sheep brain dissection

function of frontal lobe

higher cognitive processing, executive function

function of parietal lobe

touch, proprioception (sense body’s position, orientation), speech

function of temporal lobe

speech, memory, hearing

function of occipital lobe

vision

function of cerebellum

motor learning, balance

gyri

bumps in the cortex that result from folding

sulci

valleys in the cortex that result from folding

longitudinal fissue

separates left and right hemispheres

central sulcus

• cortex

• separates the frontal and parietal lobes

lateral fissure

• cortex

• separates the temporal and frontal/parietal lobes

dorsal view anatomy of sheep brain includes

• dorsal portion of brainstem

• superior colliculi - low level visual processing

• inferior colliculi - low level auditory and vestibular (balance, spatial awareness, connected to ear) processing

• pineal gland - endocrine functions, production of melatonin

ventral view anatomy of sheep brain includes

• cerebellum

• brain stem

• optic nerve and chiasm

• olfactory bulbs

• hypothalamus

brain stem is made up of

from dorsal to ventral:

• pons

• medulla

• spinal cord (bottom extended area)

bundles of axons in the peripheral nervous system are called

nerves

bundles of axons in the central nervous system are called

tracts

arbor vitae

pattern of white matter in the cerebellum

cingulate gyrus

• part of the cerebral cortex; visible from a midsagittal view

• large, sickle-shaped, above the corpus callosum

• attention

corpus callosum

• white matter, just below the cerebral cortex; visible from a midsagittal view

• hemsiphere communication

lateral ventricle

• just below the corpus callosum

• looks like a hole

• contains cerebral spinal fluid for cushioning

fornix

• white matter, c-shaped

• looks connected to the corpus callosum

• projects axons from hippocampus to other parts of the brain

thalamus

• above (dorsal) to the hypothalamus

• bigger than the hypothalamus, lies on top of the brain stem

• circular

• relay station for sensory input

hypothalamus

• below the thalamus, smaller

• lima bean shaped from midsagittal view

• endocrine function, motivation, reward, homeostatic functions

optic chiasm

• where the optic tracts meet and form an “x” from ventral view

• from midsagittal view: at the very bottom of the brain, white matter, beside the hypothalamus (anterior)

• visual input crosses over to other side of the brain

mammilary body

• below (visible in ventral view) thalamus and hypothalamus-ish, small

• very round, circular, centered

• memory

pineal gland

• posterior to thalamus, pretty obvious, pumpkin seed-esque

• producer and releaser of endocrin hormones; production of melanin

cerebral aqueduct

• small gap next to the bottom of the cerebellum

• connects third and fourth ventricles of brain; allows flow of CSF

pons

• most dorsal part of brain stem

• pretty big; not very obvious from midsagittal view but is a little protrusion; from ventral view it is more obvious and symmetric; has a little crack

• balance, sleep

medulla

• further down the brain stem from the pons

• larger than the pons

• extends out and under the cerebellum

• heart rate, respiration

fourth ventricle

• right under the cerebellum’s crack; pretty ventral to everything, direct center of the coronal view

• contains CSF

caudate nucleus

• motor, cognitive, reward functions; part of basal ganglia

• anterior coronal section

• two bulbs at the bottom, bordering the lateral ventricles

putamen

• part of basal ganglia; movement, memory, language, emotion

• anterior coronal section

• below the caudate nuclei, one on each side

hippocampus

• around middle of the brain coronal section

• long hook-like shapes, around the center

• memory

amygdala

• below and slightly anterior to bottom hook part of hippocampus

• fear, emotion, memory

• bottommost bulges on the sides