brain anatomy
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Anatomy of the BrainTRANSCRIPT
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Central Nervous System (CNS)
� CNS – composed of the brain and spinal cord
� Cephalization
� Elaboration of the anterior portion of the CNS
� Increase in number of neurons in the head
� Highest level is reached in the human brain
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I take
exception to
that!
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The Brain
� Surface anatomy includes cerebral hemispheres,
cerebellum, and brain stem
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Embryonic Development
� During the first 26 days of development:
� Ectoderm thickens forming the neural plate
� The neural plate invaginates, forming the neural folds
� Superior edges fuse forming neural tube which detaches
from the ectoderm and sinks deeper
� Neural tube differentiates into the CNS
� Brain forms from neural tube (rostrally) as well as spinal
cord (posterior/dorsally)
� Neural crest cells give rise to some neurons destined to
reside in ganglia
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Embryonic Development
Figure 12.1
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Brain Development: Primary Brain Vesicles
� The anterior end of the neural tube expands and
constricts to form the three primary brain vesicles
� Prosencephalon – the forebrain
� Mesencephalon – the midbrain
� Rhombencephalon – hindbrain
� Remainder of neural tube becomes the spinal cord
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Neural Tube and Primary Brain Vesicles
Figure 12.2a, b
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Secondary Brain Vesicles
� In week 5 of embryonic development, secondary
brain vesicles form
� Telencephalon and diencephalon arise from the
forebrain
� Mesencephalon remains undivided
� Metencephalon and myelencephalon arise from the
hindbrain
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Secondary Brain Vesicles
Figure 12.2c
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Adult Brain Structures
� Fates of the secondary brain vesicles:
� Telencephalon – cerebrum: cortex, white matter,
and basal nuclei
� Diencephalon – thalamus, hypothalamus, and
epithalamus
� Mesencephalon – brain stem: midbrain
� Metencephalon – brain stem: pons
� Myelencephalon – brain stem: medulla oblongata
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Adult Neural Canal Regions
Figure 12.2c, d
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Adult Neural Canal Regions
� Adult structures derived from the neural canal
� Telencephalon – lateral ventricles
� Diencephalon – third ventricle
� Mesencephalon – cerebral aqueduct
� Metencephalon and myelencephalon – fourth
ventricle
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Adult Neural Canal Regions
Figure 12.2c, e
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Space Restriction and Brain Development
Figure 12.3
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Space Restriction and Brain Development
� Flexures: midbrain and cervical, which bend the
forebrain toward the brain stem
� Cerebral hemispheres: grow posteriorly and
laterally and envelop the diencephalon and
midbrain
� Continued growth causes the surface to crease
and fold producing convolutions thus increasing
the surface area
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Basic Pattern of the Central Nervous System
� Spinal Cord
� Central cavity surrounded by a gray matter core
� External to which is white matter composed of myelinated fiber tracts
� Brain
� Similar to spinal cord but with additional areas of gray matter
� Cerebellum has gray matter in nuclei
� Cerebrum has nuclei and additional gray matter in the cortex
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Basic Pattern of the Central Nervous System
Figure 12.4
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Ventricles of the Brain
� Continuous with one another and with the central canal of the spinal cord
� Filled with cerebrospinal fluid and lined with ependymal cells
� C-shaped reflects the pattern of cerebral growth
� Septum pallucidum separates lateral ventricles via the interventricular foreamen
� Third ventricle connected to the fourth ventricle via the cerebral aquaduct
� Fourth ventricle is continuous with the central canal of the spinal cord
� Fourth ventricle is also continuous with the fluid filled space surrounding the brain (subarachnoid) via lateral and medial apertures.
