PSY 355 Brain Dissection Terms

Dura Mater

Tough, outer layer of the meninges

Arachnoid

Web-like layer of the meninges filled with fluid that cushions the brain

Pia Mater

Delicate, inner layer of the meninges

Longitudinal Fissure

Deep grove that separates the two cerebral hemispheres

Central Sulcus

Separates the parietal lobe from the frontal lobe, and the primary motor cortex from the primary somatosensory cortex

Sylvian Fissure

Separates the temporal lobe from the frontal and parietal lobes

Pre-central Gyrus

Location of the primary motor cortex

Post-central Gyrus

Location of the primary somatosensory cortex

Olfactory Bulbs

Located at the forebrain, receives neural input about odors detected in cells by the nasal cavity

Optic Nerve

Transmits electrical impulses from the eyes to the brain

Optic Chiasm

Part of the brain where the optic nerves cross; importance for the visual pathway

Optic Tract

Bundle of nerve fibers that carries visual in formation from the optic chiasm to the left and right geniculate bodies as a part of the visual pathway

Oculomotor Nerve

The main functions: innervation to the pupil and lens, innervation to the upper eye lid, and innervation of the eye muscles that allow for visual tracking and gaze fixation

Trigeminal Nerve

Provides sensory information to the face

Pituitary Gland

Monitors and regulates bodily functions with the hormones it produces

Cerebellum

Vital component of motor regulation and balance control

Medulla Oblongata

Carries signals from the brain to the rest of the body for essential life functions like breathing, circulation, and digestion

The Pons

Transmits signals from the forebrain to the cerebellum, giving sensory cues and motor information

Corpus Callosum

Region that allows information from one hemisphere to travel to another hemisphere

Cingulate Gyrus

Helps regulate emotions and pain

Septum Pellucidum

Positioned between the two hemispheres and separates the lateral ventricles

Pineal Gland

Endocrine gland important for the sleep-wake cycle

Cerebral Peduncles

Communicates information to and from the cerebellum (there’s like no good pictures of this one)

Superior Colliculi

Involved in detecting, localizing, ad orienting toward external stimuli

Inferior Colliculi

Acts as a channel for almost all auditory signals in the human body; involved in signal integration, frequency recognition, and pitch discrimination

Mammillary Bodies

Involved in recollective memory

Thalamus

Relays motor and sensory information from the body to the brain

The Basal Ganglia

Subcortical nuclei that are responsible for motor control, motor learning, executive functions and behaviors, and emotions (there’s no good pictures for this one either)

Cerebral Ventricles

Filled with cerebrospinal fluid (google is failing me rn there’s no pictures of this one either)

Choroid Plexus

Responsible for producing cerebrospinal fluid

Cerebral Aqueduct

Allows cerebrospinal fluid to flow between the third an fourth ventricle

Hypothalamus

Maintains homeostasis

Hippocampus

Plays a role in memory, learning, and emotion

Hippocampal Gyrus

Plays important role in memory encoding and retrieval