Neuroscience BASICS PDF

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Neuroscience BASICS...

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Article SSummary ummary Notes: An Intr Introduction oduction to the Structure and Fun ction of the CNS ! §

Knowing the most important structures of the brain and their spatial relationships is important for understanding how the brain works and understanding how these different structures are interconnected provides valuable hints about how the activity of different brain areas is integrated to form a network that supports complex cognitive and emotional functions!

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Neuroanatomy - structures of the nervous system and their interconnections! Functional neuroanatomy - relationship between the structures and functions of the brain!

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There are several general terms that help us orient ourselves within the nervous system. Anterior (rostral) refers to the front, and posterior (caudal) refers to the back! Superior (dorsal) denotes the top or upper portion of a structure, and inferior (ventral) the bot- tom or underside ! Medial refers to the middle, and lateral to the side. ! These terms are used to indicate the position of a structure relative to the whole brain and also relative to other structures!

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The central nervous system consists of the brain and the spinal cord. The peripheral nervous system includes all of the sensory and motor nerves coursing through the body and conveying signals to and from the central nervous system. !

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The brain is traditionally divided into three parts: the forebrain (prosencephalon), the midbrain (mes- encephalon), and the hindbrain (rhombencephalon)! The forebrain includes the cerebral cortex, the basal ganglia, the lateral ventricles, and the limbic system! The cerebral cortex, the most highly evolved region of the human brain, is traditionally divided into four lobes: the occipital, parietal, temporal, and frontal! The surface of the cortex has many sulci and gyri that increase the area of cortex that can be contained in the limited volume of the skull - they also conveniently serve as landmarks for identifying cortical regions. Most cortex has six layers of cells, although a few regions have only one or two layers!

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