Chapter 3 – Brain structures & function ～白

 Brain
¤ Also called “telencephalon”
¤ 如蘑菇状的帽盖披覆于间脑上
¤ Lies in the cranial cavity and is continuous with the spinal cord through the foramen magnum
¤ Unlike spinal cord, the brain is composed of an inner core of white matter, which is surrounded by
an outer covering of gray matter
 Yet, certain important masses of gray matter are situated deeply within the white matter
o I.e. Within the cerebellum: there are gray cerebellar nuclei
Within the cerebrum: there are gray thalamic, caudate, and lentiform nuclei
¤ 分成左右 cerebral hemisphere
o 靠 corpus callosum（胼胝体）所连结
¤ Surrounded by three meninges:
The dura mater The arachnoid mater The pia mater
 These are continuous with the corresponding meninges of the spinal cord
¤ The cerebrospinal fluid surrounds the brain in the subarachnoid space
o The brainstem (a collective term for the medulla oblongata, pons, and midbrain) is that part
of the brain that remains after cerebral hemispheres and cerebellum are removed
 Human brain components:
Forebrain: cerebrum (cortex, basal ganglia, amygdala, hippocampus), diencephalon (thalamus,
hypothalamus, epithalamus)
Midbrain
 The narrow part of the brain that connects the forebrain to the hindbrain
 The narrow cavity of the midbrain  cerebral aqueduct
o Connects the third and fourth ventricles
 Contains many nuclei and bundles of ascending and descending nerve fibers
 视觉和听觉的反射中枢
A) Superior colliculus: 眼球动作，眼 – 头动作控制
B) Inferior colliculus: 听觉神经路径转换站
Hindbrain: medulla, pons, cerebellum

Forebrain
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 Chapter 3 – Brain structures & function ～白
Cerebrum Diencephalon
 The largest part of the brain
o During the process of development, the cerebrum becomes
enormously enlarged and overhangs the diencephalon, midbrain,
and hindbrain
 Provides us with the ability to read, write, and speak; to make calculations
and compose music; and to remember the past, plan for the future, and
imagine things that have never existed before
 Consists of two cerebral hemispheres
o Connected by a mass of white matter  corpus callosum
o Each hemisphere extends from the frontal to the occipital bones in
the skull  Almost completely hidden from
 Superior to the anterior and middle cranial fossae the surface of the brain
 Posteriorly, lies above the tentorium cerebelli  Consists of
o The hemispheres are separated by a deep cleft  longitudinal fissure, A dorsal thalamus
into which projects the falx cerebri  A large, egg-shaped mass
o The surface layer of each hemisphere  cortex, is composed of gray of gray matter that lies on
matter (outer cerebral cortex) either side of the third
 The cerebral cortex is thrown into folds or gyri, separated by ventricle
fissures or sulci  The anterior end of the
 The surface area of the cortex is greatly increased thalamus forms the
 A number of the large sulci are conveniently used to posterior boundary of the
subdivide the surface of each hemisphere into lobes opening between the third
o Within the hemisphere is a central core of white matter (internal and lateral ventricles 
region), containing several large masses of gray matter  basal nuclei interventricular foramen
or ganglia A ventral hypothalamus
o A fan-shaped collection of nerve fibers  corona radiata  Forms the lower part of
 Passes in the white matter to and from the cerebral cortex the lateral wall and floor of
to the brainstem the third ventricle
 Converges on the basal nuclei and passes between them as
the internal capsule
 The tailed nucleus situated on the medial side of the
internal capsule  caudate nucleus
 The lens-shaped nucleus on the lateral side of the
internal capsule  lentiform nucleus
o The cavity present within each cerebral hemisphere  lateral ventricle
 Communicate with the third ventricle through the
interventricular foramina

Cortex Basal ganglia Amygdala Hippocampus Thalamus Hypothalamus

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 Chapter 3 – Brain structures & function ～白

