Download Neuroanatomy

Gross
Neuroanatomy
Directional Terms
Rostral
toward the nose
Caudal
toward the tail
Dorsal
toward the back
Ventral
toward the belly
Medial
toward the midline
Lateral
away from the midline
Anterior
toward the front
Posterior
toward the rear
Superior
above
Inferior
below
(superior)
(Anterior)
(Posterior)
(inferior)
Anterior
(Posterior)
Posterior
(Anterior)
Relational Terms
Afferent
projecting toward
Efferent
projecting away from
Ipsilateral
on the same side
Contralateral on the opposite side
Proximal
near a point of reference
Distal
distant from a point of reference
Planes of Section
Coronal or frontal
perpendicular to the neuraxis
perpendicular to ground
apply only to brain
Sagittal
parallel to neuraxis
perpendicular to ground
midsagittal = plane of symmetry
Horizontal
parallel to ground
parallel to neuraxis
applies only to brain
Transverse
perpendicular to neuraxis
applies to brain and spinal cord
Oblique
any section not in a standard plane
Neuraxis
Swanson, L.W. (2000) What is the brain?
Trends Neurosci, 23, 519-527.
(Swanson, 2000)
(Swanson, 2000)
SYSTEM NERVORUM CENTRALE
(Central nervous system)
I. ENCEPHALON (brain)
A. PROSENCEPHALON (forebrain)
1. TELENCEPHALON (endbrain; limbic system, basal ganglia & cerebral cortex)
2. DIENCEPHALON (between-brain, or interbrain; hypothalamus & thalamus)
B. MESENCEPHALON (midbrain; tectum & tegmentum)
C. RHOMBENCEPHALON (hindbrain)
1. METENCEPHALON (pons & cerebellum)
2. MYELENCEPHALON (medulla oblongata)
II. MEDULLA SPINALIS (spinal cord)
Notes: "BRAINSTEM" is an imprecisely defined term which usually refers to the rhombencephalon
and mesencephalon together. It may or may not include the cerebellum, and sometimes the
diencephalon is included. "CEREBRUM" or "CEREBRAL HEMISHPHERES" refer to the
telencephalon.
Prosencephalon = diencephalon + telencephalon
Mesencephalon = tegmentum + tectum
Rhombencephalon =
metencephalon (pons, + cerebellum)
+ myelencephalon (medulla)
(Swanson, 2000)
Humans
Vertebrae
Spinal Nerves
Cervical 1-7
Thoracic 1-12
Lumbar 1-5
Sacral
1-5
Coccygeal 1-2
Cervical 1-8
Thoracic 1-12
Lumbar 1-5
Sacral
1-5
Coccygeal 1
Totals
31
31
Shepherd, G.M. (1974) The Synaptic Organization of the Brain.
Figure 17-14
Lateral Geniculate Nucleus of Cat
Rabbit
Neonatal Cat
Five Organizational
Principles of the CNS
1. Parallel processing within
functional systems
2. Axons with common origins
and terminations form
bundles
3. Topographical mapping
4. Hierarchical organization
5. Decussation of long tracts
Two More
Organizational Principles
1. Laminar (layered)
organization of sensory
structures;
nuclear/columnar
organization of motor
structures
2. Columnar (modular)
organization of cerebral
cortex
Cytology
of
Cerebral cortex
Layer I: acellular dendrites and axons; local
processing
Layer II: granule cells; local processing
Layer III: External pyramidal cells; intracortical
projections
Layer IV: Granule cells, stellate cells, pyramidal
cells; principle sensory input layer
Layer V: Pyramidal cells; projections from cortex
to other CNS structures
Layer VI: Heterogeneous; pyramidal cells,
granule cells; local and projection neurons
Layer II—local interneurons
Layer III—cortico-cortical projections
Layer IV—principle input layer
Layer V—long extrinsic projections
Layer VI—intracranial projections
Nerves 9-12: Medullary
Nerves 5-8: Pontine
Nerves 3, 4: Mesencephalic
Nerves 1, 2: Telencephalic