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Ventricles of the Brain
Figure 12.5
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Cerebral Hemispheres
� Form the superior part of the brain and make up 83% of its mass
� Contain ridges (gyri) and shallow grooves (sulci)
� Contain deep sulci called fissures
� Are separated by the longitudinal fissure
� Transverse fissure separates the cerebral hemispheres from the cerebellum
� Have three basic regions: cortex, white matter, and basal nuclei
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Major Lobes, Gyri, and Sulci of the Cerebral Hemisphere
� Prominent sulci divide the hemispheres into five
lobes:
� Frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital, and insula
� These are named for the cranial bones under which
they lie
� Central sulcus – separates the frontal and parietal
lobes.
� Bordered by the precentral gyrus (anteriorly)
and the postcentral gyrus (posteriorly)
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Brain Lobes
Figure 12.6a–b
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Major Lobes, Gyri, and Sulci of the Cerebral Hemisphere
� Parieto-occipital sulcus – separates the parietal and
occipital lobes
� Lateral sulcus – outlines the temporal lobe and
separates the parietal and temporal lobes
� Insula: buried within the lateral sulcus and forms
part of the floor of the cerebral hemispheres
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Cerebral Cortex: Our “conscious mind”
� The cortex – superficial gray matter; accounts for
40% of the mass of the brain.
� Gray matter: neuron cell bodies, dendrites,
associated glia, blood vessels
� It enables sensation, communication, memory,
understanding, and voluntary movements
� Each hemisphere acts contralaterally (controls the
opposite side of the body)
� Cerebral cortex has been extensively mapped
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Functional Areas of the Cerebral Cortex
� The three types of functional areas are:
� Motor areas – control voluntary movement
� Sensory areas – conscious awareness of sensation
� Association areas – integrate diverse information
� All neurons here are interneurons not sensory & motor
neurons
� Each hemisphere is chiefly concerned with the sensory and
motor functions of the opposite side of the body
� Each side has specialization and is not necessarily bilateral
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Functional Areas of the Cerebral Cortex
Figure 12.8a
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Functional Areas of the Cerebral Cortex
Figure 12.8b
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Cerebral Cortex: Motor Areas (Voluntary Movement)
� Lie in the posterior part of the frontal lobes:
� Primary (somatic) motor cortex
� Premotor cortex
� Broca’s area
� Frontal eye field
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Primary Motor Cortex (Brodmman’s Area #4)
� Located in the precentral gyrus of the
frontal lobe of each hemisphere
� Pyramidal cells:
� allow conscious control of
precise, skilled, voluntary
movements.
� Their long axons project into the
spinal cord forming the massive
pyramidal tracts (corticospinal
tracts)
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Primary Motor Cortex (Brodmman’s Area #4)
� The entire body is represented spatially in the
primary motor cortex of each hemisphere (this
type of mapping is called somatotopy)
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Premotor Cortex (Brodmman’s Area #6)
� Located anterior to the precentral gyrus in the frontal lobe
� Controls learned, repetitious, or patterned motor skills
� Coordinates movement by sending impulses to the primary
motor cortex
� Involved in the planning of movements
� Controls voluntary movements that depend on sensory feedback
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Broca’s Area: Brodmann Area #44 & 45
� Broca’s area
� Located anterior to the inferior region of the premotor area
� Present in one hemisphere (usually the left)
� A motor speech area that directs muscles of the tongue
� Is active as one is planning to speak
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Frontal Eye Field: Brodmann’s Area #8
� Frontal eye field
� Located anterior to the premotor cortex and
superior to Broca’s area
� Controls voluntary eye movement
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Sensory Areas
� Primary somatosensory cortex
� Somatosensory association cortex
� Visual and auditory areas
� Olfactory, gustatory, and vestibular cortices
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Sensory Areas
Figure 12.8a
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Primary Somatosensory Cortex: Brodmann’s Area #1-3
� Located in the postcentral gyrus of parietal lobe
� Receives info. from sensory receptors in the skin and
proprioceptors in the skeletal muscles, joints, tendons
