Brain U3 Flashcards
cerebral cortex
- this is the thinking portion of the brain where we are processing sensory, motor, our personality and more
** where cognition occurs** - this is a blanket of gray matter that is marked by gyri and sulci
- covers the surface of the brain
- Forms discrete internal clusters called
cerebral nuclei
sulci
these are folds that convolute the surface of the cerebral cortex
- these separate the intervening gyri
- these are basically grooves
gyri
these increase the surface of the area of cerebral hemispheres and they allow for more space for cortical neurons
median longitudinal fissure
this is divides the two hemispheres (which are divided into lobes)
central sulcus
a deep groove that extends laterally from the longitudinal fissure
- it divides the primary sensory and motor areas of the cortex
- this divides frontal and parietal lobes
lateral sulcus
- lateral sulcus is a deep fissure in each hemisphere that separates the frontal and parietal lobes from the temporal lobe
parieto-occipital sulcus
a deep fissure that separates the occipital and the parietal lobes.
frontal lobe
this is the anterior part of the cerebral hemisphere
- anterior to the central sulcus
- the lateral boarder is at the lateral sulcus
- Voluntary motor activity
- contains the prefrontal cortex
Prefrontal cortex:
anterior portion of the frontal cortex
- this is made of three different parts: Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the orbitofrontal cortex, and the anterior cingulate cortex
- this is what sets us apart from other species
- this is where we do our higher level processing and thinking
parietal lobe
- Superoposterior part of each hemisphere
- Involved with general sensory functions:
tactile sensation, proprioception, taste, language, spatial orientation, and directing attention - contains the postcentral gyrus
- this is involved in the initial processing of some sensory information
- it integrates sensory info from multiple different senses and processes that infor together
Central sulcus anteriorly
Lateral sulcus inferiorly
Parieto-occipital sulcus posteriorly
Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
- in the prefrontal cortex
Executive functions
- Organization and planning
- Managing behavior
- High-level decision-making
- Multitasking
- Working memory
Orbitofrontal cortex
- in the prefrontal cortex
- Modulating emotions
- Inhibition
- Adaptive learning, rewards, and emotion
- this is important for inhibiting behavior based on emotions –> helps us not act impulsively
- this does not develop until early-late 20s (explains why teens tend to be more impulsive
- the amygdala is important for processing emotions and works with the orbitofrontal cortex (the amygdala matures early teens)
Anterior cingulate cortex
- in the prefrontal cortex
- this is on the medial aspect of each hemisphere
- Motivational behavior
(helps us to be motivated to do a task and do it at a specific time) - Reward-based learning (Error detection Outcome monitoring)
- helps us to monitor the outcome of an action to see if it matches the intended outcome we had and if we detect an error then we can learn and do it differently the next time - Pain processing
Precentral gyrus
Beginning of the corticospinal tract
- this is what the primary motor cortex is on
temporal lobe
- this is near the ear
- Inferior to the lateral sulcus
- has a Superior, middle, and inferior gyri
- Involved with hearing and smell
- Medial temporal lobe is within it
occipital lobe
the region posterior to the parieto-occipital sulcus
cerebral hemispheres
- these are two divisions that separate the brain
- each one has lateralization
- they are not identical functionally but appear to be mirror images
- they are covered by cortex
- divided into lobes
- they are connected by a few white motor pathways
- they are divided by the medial longitudinal fissure
hemispheric lateralization
the specialization of the specific functions that one hemisphere does that are not done by the other
left cerebral hemisphere
- specialized language areas (reading, writing, speaking)
- important for analytical tasks (mathematical calculations and logical decision making
- premotor cortex involved in hand movements is larger in the left side of the brain for right handed individuals
right cerebral hemisphere
analyzes sensory information
- relates the body to the sensory environment
- interpretive centers permit you to identify familiar objects by touch, smell, slight, or taste
(recognizes faces and 3D relationships) - analyzes emotional context of conversation
(differentiating between “get lost!” and “get lost?”
