mjor brain structures

• Neocortex:

The largest part of the cerebral cortex; responsible for higher cognitive functions like perception, reasoning, and voluntary movement.

• Hippocampus

Involved in memory formation and spatial navigation.

• Central fissure (Rolandic fissure)

Separates the frontal lobe from the parietal lobe.

• Lateral fissure (Sylvian fissure)

Separates the temporal lobe from the frontal and parietal lobes.

• Longitudinal fissure

Divides the two cerebral hemispheres.

• Precentral gyrus

• Primary motor cortex; controls voluntary movement.

• Postcentral gyrus

• Primary somatosensory cortex; processes body sensations.

• Superior temporal gyrus

• Involved in hearing and language processing

• Cingulate gyrus

• Part of the limbic system; involved in emotion formation and processing, learning, and memory

• Frontal lobe

• Executive functions, decision-making, planning, motor control.

• Temporal lobe

• Hearing, language comprehension, and memory.

• Parietal lobe

• Sensory integration, spatial awareness, and body orientation.

• Occipital lobe:

• Visual processing.

• Amygdala

• Processes emotions such as fear and pleasure

• Hippocampus

• Memory consolidation and navigation.

Fornix

Major fiber tract connecting hippocampus to other limbic structures.

• Cingulate cortex

• Regulates emotions and pain; involved in motivation and learning

• Septum

• Involved in reward and emotional regulation.

• Mammillary bodies.

• Memory processing; relay between hippocampus and thalamus

• Caudate nucleus (basal ganglia)

• Involved in learning, memory, and voluntary movement.

• Putamen (basal ganglia)

• Works with caudate in regulating movement and motor skills.

• Globus pallidus (basal ganglia)

• Helps control voluntary movement; part of motor circuit.

• Corpus callosum

• Large bundle of fibers connecting the two cerebral hemispheres, allowing communication between them.

• Thalamus:

• The brain’s sensory relay center; sends sensory information to the appropriate cortical areas. (Di)

• Massa intermedia:

• Connects the two thalamic lobes across the third ventricle. (Di)

Lateral geniculate nuclei

Visual relay to occipital cortex. (Di)

Medial geniculate nuclei

Auditory relay to temporal cortex. (Di)

Ventral posterior nuclei:

Somatosensory relay to parietal cortex. (Di)

• Hypothalamus:

• Regulates hormones, hunger, thirst, temperature, and autonomic nervous system activity. (Di)

• Optic chiasm:

• Point where optic nerves cross, allowing visual information from both eyes to be processed by both hemispheres. (Di)

• Pituitary gland:

• Master endocrine gland controlling hormone release throughout the body. (Di)

• Mammillary bodies:

• Memory and spatial navigation (also part of limbic system). (Di)

Tectum (Mese)

• Superior colliculi: Controls visual reflexes and head/eye movements.

• Inferior colliculi: Processes auditory information.

Tegmentum (mese)

• Reticular formation: Controls arousal, sleep, attention, and muscle tone.

• Cerebral aqueduct: Connects the third and fourth ventricles; allows cerebrospinal fluid flow.

• Periaqueductal gray: Pain modulation and defensive behaviors.

• Substantia nigra: Produces dopamine; involved in movement (affected in Parkinson’s).

• Red nucleus: Motor coordination.

• Reticular formation (mete)

• As above; maintains arousal and muscle tone.

• Pons: (mete)

• Connects cerebellum to the rest of the brain; regulates sleep, breathing, and facial movements.

• Cerebellum (mete)

• Coordinates movement, balance, and fine motor control.

Reticular formation

Myelencephalon (Medulla Oblongata)

• Regulates vital autonomic functions (heartbeat, respiration, etc.).