� Neurons identify the body region being stimulated (spatial
discrimination)
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Primary Somatosensory Cortex: Brodmann’s Area #1-3
� Body is represented
spatially: contralaterally
and upside down
� The amount of sensory
cortex devoted to a given
body region is related to
the degree of sensitivity
in that region, and not the
body size (e.g. face, lips,
fingertips)
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Somatosensory Association Cortex: Brodmann’s Areas 5 &7
� Located posterior to the primary somatosensory cortex
� Integrates sensory information relayed from the primary
somatosensory cortex to produce an understanding of the object
being felt
� Determines size, texture, and relationship of parts
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Visual Areas: Brodmann’s Areas 17-19
� Primary visual (striate) cortex
� Seen on the extreme posterior tip of the occipital lobe
� Most of it is buried in the calcarine sulcus
� Receives visual information from the retinas
� Visual association area
� Surrounds the primary visual cortex
� Interprets visual stimuli (e.g., color, form, and movement)
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Auditory Areas: Brodmann’s Areas 41-43
� Primary auditory cortex
� Located at the superior margin of the temporal lobe
� Receives information related to pitch, rhythm, and volume
� Auditory association area
� Located posterior to the primary auditory cortex
� Stores memories of sounds and permits perception of sounds
� Wernicke’s area
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Olfactory Cortex: Brodmann’s Areas: 28 & 34
� Located in the medial aspect of the temporal lobe dominated by
the uncus
� Afferent fibers from smell receptors in the superior nasal
cavities send impulses along olfactory tracts and relay them to
the olfactory cortex
� The O.C. is part of the primitive rhinencephalon
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…and the other corteces
� Gustatory cortex (located in the insula)
� Deep to the temporal lobe
� Taste
� Visceral sensory area (also in the insula)
� Located just posterior to the gustatory cortex
� Perception of visceral sensations
� Vestibular (equilibrium) cortex
� Located in the posterior part of the insula
� Balance
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Multimodal Association Areas
� Information flows from sensory neurons to
� Primary sensory cortex to
� Sensory association cortex to
� Multimodal association cortex
� Gives meaning to the information
� Stores it in memory
� Decision making area
� Relay decisions to premotor cortex and then the motor
cortex
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Prefrontal Cortex (Anterior Association Area)
� Located in the anterior portion of the frontal lobe
� Most complicated cortical region
� Involved with intellect, cognition, recall, and
personality
� Necessary for judgment, reasoning, persistence,
and conscience
� Matures slowly, dependent on positive/negative
feedback
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Posterior Association Area
� Region encompassing parts of: temporal, parietal,
and occipital lobes
� Involved in recognizing patterns, surroundings,
bringing different sensory inputs into a whole
� Brings conscious attention to an area in space or to
an area of one’s own body
� Problems here can result in a smelly, half naked
lady!
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Language Areas
� Located in a large area surrounding the left (or language-dominant) lateral sulcus
� Major parts and functions:
� Wernicke’s area –sounding out unfamiliar words
� Broca’s area – speech preparation and production
� Lateral prefrontal cortex – language comprehension and word analysis
� Lateral and ventral temporal lobe – coordinate auditory and visual aspects of language
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Lateralization of Cortical Function
� Lateralization – each hemisphere has abilities not shared
with its partner
� Cerebral dominance – designates the hemisphere dominant
for a given task
� Left hemisphere – controls language, math, and logic
� E.g. Dad buys half a cow for conversation sake
� Right hemisphere – controls visual-spatial skills, emotion,
and artistic skills
� Most “righties” are left cerebral dominant, while most
“south paws” are right cerebral dominant.
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Cerebral White Matter
� Located deep to the cortical grey matter
� It is responsible for communication between the
cerebral cortex and lower CNS center, and within
areas of the cerebrum
� Consists of deep myelinated fibers and their large
tracts
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Cerebral White Matter
� Tracts are classified according to the direction in which they run
� Types include:
� Commissures – connect corresponding gray areas of the two hemispheres.
