Neuroanatomy Overview

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 Introductory Comments
This is not a comprehensive list of the structures you need to know for the Brain Bee. This is
meant to give you another way to think about the anatomical structures you are learning about
and organize them by function

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1 Brain Sections and
Directions

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Common Sections of the Brain

Sagittal Horizontal Coronal

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Dorsal/Ventral View of the Brain

Bear, Mark F. Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain

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Lateral/Medial View of the Brain

Bear, Mark F. Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain

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2 Nervous System
Subdivisions

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Divisions of the Nervous System

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Divisions of the Nervous System

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 The CNS & The PNS
● Central nervous system (CNS)
○ Consists of the brain and spinal
cord
○ Integrates sensory information
○ Responds to sensory inputs

● Peripheral nervous system (PNS)

○ Consists of the nerves and ganglia
outside of the brain and spinal cord
○ Connects the CNS to the limbs and
organs.

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Divisions of the Nervous System

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 Subdivisions of the PNS
● Somatic Nervous System:
○ Controls voluntary
movement
○ Movement of motor and
sensory information to and
from the CNS
● Autonomic Nervous System:
○ Controls involuntary
movement (e.g. heart rate,
digestion, respiration)
○ Connects the brain and
internal organs
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Divisions of the Nervous System

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 The Sympathetic and Parasympathetic
Nervous System
● Parasympathetic Nervous System:
○ Controls regulatory functions
that conserving energy (e.g.
slowing heart rate, relaxing
muscles, etc.)
○ “Rest and digest”

● Sympathetic Nervous System:

○ Controls the body's rapid
involuntary response to
dangerous or stressful situations
○ “Fight-or-flight”
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3 Gray and White
Matter

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 Tissue in the Nervous System
● Nervous system contains
two types of tissue:
○ Gray Matter (consists of
neuronal cell bodies)
○ White Matter (consists
of axons)
● In the brain, gray matter
surrounds white matter
● In the spinal cord, white
matter surrounds gray
matter

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Classification of Matter

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“ Discussion Question
Multiple Sclerosis is an
autoimmune disease in which
white blood cells destroy
oligodendrocytes in the CNS.
Would you expect to see more “
damage in the gray or white
matter of an MS patient?
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4
Gross Anatomy of the Brain

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 The Brain
● The brain can be divided into
three subsections
○ Brain Stem: Posterior part
of the brain (continuous
with the spinal cord)
○ Cerebellum: Located in the
back of the brain
○ Cerebrum: Largest portion;
consists of two
hemispheres

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 Brain Stem
● 3 major regions:
○ Medulla Oblongata: Controls
life-sustaining functions (e.g
breathing and digestion) and
connects brain to spinal cord
○ Pons: Involved in breathing,
alertness, and communication
between different brain regions
○ Midbrain: Plays an important role
in communication and in the
control of the motor system, vision
and hearing, and the reflexes
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Brainstem Structures

Bear, Mark F. Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain

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 Cerebellum
● Involved in motor control (coordination,
precision and timing of movements, motor
learning)

Bear, Mark F. Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain

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 Cerebrum
● Largest and most developed
portion of the brain
● Left and right hemispheres
connected by a bundle of nerve
fibers called Corpus Callosum
● Receives and processes visual,
auditory, somatosensory, gustatory,
and olfactory information.
● Each hemisphere consists of four
lobes: frontal, parietal, temporal,
and occipital

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Cerebral Structures

Bear, Mark F. Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain

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5 Cortical Anatomy

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 Cerebral Cortex
● The cerebrum is surrounded by the
cerebral cortex
● Plays a large role in processing
information and perception
● The cerebral cortex consists of folded
bulges called gyri that create deep
folds called sulci
● Sulci in the brain add to the surface
area of the cortex
○ Increases the amount of
information that can be processed

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 Cerebral Cortex

● Cortical areas can be divided into

○ Lobes
○ Functional areas
○ Anatomical Areas

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 Lobes of the Brain
Involved in cognition (e.g.
personality, impulse control, social
behavior, and problem solving

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 Lobes of the Brain
Involved in cognition (e.g.
personality, impulse control, social
behavior, and problem solving

Involved in object
recognition, hearing, and
memory

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 Lobes of the Brain
Involved in cognition (e.g.
personality, impulse control, social
behavior, and problem solving

Involved in object
recognition, hearing, and Involved in visual
memory perception

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 Lobes of the Brain
Involved in cognition (e.g. Involved in sensation,
personality, impulse control, social perception, and integration
behavior, and problem solving of sensory information

Involved in object
recognition, hearing, and Involved in visual
memory perception

