the medial surface of the brain will be exposed.
Now from the medial view, identify the listed structures:

Medial view
• Medial surface of the cerebral hemisphere
• Corpus callosum
• Thalamus
• Hypothalamus
• Pineal body
• Midbrain including the superior colliculus (sc) and inferior colliculus (ic)
• Pons
• Medulla
• Cerebellum (vermis)
• Spinal cord

Fig. 3: Medial view of the sheep brain

Introduction to Neuroanatomy: Structure and Function (21:120:404)
Instructor: Tracy Tran, PhD
4. Compare the whole and half human brains with the sheep brain.

Observe the human brain and identify the structures that you found in the sheep brain.
Compare the relative size of each structure and find any significant difference between
sheep and human brains.

Lateral view
• Cerebral cortex
o Frontral lobe
o Temporal lobe
o Parietal lobe
o Occipital lobe
o Lateral sulcus
o Central sulcus
• Cerebellum (hemisphere)

Fig. 4: Lateral view of the a human brain

Introduction to Neuroanatomy: Structure and Function (21:120:404)
Instructor: Tracy Tran, PhD
Ventral view
• Cerebral cortex (temporal lobe)
• Basal forebrain
• Olfactory tract
• Optic nerve (cranial nerve II)
• Otpic chiasm
• Cerebral peduncle
• Pons
• Oculomotor nerve (cranial nerve III)
• Trigeminal nerve (cranial nerve V)
• Abducens nerve (cranial VI)

Fig. 5: Ventral view of a human brain

Introduction to Neuroanatomy: Structure and Function (21:120:404)
Instructor: Tracy Tran, PhD
Medial view
• Medial surface of the cerebral hemisphere (including the limbic lobe)
• Corpus Callosum
• Thalamus
• Hypothalamus
• Pineal body
• Midbrain (including superior colliculus and inferior colliculus)
• Pons
• Cerebellum (vermis
• Medulla oblongata

Fig. 6: Medial surface (mid-saggital view) of a human brain

Useful online resources:

http://www.anatomie-amsterdam.nl/sub_sites/anatomie-
zenuwwerking/123_neuro/start.htm

___________________________________________________________________
Introduction to Neuroanatomy: Structure and Function (21:120:404)
Instructor: Tracy Tran, PhD
Problem for Lab2 (to be turn-in to your TAs at the beginning of next week’s lab):

Use your Lab Notebook to write the answers for the following assignment, date and sign
at the bottom of the page and turn-in to you TAs.

1. Draw the ventral and medial views of the sheep brain in your group and label the
structures on the lists above. Indicate if you think certain structures are missing
in your sheep brain.
2. Compare the sheep brain and human brain in the dorsal and lateral views:
a. Do you find any regions that are proportionally larger in the sheep brain
than in the human brain? Why do you think that is the case?
b. Can you see the same gyri and sulci in the cerebral cortex of the human
and sheep brains?
c. What structure can you observe in the sheep in the dorsal view that you
cannot see in the human? Give an explanation.