neuroanatomy

• Biological Psychology


  Understanding psychology by examining physiological, anatomical and genetic processes
• Neuroanatomy


  The study of the anatomy of the nervous system
• The nervous system is divided into the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS)
• Anatomical directions


  • Anterior
  • Posterior
  • Dorsal
  • Ventral
  • Medial
  • Lateral
• Cerebral cortex


  The outer surface of the cerebrum, 3mm thick and folded to allow a bigger surface area
• Cerebral cortex


  • Clefts/cracks/grooves = sulci
  • Major grooves = fissures
  • Folds/bulges = gyri
• Lobes of the cerebral cortex

  • Frontal
  • Parietal
  • Occipital
  • Temporal
• Frontal lobe


  • The anterior area of the cortex, rostral to parietal lobe, dorsal to temporal lobe
  • Functions: motor and cognition
• Parietal lobe


  • Caudal to frontal lobe, dorsal to temporal lobe
  • Function: somatosensory
• Occipital lobe


  • Caudal to parietal and temporal lobes
  • Function: vision
• Temporal lobe


  • Rostral to occipital lobe and ventral to parietal and frontal lobes
  • Functions: hearing, vision, cognition, emotion
• Primary cortical areas


  • Primary somatosensory cortex
  • Primary visual cortex
  • Primary auditory cortex
  • Primary motor cortex
• Primary cortical areas


  Receive info from the senses, connected to muscles in body, all contralateral (except olfaction and taste)
• Sensory association areas


  Receive and analyse info from primary regions
• Primary association areas


  Receive and analyse info from primary regions
• The structure of the brain can change due to our experiences
• People only use 10% of their brain power
• Impulses can travel at the speed of light
• The brain contains about 86 billion brain cells (neurons)
• Meninges are 3 layers of tissue that protect the brain and spinal cord
• Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a clear liquid that fills the subarachnoid space and functions as a shock absorber and to provide buoyancy
• The blood-brain barrier is a semipermeable barrier that maintains a stable environment and protects the brain from potentially disruptive/damaging chemicals
• Slicing a brain parallel to the forehead is called a coronal section
• The brain hemispheres are connected by the corpus callosum
• The term 'toward the tail end' is caudal
• Grey matter is made up of cell bodies
• The olfactory and taste senses are not contralateral
• The occipital lobe contains the primary visual cortex
• The temporal lobe contains the primary auditory cortex
• Neuroanatomy


  The study of the anatomy of the nervous system
• Major division


  • Forebrain
  • Midbrain
  • Hindbrain
• Forebrain subdivision


  • Prosencephalon
  • Telencephalon
  • Diencephalon
• Telencephalon principle structures


  • Cerebral cortex
  • Basal ganglia
  • Limbic system
• Diencephalon principle structures


  • Thalamus
  • Hypothalamus
• Midbrain principle structures


  • Tectum
  • Tegmentum
• Hindbrain subdivision


  • Rhombencephalon
  • Metencephalon
  • Myelencephalon
• Metencephalon principle structures


  • Cerebellum
  • Pons
• Myelencephalon principle structures


  • Medulla oblongata
• Cephalopod means "head foot"
• Encephalon means "the brain"