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Cortical Areas are Functionally Organized

Bear, Mark F. Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain

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 Sensorimotor Regions
● The primary motor cortex
controls the instruction of
movement
● The somatosensory cortex
processes sensory information
received from the body
● The auditory cortex processes
sound information to determine
intensity and frequency
● The visual cortex processes
and relays visual information

Bear, Mark F. Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain

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 Sensorimotor Regions
● The primary motor cortex
controls the instruction of
movement
● The somatosensory cortex
processes sensory information
received from the body
● The auditory cortex processes
sound information to determine
intensity and frequency
● The visual cortex processes
and relays visual information

Bear, Mark F. Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain

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 Sensorimotor Regions
● The primary motor cortex
controls the instruction of
movement
● The somatosensory cortex
processes sensory information
received from the body
● The auditory cortex processes
sound information to determine
intensity and frequency
● The visual cortex processes
and relays visual information

Bear, Mark F. Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain

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 Sensorimotor Regions
● The primary motor cortex
controls the instruction of
movement
● The somatosensory cortex
processes sensory information
received from the body
● The auditory cortex processes
sound information to determine
intensity and frequency
● The visual cortex processes
and relays visual information

Bear, Mark F. Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain

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 Speech Regions
● Broca’s area is located in the
frontal lobe
○ Plays a large role in
production of speech
○ Located near the primary
motor cortex
● Wernicke's area is located in
the temporal region of the brain
○ Plays a large role in speech
comprehension
○ Located near the auditory
cortex
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 Speech Regions
● Broca’s area is located in the
frontal lobe
○ Plays a large role in
production of speech
○ Located near the primary
motor cortex
● Wernicke's area is located in
the temporal region of the brain
○ Plays a large role in speech
comprehension
○ Located near the auditory
cortex
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“ Discussion Question
Multiple Sclerosis is an
autoimmune disease in which
white blood cells destroy
oligodendrocytes in the CNS.
Would you expect to see more “
damage in the gray or white
matter of an MS patient?
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 Association Cortex
● Relatively small proportion of
total brain volume dedicated to
sensory inputs/motor outputs

● Association cortex integrates

information from environment
and internal states to drive
complex thought and behavior

● More in humans than other

animals
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 Basal Ganglia
● Collection of nuclei located
deep within the cerebrum

● Interact with motor cortex and

cerebellum to coordinate
complex movements

● Damage does not cause

paralysis, but may impact
speed, fluidity, and precision of
movement
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 Limbic System
● Collection of interconnected
cortical and subcortical
structures

● Mediate memory, emotion, and

autonomic function

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6 Cerebral Vasculature

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 Neurovasculature of the Brain
Neurovasculature: structure of nerves
and blood vessels of a body part

● The brain has its own system of

circulation that is uniquely adapted
to the brain’s metabolic demands
○ Brain represents 2% of body
mass, but consumes 20% of
oxygen
● Neurons die after minutes without
oxygen

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 Efficient Blood Flow in the Brain
Anastomosis: connection between
two things (in this case, blood vessels)

● Blood vessels connect to allow

alternative routes of blood flow
○ Vasculature is redundant
● Prevents brain regions from losing blood
supply if one region is damaged
● Blood flow to brain regions is dependent
on regional activity

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7 Protection for the Brain

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 Meninges
● Three layers of protective
membranes surrounding the brain
○ Dura: Toughest layer, outer
sublayer attaches directly to
skull
○ Arachnoid: Has web-like
projections from dura towards
surface of brain (Arachnoid =
spider-like)
○ Pia: Thinnest layer, traces
surface of cotex

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 Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF)
● Fuid specialized to provide
nutrients, clear waste, and physically
cushion brain

● Carried in complex course through

ventricles, subarachnoid space, then
sinuses to return to bloodstream

● Produced by specialized structure

called Choroid Plexus

Bear, Mark F. Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain

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8 Gross Anatomy of the Spinal
Cord

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 Spinal Cord
● The spinal cord is a long structure
that extends from the brainstem
through the vertebral column
● Composed of nervous tissue
● Provides a pathway to and from
the brain, and is a major reflex
center
● Consists of four parts: cervical,
thoracic, lumbar, and sacral
sections
● Spinal nerves exit the spine
through each vertebrae

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 Anatomy of the Spinal Cord
● Contains a dorsal and ventral
component
● Nerves exit each side forming
dorsal and ventral roots
● Cell bodies of neurons making up
dorsal root form dorsal root
ganglia
● Ventral roots carry motor
information from the brain to the
body
● Dorsal roots carry sensory
information to the brain from the
body
Bear, Mark F. Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain
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