central white matter
this is covered by the gray matter of the cerebral cortex
- contains myelinated fibers forming bundles that connect one cortical area to another or that connect areas of the cortex to other regions in the brain
- has three types of bundles:
o Commissure fibers
o Association Fibers
o Projection Fibers
Commissure fibers
these link two cerebral hemispheres together
association fibers
these interconnect areas of cortex within a single cerebral hemisphere
projection fibers
these link the cerebrum with other regions of the brain and spinal cord
diencephalon
Gray matter deep in the brain surrounded by the cerebral hemispheres - Composed of three paired structures Thalamus Hypothalamus Epithalamus
- this connects the brainstem and the cerebral hemispheres
thalamus
the largest mass of nuclei in the entire CNS
- these nuclei provide integration and relay centers for sensory and motor pathways
- all ascending sensory info from the spinal cord and cranial nerves synapses in thalamic nuclei and then the information is relayed to the cerebrum or the brain stem (except for the olfactory nerve and spinocerebellar tract)
- the dorsal column medial lemniscus pathway and the ALS pathway of the spinal cord have relays in the thalamus
divisions of the brain
- telencephalon
- diencephalon
- mesencephalon
- metencephalon
- myelencephalon
what is something to remember about the differences of the white and gray matter of the brain and spinal cord
- the white matter is more deep in the brain and the gray matter is more superficial where as in the spinal cord the gray matter is deep and the white matter is superficical
- the gray matter is both is still unmyelinated axons, cell bodies and dendrites
- the white matter is myelinated axons in both
motor areas of the cerebral cortex
these control voluntary motor functions
sensory areas of the cerebral cortex
these provide conscious awareness of sensation
multimodal association areas in the cerebral cortx
these are where integration and interpretation of sensory and motor information occurs
-this is where higher thoughts and personality come from; this takes into consideration out past experiences to think, plan, and make decisions
cytoarchitecture
- this is the way the brain is layered
- there are a possible 6 layers of brain layers, some regions have all six others do not
- structure governs function!!!
- the design and layout of neurons in certain areas is based on what that area needs to do
telencephalon
(cerebrum and lobes)
mesencephalon
midbrain
- metencephalon
pons and cerebellum
- think they met at the metencephalon
myelencephalon
- medulla oblongata
- this is the connection between the brain and spinal cord
- there are many myelinated axons traveling through this
rostral
toward the nose
caudal
toward the tail
what is important to remember about the brain and its axis of orientation
- it is slightly different than other areas
- ventral is referring to inferior and dorsal is referring to superior (this is different compared to how we use these words to describe the spinal cord)
phrenology
this is an ancient theory and some still believe it today but it is not true
- it talks about the shape of one’s skull and how that is based on the size and shape of that person’s brain and that can determine how smart someone is or how good they are at doing something
brodmann’s areas
this is the work of Korbinain brodmann
- he created a map of the brain based on cytoarchitectural differences in different brain regions
- the areas are numbered 1-52
- *this slide was skipped in class**
corpus callosum
this is the largest pathway that connects the hemispheres
- the fibers in this pathway take the shortest route to get to their destination
- the anterior connects the frontal lobes and the posterior connects the posterior regions of the brain like the occipital lobe
what happens to the corpus callosum with a traumatic brain injury
the corpus callosum can be stretched and strained.
- one hemisphere of the brain will move away from the falx cerebri and move toward the skull whereas the other will ram into the falx cerebri
- the areas of the corpus callosum that are the farthest from the axis of the brain will be the most strained ( we saw this on the heat map on the slide in class)
what is the falx cerebri
this is a thick layer of tissue that dives down between the two hemispheres in the median longitudinal fissure
what are the networks of the brain
these connect different areas of the brain and they contain both white and gray matter
default mode network
- this is activated when we are not performing a task; daydreaming, mind wandering, thinking about others
- this can be altered by concussions and psychiatric conditions
salience network
this is switching between the default mode and the central executive network
- this helps us determine what is the most important thing to attend to at a given moment
- tells us what to pay attention to whereas the executive is helping us to maintain that attention and prioritize a task
- in class she gave the example of when you hear an ambulance when you are driving you use this to determine where the ambulance is, do you need to pull over, is it actually on another street and you can hear it but can ignore it, etc
central executive network
this engages your conscious brain to think and maintains attention on a prioritized task
anterior commissure