Cerebrum
Cortex 皮质 Basal ganglia (basal nuclei) Amygdala 杏仁体 / 杏仁核 Hippocampus 海马回
 A region of gray matter  Help initiate and  杏仁体（杏仁核）  进行记忆固化
that forms the outer rim terminate movements,  位居脑干之上 o 短期记忆要变
of the cerebrum suppress unwanted  共有两个，分居脑部 成长期记忆，
 Cortex: 树皮的意思， movements, and 两侧 必须透过时间
形容外观不平整、有 regulate muscle tone  情绪的总管 让经验在记忆
皱褶的大脑  Parkinson’s disease o 调控在各个状 留下永久记录
 2 ~ 4mm thick o 因脑干中黑质 况下所产生的 的过程，才能
 Gyrus 脑回：脑部表面 情绪反应 保护记忆免受
细胞退化死 其他刺激或伤
的突出或隆起 亡，造成多巴 o 大脑中掌管愤
病的干扰
 Sulcus 脑沟：脑部表面 胺 (dopamine) 怒、恐惧、攻
的沟槽 缺乏，使得大 击等负面情绪
脑基底核细胞 的地方
失去平衡性的  人脑的杏仁核比任何
调控所致 灵长类都大
o 临床表现:
tremor 手脚震
颤, rigidity 肢体
强直、僵硬,
bradykinesia 运
动迟缓等
Frontal lobe
Parietal lobe
Temporal lobe
Occipital lobe
 共被划分成 52 个区域
 代表区域的数字，其
次序仅代表完成划分
区域的先后，无其他
的意义
 Dr. Korbinian Brodmann
所划分的区域各有其
特定的功能
o Broca’s speech
area (44, 45)
o Wernicke’s
speech area (22)

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Chapter 3 – Brain structures & function ～白

Diencephalon
Thalamus Hypothalamus
¤ 将感觉讯息转运至大脑皮质的中介 ¤ 调节体温、食欲、口渴、血压、睡眠等中枢
¤ 大脑处理知觉讯息输入和自我回馈的关键区域 ¤ 调节脑下垂体分泌
¤ 协调情绪表达

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 Chapter 3 – Brain structures & function
Pons
 Situated on the anterior surface
of the cerebellum, inferior to the
midbrain and superior to the
medulla oblongata
 Contain a large number of
transverse fibers on its anterior
aspect connecting the two
cerebellar hemispheres
 Contains many nuclei and
ascending and descending nerve
fibers
 大脑各部位的神经桥梁，并影
响意识
 将神经冲动自大脑传入小脑，
协调身体两侧之肌肉活动
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Hindbrain
Medulla
 Medulla oblongata
 Conical in shape
 Connects the pons superiorly to
the spinal cord inferiorly
 Contains many collections of
neurons, called nuclei, and serves
as a conduit for ascending and
descending nerve fibers
 掌管呼吸、心搏、血管舒缩、
咳嗽、呕吐等反射中枢
 生命中枢
～白
Cerebellum 小脑
 在大脑枕叶下方，脑干后方，
与脑干相连
 Lies within the posterior cranial
fossa of the skull, posterior to the
pons and the medulla oblongata
 Consists of two laterally placed
hemispheres connected by a
median portion  vermis 和大脑
一样分成左右两半球
 Is connected to the midbrain by
the superior cerebellar
peduncles, to the pons by the
middle cerebellar peduncles, and
to the medulla by the inferior
cerebellar peduncles
o The peduncles are
composed of large
bundles of nerve fibers
connecting the
cerebellum to the
remainder of the nervous
system
 The surface layer of each
cerebellar hemisphere is called
the cortex and is composed of
gray matter
o Certain masses of gray
matter are found on the
interior of the
cerebellum, embedded in
the white matter, the
largest of these is known
as the dentate nucleus
 The cerebellar cortex is thrown
into folds, or folia, separated by
closely set transverse fissures
 功能与运动及平衡有关：
 协调肢体活动
 协调肌肉张力、姿势维持
Chapter 3 – Brain structures & function ～白
 维持身体平衡
 有病变时会出现许多症状，其
中最重要的是运动及平衡失调
 小脑异常的病人步态不稳定
- Surround a cavity filled with cerebrospinal fluid, called the fourth ventricle
o Connected superiorly to the third ventricle by the cerebral aqueduct
o Inferiorly, it is continuous with the central canal of the spinal cord
o Communicates with the subarachnoid space through three openings in the inferior part of the roof
 It is through these openings that the cerebrospinal fluid within the central nervous system
can enter the subarachnoid space