Download LAB 5 – CORONAL 1 (Jan 29)

LAB 8 – CORONAL 4 (Mar 5)
Corpus Callosum
The sweeping band (commissure) of white matter that provides a connection between the
two halves of the cerebrum in the brain. It enables the transfer of information from one
cerebral hemisphere to the other.
Cingulate Gyrus
A gyrus within the longitudinal fissure above and almost surrounding the corpus callosum .
It is part of the limbic system and is involved in pain sensations, control of visceral
responses associated with emotions, and the planning of motor actions.
Lateral Ventricle
The two lateral ventricles in the forebrain, the main parts of which lie in the temporal lobes
immediately below the corpus callosum and above the thalamus, are separated by the septum
pellucidum
Caudate Nucleus
One of the basal ganglia in the corpus striatum : a crescent-shaped mass of grey matter in
each cerebral hemisphere, near the thalamus, concerned with inhibitory control of
movement. See also attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
Internal Capsule
Either of two neural pathways in the brain between the thalamus and the lenticular nucleus
containing nerve fibres running from the thalamus to the left or right cerebral cortex and
from the cerebral cortex to the thalamus, brainstem, and spinal cord. It is a common site for
a stroke .
External Capsule
layer of nerve fibres between the lentiform nucleus and the claustrum (lentiform) belonging
to the basal ganglia located lateral to the internal capsule. Two parts: putamen and globus
pallidus)
Claustrum
Either of two thin sheets of grey matter, composed chiefly of spindle cells, separating the
internal capsule from the insula (limbic-anterior part functions as the cortical pain centre,
and the posterior part is implicated in language functions) n either side of the lenticular
nucleus at the base of the brain.
Putamen
One of the basal ganglia in the corpus striatum , a large reddish structure surrounding the
globus pallidus on three sides in each cerebral hemisphere, consisting of the lateral part of
the lenticular nucleus , implicated in posture and movement control.
Septum Pellucidum
A thin, double partition extending down from the lower surface of the corpus callosum to
the fornix and adjacent structures, separating the lateral ventricles of the brain and enclosing
an area above the third ventricle. It is part of the limbic system and one of the most
important of the pleasure centres of the brain, electrical stimulation of this area producing
intensely agreeable sensations of well-being in humans. Experimental rats with access to
levers to control the output of electrodes implanted semi-permanently in their septal areas
self-stimulate themselves for long periods to the virtual exclusion of food, sex, and sleep,
whereas ablation of the area leads to septal rage .
Globus Pallidus
One of the basal ganglia in the lenticular nucleus of the corpus striatum, either of a pair of
pale yellow globular masses involved in posture, muscle tonus, and the control of eating and
drinking.
Column & Body of the Fornix
Any structure resembling an arch, especially the archlike band of white fibres in the limbic
system at the base of the brain, projecting from the hippocampus to the mammillary bodies ,
involved in memory and the control of eating. Also called the vault.
Optic Tract
The part of each optic nerve between the optic chiasm and the lateral geniculate nucleus.
Amygdala
An almond-shaped brain structure in the limbic system at the base of the inside of each
temporal lobe , contiguous with the olfactory cortex, controlling the experience and
expression of emotion and involved in motivation, aggression, feeding, and (through its links
with the hippocampus) long-term memory. Electrical stimulation of this area usually
produces an intense emotion of fear. Ablation of the amygdala has been used to treat
intermittent explosive disorder or other forms of impulse-control disorder.
Anterior Thalamus
Either of a pair of large, golfballsized capsules near the base of the brain in the
diencephalon, forming a lateral wall of the third ventricle , containing all the nerve fibres that
ascend and descend between the cortex and the spinal cord, part of the ascending reticular
activating system , and relay stations such as the lateral geniculate nuclei and medial
geniculate nuclei , and receiving all sensory inputs, except from the olfactory receptors,
before they are relayed to areas in the cerebral cortex. Its ventral anterior nuclei and ventral
lateral nuclei receive inputs from the globus pallidus and cerebellum and project to the
prefrontal cortex and motor cortex, its ventral posterior nuclei contain inverted topographic
maps of the body and project to the somatosensory cortex, and the pulvinar at its back is
implicated in attention.
Hypothalamus
A fingernail-sized area of the diencephalon at the base of the brain in the limbic system,
occupying the side walls and floor of the third ventricle, situated below both sides of the
thalamus and above the pituitary gland, consisting of two halves with paired right and left
nuclei, crucially involved in the regulation of the endocrine glands and the autonomic
nervous system and implicated in the control of temperature, heart rate, blood pressure,
hunger, thirst, sexual arousal, predatory aggression, and fight-or-flight responses.