� E.g. corpus collosum
� Fibers run horizontally
� Association fibers – connect different parts of the same hemisphere
� E.g. connect adjacent gyri
� Long fibers can connect different cortical lobes
� Fibers run horizonatally
� Projection fibers – enter the hemispheres from lower brain or cord centers
� Tie the cortex to the rest of the nervous system and to the body’s receptors and effectors
� E.g. corona radiata: fan like projection of fibers from the brain stem to the cortex
� Fibers run vertically
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Fiber Tracts in White Matter
Figure 12.10a
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Basal Nuclei
� Masses of gray matter found deep within the
cortical white matter
� The corpus striatum (striped appearance) is
composed of three parts
� Caudate nucleus
� Lentiform nucleus – composed of the putamen and
the globus pallidus
� Fibers of internal capsule running between and
through caudate and lentiform nuclei
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Basal Nuclei
Figure 12.11a
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Basal Nuclei
Figure 12.11b
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Functions of Basal Nuclei
� Nuclei of the corpus striatum receive input from
the entire cerebral cortex
� The basal nuclei project signals to the premotor
and prefrontal cortices (logic and reasoning of a
movement and how to best execute it)
� And influences muscle movements
(subsequently directed by the primary motor
cortex)
� Precise function of basal nuclei is still elusive
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Diencephalon
� Central core of the forebrain
� Surrounded by the cerebral hemispheres
� Consists of three paired structures – thalamus,
hypothalamus, and epithalamus
� Encloses the third ventricle
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Diencephalon
Figure 12.12
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Thalamus
� Paired, egg-shaped masses that form the
superolateral walls of the third ventricle
� Connected at the midline by the intermediate mass
� Contains four groups of nuclei – anterior, ventral,
dorsal, and posterior
� Nuclei project and receive fibers from the cerebral
cortex
� Thalamus, thyroid, thymus
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Thalamus
Figure 12.13a
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Thalamic Function
� Afferent fibers from all senses and all parts of the body
converge and synapse in the thalamus
� Impulses of similar function are sorted out, edited, and
relayed as a group (e.g. “The Hot Bowl of Soup”)
� All inputs ascending to the cerebral cortex pass through the
thalamus
� Mediates sensation, motor activities, cortical arousal,
learning, and memory
� Thalamus is the “gateway” to the cerebral cortex
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Hypothalamus
� The hypothalamus links the nervous system to the endocrine system via the pituitary gland (hypophysis).
� Located below the thalamus, it caps the brainstem and forms the inferolateral walls of the third ventricle
� Extends from the optic chiasma to the posterior margin of the mammillary bodies
� Main visceral control center of the body
� Vital for homeostasis
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Hypothalamus Associated Structures
� Mammillary bodies
� Small, paired nuclei bulging anteriorly from
the hypothalamus
� Involved with recognition memory
� Relay station for olfactory pathways
� Infundibulum – stalk of the hypothalamus; connects
to the pituitary gland
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Hypothalamic Nuclei
Figure 12.13b
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Hypothalamic Function
� Autonomic control center: controls autonomic nervous system.
� Regulates cardiac and smooth muscle
� Regulates gland secretion
� Influences blood pressure, heartbeat rate, digestive tract motility, eye pupil size
� Emotional response center
� Center for pleasure, fear, rage
� Body temperature regulation
� Sweating, shivering
� Regulation of food intake
� Regulates the feeling of hunger and satiation
� Regulation of water balance and thirst
� Regulates release of antidiuretic hormone causing kidneys to retain water
� Regulates sleep wake cycle
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Endocrine Functions of the Hypothalamus
� Releasing hormones control secretion of hormones
by the anterior pituitary gland
� E.g. The supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei
produce ADH and oxytocin
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Epithalamus
� Most dorsal portion of the diencephalon; forms
roof of the third ventricle
� Pineal gland – extends from the posterior border
and secretes melatonin
� Melatonin – a hormone involved with sleep
regulation, sleep-wake cycles, and mood
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Epithalamus
Figure 12.12
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Brain Stem
� Consists of three regions – midbrain (mesencephalon), pons, and medulla oblongata
� Similar to spinal cord but contains embedded nuclei
� Controls automatic behaviors necessary for survival
� Provides the pathway for tracts between higher and lower brain centers
� Associated with 10 of the 12 pairs of cranial nerves
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Human Brain: Ventral Aspect
Figure 12.14
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Brain Stem
Figure 12.15a
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Brain Stem
Figure 12.15b
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Brain Stem
Figure 12.15c
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Midbrain (Mesencephalon)
� Located between the diencephalon and the pons
� Midbrain structures include:
� Cerebral peduncles – two bulging structures that
contain pyramidal motor tracts descending toward
the spinal cord
� Cerebral aqueduct – hollow tube that connects the
third and fourth ventricles
� Various nuclei
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Midbrain Nuclei
� Corpora quadrigemina – four domelike protrusions
of the dorsal midbrain (superior and inferior
colliculi)
� Superior colliculi: visual reflex centers
� Inferior colliculi: auditory relay (startle reflex)
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Midbrain Nuclei
� 2 pigmented nuclei:
� Substantia nigra – pigmented from melanin
� Precursor of dopamine released here. Disorders here, e.g.