this connects the medial temporal lobe regions
post central gyrus
- a prominent gyrus in the lateral parietal lobe of the human brain
- It is the location of the primary somatosensory cortex, the main sensory receptive area for the sense of touch
- this has the sensory homunculus
homunculus
this is a representation of the body on the cortex
- the motor or sensory distribution along the cerebral cortex of the brain
- these are present in each hemisphere and represent the contralateral side of the body
somatosensory association cortex
- this is within the parietal lobe and is directly posterior to the primary somatosensory cortex
- this integrates and interprets sensory information
- this is taking info from the past and adding it to the present
- these are constantly working to help us understand what we are feeling in our environment
sensory homunculus
- this is in the postcentral gyrus of the parietal lobe
- as you move from medial to superior to lateral, the representation of each body part gets larger, showing there is more degree of touch or sensation doing to that are
- lower extremity: the lower extremity neurons are located along the midline on the midline on the medial aspect of each hemisphere within the medial longitudinal fissure
- arms and upper extremity: these are more superior
- hands face and tongue: these are all located more lateral
primary somatosensory cortex
- this is on the post central gyrus
- this is posterior to the central sulcus
- this receives general somatic sensory info from touch and pressure receptors
- discriminative touch and pressure from the dorsal column medial lemniscus pathway and some info from the ALS pathway come here
- contains the sensory homunculus
working memory
this is taking in information, integrating it and using it right away - class definition: used for temporarily storing and manipulating information
- in class she said “repeat the words apple, table penny”
- this is using that to take in the info and use it right away
what did the case of phineas gage teach us
- this taught us that we do not need the prefrontal cortex to be alive but it plays a huge role in personality!
- he was originally liked by everyone that we worked with at the railroad yard and no one who knew him ever complained about him
- after the accident where the pole when through his prefrontal cortex, he was not the same person, became impulsive, couldn’t keep a job, developed cognitive difficulties and didn’t have a long memory span
primary motor cortex
- this is in the frontal lobe
- this is for voluntary motor movement
- on the precentral gyrus
- this is posterior to the premotor cortex
precentral gyrus
- this is the beginning of the corticospinal tract
- innervation can be diagrammed as a motor homunculus on the precentral gyrus
- this homunculus is organized very similar to the somatosensory homunculus
- lower extremity: the lower extremity neurons are located along the midline on the midline
- arms and upper extremity: these are more superior
- hands face and tongue: these are all located more lateral
- we need fine motor control of hands, face, and tongue for different motor skills (speaking for example)
premotor cortex and supplementary motor cortices
- this is anterior to the primary motor cortex
- these process information, plans and coordinates learned, skilled motor activities
- these plan movements when responding to information
broca’s area
this is in the frontal cortex in the left hemisphere
- this area controls the muscle actions needed for speech
broca’s aphasia
- this is when there is damage to broca’s area
- the patent can understand spoken language but has difficulty communicating verbally
- this disease can vary a lot and some people are able to relearn and develop better skills whereas other cannot
(some people can not speak at all, others can say some things, most people can not develop much more skills) - this can also affect writing and sign language
- this is extremely frustrating for the patient
- they know what they wanna say but just can’t get it out
medial temporal lobe
- this has structures that are associated with the limbic system:
=memory, learning, aggression, emotion
superior gyri of the temporal lobe
this contains the auditory association area and the auditory cortex
wernicke’s area
- this is the complementary area to broca’s area
- this is recognizing and comprehending written and spoken language
- this is within the left hemisphere (b/c language)
- this overlaps the parietal and temporal lobes
wernicke’s aphasia
this is damage to wernicke’s area that can result in:
- fluent speech (they can put together sentences but they don’t fit with the conversation or make sense)
- imparied repition and comprehension
- wordy but meaningless speech
- this is less frustrating for the patient that broca’s aphasia because the patient might think that they are coming off normal and making sense (it is hard to know if they understand that they make no sense)
- it is more frustrating for the caretakers and the people around the individual because they want to help but don’t even know if the person realizes there is an issue
hippocampus
- this is in the medial temporal lobe
- this is essential for learning, storing memories, and forming long term memories
- this gets damaged with many neurodegenerative diseases
- on the slide we see it is virtually non existent in the patient with alzheimer’s because there has been so much neuronal loss