Parkinson’s disease
� Red nucleus – largest nucleus of the reticular formation
� Controls some movements of the shoulder & upper arm
� Red coloration due to high degree of vascularization
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Pons
� Bulging brainstem region between the midbrain and the medulla
oblongata
� Forms part of the anterior wall of the fourth ventricle
� Formed of tracts coursing in 2 directions
� Deep projections: connect higher brain centers and
spinal cord
� Superficial projections relay between the motor cortex
of the cerebrum and the cerebellum
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Medulla Oblongata
� Most inferior part of the brain stem
� Along with the pons, forms the ventral wall of the
fourth ventricle
� Contains a choroid plexus of the fourth ventricle
� Pyramids – two longitudinal ridges formed by
corticospinal tracts
� Decussation of the pyramids – crossover points of
the corticospinal tracts
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Medulla Oblongata
Figure 12.16c
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Medulla Nuclei
� Inferior olivary nuclei – gray matter that relays
sensory information on the state of stretch of
muscles and joints to the cerebellum
� Cochlear nuclei: auditory relays
� Vestibular nuclear complex – synapses that
mediate and maintain equilibrium
� Nucleus gracilis and caneatus: where somatic
sensory information ascends from the spinal cord
to the somatosensory cortex
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Medulla Nuclei
� Involved in autonomic reflex center involved in
homeostasis
� Cardiovascular control center – adjusts force
and rate of heart contraction
� Respiratory centers – control rate and depth of
breathing
� Additional centers – regulate vomiting,
hiccuping, swallowing, coughing, and sneezing
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The Cerebellum
� Located dorsal to the pons and medulla
� Protrudes under the occipital lobes of the cerebrum
� Makes up 11% of the brain’s mass
� Provides precise timing and appropriate patterns of
skeletal muscle contraction subconsciously
� E.g. coordination
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The Cerebellum
Figure 12.17b
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Anatomy of the Cerebellum
� Two bilaterally symmetrical hemispheres connected medially by the vermis
� Contains folia – transversely oriented gyri
� Fissures subdivide each hemisphere into three lobes – anterior, posterior, and flocculonodular
� Neural arrangement – gray matter cortex, internal white matter, scattered nuclei
� Arbor vitae – distinctive treelike pattern of the cerebellar white matter
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Cerebellar Peduncles
� Three paired fiber tracts that connect the cerebellum to the brain stem
� All fibers in the cerebellum are ipsilateral
� Superior peduncles connect the cerebellum to the midbrain
� Middle peduncles connect the pons to the cerebellum
� Inferior peduncles connect the medulla to the cerebellum
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Cerebellar Processing
� Cerebellum receives impulses of the intent to
initiate voluntary muscle contraction
� Proprioceptors and visual signals “inform” the
cerebellum of the body’s condition
� Cerebellar cortex calculates the best way to
perform a movement
� A “blueprint” of coordinated movement is sent to
the cerebral pre-motor cortex