short term memory:
characterized by limited capacity and brief duration
- longer than working memory
long term memory
this may exist for limitless periods of time
- we do not remember everything but can remember certain things for the entirety of our lives
what did we learn from patient HM
- after an experimental surgery of removing his hippocampus to see if it would stop seizures he had, patient HM could no longer store anything new into long term memory
- this showed us how important the hippocampus is for storing things into long term memory
amygdala
- this is in the medial temporal lobe
- this is just anterior to the hippocampus
- this is highly connected to the orbitofrontal cortex of the prefrontal cortex
- there are connections with many sensory association areas
- it works to tie memories to emotions by establishing associations between them (it sorts and codes memories based on how they are emotionally perceived
- it is involved with several aspects of emotion, especially fear
- damage to the amygdala can make it difficult to manage emotions
- the amygdala and the hippocampus have been shown to be involved with depression
insula
this is thought to be an old part of the brain and as we evolved, the frontal lobe and the temporal lobe grew over it
- it is deep to the lateral sulcus
- contains the primary gustatory cortex (processes taste information and the salience network
- we do not fully understand what it does
limbic system
- this contains structures that collectively process, and experience emotions
- establishes emotional states and related behavioral drives
- it works with the hippocampus to tie out memories and sensations to emotional states
- it links conscious, intellectual functions of the cortex with unconscious and ANS functions of other brain regions
- structures in the limbic system make a ring around the diencephalon
what structures are included in the limbic system
- the tienceohalon, diencephalon, and the brain stem
basal ganglia
- these are masses of gray matter that lie within each hemisphere deep to the floor of the lateral ventricle (embedded in the white matter)
- this is involved in regulation of somatic motor activity
- they work with the cerebral cortex to modulate and control voluntary movements and make sure the movements happen in a smooth and coordinated way
- help with the rhythm of movements (ex. how we move our arms and legs when we walk)
- these do not initiate particular movements but once a movement is underway, the basal nuclei coordinate the movement
- the caudate nucleus, putamen, and globus pallidus work together to play a role in unconscious movement
what do the basal ganglia do to control posture and voluntary motor movements
- coordinate and adjust pattern and rhythm of movement
- control and integrate muscle tone
- coordinate learned movement patterns
process, integrate, and relay info from the cortex to the thalamus
caudate nucleus
- within the basal nuclei
- this has a large head and slender curving tail that follows the curve of the lateral ventricle
- work together with the putamen and globus pallidus to play a role in unconscious movement
- controls the cycles of arm and leg movements that occur between the time you decide to start walking and stop walking (along with the putamen)
putamen
- within the basal nuclei
- a thalamic nucleus involved in the integration of sensory information prior to projection to the cerebral hemispheres
- work together with the caudate nucleus and globus pallidus to play a role in unconscious movement
- controls the cycles of arm and leg movements that occur between the time you decide to start walking and stop walking (along with the putamen)
globus pallidus
- within the basal nuclei
- work together with the putamen and caudate nucleus to play a role in unconscious movement
- controls and adjusts muscle tone (in the appendicular muscles) to set body position in preparation for voluntary body movement
hypothalamus
a master control center for unconscious functions
- autonomic regulated body temp, hunger, thirst, circadian rhythm and plays a role in memory
- the master control center for the endocrine system
- responds to changes in the blood, CSF, interstitial fluid
- recieves info from the cerebrum, brainstem and spinal cord
epithalamus
- this is the pineal gland
infundibulum
this is the connection between the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus
functions of the hypothalamus
- subconscious control of skeletal muscle
- control of autonomic function (regulates HR, BP, digestion, RR by adjusting autonomic centers in other parts of the brain)
- coordinates activities of nervous and endocrine systems (it can stimulate or inhibit the pituitary)
- secretion of hormones
- produces emotions and behavioral drives (can cause changes in behavior, voluntary or involuntary [can stimulate thirst center to produce the desire to drink]
- coordination of voluntary and autonomic functions
- regulation of body temp
- control circadian rhythm
describe hypothalamic control of the endocrine system
- controls the release of regulatory hormones from the anterior pituitary gland
- secretes specific hormones from the posterior pituitary gland
- controls the stimulation and secretion of activites of the adrenal medulla
pituitary gland
- this is just inferior to the hypothalamus and has two lobes
- this is connected to the hypothalamus by the infundibulum
- the posterior lobe is directly connected to the hypothalamus by neurosecretory cells
- the anterior portion is connected to the hypothalamus through a portal system of capillaires
adenohypophysis
- another name for the anterior pituitary gland
- this is controlled by releasing and inhibiting hormones from the hypothalamus that are released into the hypothalamo hypophyseal portal system
- if the they are releasing hormones, this stimulates the anterior pituitary to release hormones into the secondary capillary plexus which drains into general circulation
neruohypophysis
this is another name for the posterior pituitary gland
- this lobe does not make hormones, it stores the 2 hormones made in the hypothalamus that travel down through the neurosecretory cells that form the hypothalamohypophyseal tract
- these two hormones are stored in vesicles until stimulation leads to the release into the general circulation
cerebellum functions
- this coordinates voluntary motor activity with precision, timing, and error correction
- controls muscle tone and posture (with the basil ganglia)
- coordinates higher cognitive functions (problem solving, abstraction, directed attention)
- coordinates emotional processing
- *** all of these are ipsilateral **
cerebrellum
this is the master coordinator
- the key structure involved in learning new processes(*** not the hippocampus)
- patient HM could be taught to do something like a shoot a basketball and get really good and then later if you asked he would not remember at all and if he tired he would be surprised by how good he was (he was able to know how to do it even if he didn’t remember learning)
- the cerebellar tract is bringing in info about what we are doing and the cerebrum is bringing in info about what the plan is
- the cerebellum is the monitoring of if the actual motion is matching the plan
folia
folds in the surface of cerebellar cortex
vermis
a narrow band of corex that separates the two hemispheres of the cerebellum
describe the gross anatomy of the cerebellum
- this has two hemispheres and they have a highly folded surface composed of cerebellar cortex
- each hemisphere has two lobes (the anterior and the posterior lobes which are divided by the primary fissure)
posterior lobe of cerebellum
It plays an important role in fine motor coordination, specifically in the inhibition of involuntary movement
anterior lobe of cerebellum
the portion of the cerebellum responsible for mediating unconscious proprioception
flocculonodular lobe of cerebellum
these are important for balance and eye movement
superior cerebellar peduncles
- these link the cerebellum with nuclei in the mesencephalon, diencephalon, and cerebrum
- this takes the info of pathways from the cerebellum about whether the intended movements and the actual movements are matching, the send that info to a relay in the thalamus
middle cerebellar peduncles
connect the cerebellar hemispheres with sensory and motor nuclei in the pons
- fibers have to travel through these to reach the cerebellum
inferior cerebellar peduncles
connect the cerebellum and nuclei in the medulla oblongata and carry ascending and descending cerebellar tracts from the spinal cord
purkinje cells
highly branched cells with pear shaped cell bodies with numerous large dendrites fanning out into the gray matter of the cerebral cortex
most of the sensory information coming into the cerebellum do not synapse with the cerebellar nuclei and pass through the deep layers of the cerebellar cortex and synapse with the purkinje cells
what do the peduncles do?
they are connecting the cerebellum to the brainstem
brain stem
- contains many autonomica centers and reflex centers required for survival
- contains paired left and right structures
- made up of the midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata
functions of the brain stem
- consciousness and awareness
- autonomic behaviors needed for survival
- auditory and visual reflexes
- motor and sensory innervation to the head and neck via the cranial nerves
midbrain
- this is the most superior portion of the brainstem
- contains the tectum and the reticular formation
- it also contains the cerebral peduncles, substantia nigra, and the red nucleus for motor functions
primary fissure
this divides the cerebellum into the anterior and posterior lobes
tectum
- this is in the brainstem
- this is the four bumps on the posterior aspect of the midbrain
- contains 2 pairs of sensory nuclei called corpora quadrigemina (these are the visual and auditory reflexes)
superior colliculi
these are visual reflexes
inferior colliculi
these are the auditory reflexes
reticular formation
- this is located throughout the brainstem and is responsible for arousal and consciousness
cerebral peduncles
this is in the brainstem
- the is primarily motor axons
- including those of the corticospinal tract
substantia nigra
this is neurons that secrete dopamine
- they control voluntary movements through connections to the basal ganglia
- this is part of the circuit with the basal ganglia
red nucleus
this is involving involuntary motor control, maintaining muscle tone and limb formation
- this is similar to basal ganglia with an unconscious motor function but it functions differently
parkinsons disease
the substantia nigra neurons die and can no longer release that dopamine
- dopamine is very important for the network with the basal ganglia –> this results in difficulties with motor control and smoothness of movements
corpora quadrigemina
the pairs of sensory nuclei on the tectum
pons
- this is between the midbrain and the medulla oblongata
- this sits anterior to the cerebellum and the 4th ventricle
- contains corticospinal tract fibers
- process and relay of cerebellar commands
- contains the middle cerebellar peduncles
- it is also the origin of four cranial nerves
- contains the pontine respiratory center
where does somatosensation originate within the pons
the medial lemniscus
- the medial lemniscus is traveling throughout the entire brainstem and that is where the dorsal column medial lemniscus pathway is traveling
what happens to the fibers that are in the corticospinal tract that down the brainstem
these fibers scatter when they enter the belly of the pons
- some even will synapse here and travel to the cerebellum to tell it what the plan for movement is
pontine respiratory center
this regulates the respiratory rhythmicity center of the medulla oblongata (regulates respiration rate)
functions of the pons
- regulation of breathing
- hearing
- balance
- sleep regulation
how does the pons function in hearing
the superior olivary nuclei receives auditory input and help localize sounds
how does the pons function in balance
nuclei that relay info from the cerebellum
medulla oblongata
- this is the inferior portion of the brain stem
- it connects the brain with the spinal cord
- 5 cranial nerves originate from it
- contains sensory nuclei from the dorsal column medial lemniscus pathway
- has motor information
where is the motor information in the medulla oblongata
this is in the pyramids and they are made of the corticospinal tracts
- the pyramidal decussation is where the corticospinal fibers cross
what do the autonomic nuclei group together and form in the medulla oblongata
- the cardiovascular center and the medullary respiratory center
- other nuclei involved in unconscious things (coughing, sneezing, salivation, swallowing, gagging, and vomiting)
the cardiovascular center in the medulla oblongata
this is there to adjust heart rate, strength of contraction, vasoconstriction/dilation
- the vagus nerve then takes this info to the heart to regulate those functions
the medullary respiratory center
this sets the pace of breathing (respiratory rate)
what is important to remember about motor control in the brain
- this process is extremely complicated and it is constantly happening every time we do anything
- the cerebellum is constantly adjusting and monitoring to make sure we move the way we intend to
- this process can happen in milliseconds
what are the two primary route of blood to the brain
the vertebral arterys and the internal carotid arteries
vertebral arteries
- these are a branch off of the subclavian arteries
- these travel through the transverse foramen in the cervical vertebra
- these then merge (the left and right) to form the basilar artery which will enter the circle of willis
internal carotid arteries
- these are a branch off of the common carotid artery
- these enter the skull and eventually enter the circle of WIllis
external carotid arteries
- a large vessel that supplies the majority of the head
- has many branches (their name implys where they go)
- superior thyroid artery
- lingual artery (to the tongue)
- facial artery
- occipital artey
- posterior auncular (supplies behind the ear)
- maxillary
- superficial temportal (supplies superficial lateral scalp)
what does the maxillary branch of the external carotid supply
- this runs deep and goes into the cheek region
- this supples the muscles for mastication, teeth, nasal cavity
describe the circle of willis
- the right and left vertebral arteries come together and corm the basillar artery
- the basillar artery branches into the left and right posterior cerebral arteries
- the right and left posterior arteries are connected to the middle cerebral arteries by the right and loft posterior communicating arteries
- the internal carotid arteries come up and insert into the cerebral portion of the circle of willis (they branch into the middle cerebral artery and the anterior cerebral artery
- the anterior communicating artery is connecting the left and right anterior cerebral arteries
Anterior cerebral arteries
the anterior cerebral arteries fo toward midline and run just above the corpus callosum on the medial aspect of each hemisphere
middle cerebral arteries
the middle cerebral arteries branch out between the temporal lobe and the frontal lobe
posterior cerebral arteries
these are branches off of the basilar artery and are connected to the middle cerebral arteries by the posterior communicating arteries
anterior communicating artery
this is connecting the right and left anterior cerebral arteries
posterior communicating artery
these are connecting the middle and the posterior cerebral arteries
vertebral vein
- this runs with the vertebral artery
- this will drain into the brachiocephalic vein
internal jugular vein
this drains everything from the dural sinuses within the brain
- this will merge with the subclavian vein to form the brachiocephalic vein
brachiocephalic vein
the internal jugular vein and the subclavian vein merge to form this
- there is one on both sides of the body which is different than the arteries
- the left and right then merge to form the superior vena cava
