L13 The Brain Flashcards
What are the three types of the cerebral cortex?
- Olfatory cortex
- Neocortex
- Hippocampus
Is the hippocampus found in each temporal lobe or just one?
It is found in each temporal lobe
What is the hippocampus and how many layers does it consist of?
The hippocampus is a major component of the brain’s limbic system, playing a crucial role in: Memory formation, spatial navigation and emotions. It has only three layers.
What is the neocortex?
It plays a crucial role in sensory perception, cognition, motor commands, spatial reasoning, and language
How many layers does the neocortex have?
It has 6 layers:
1. Molecular layer
2. Ext. Granular layer
3. Ext. Pyramidal layer
4. Int. Granular layer
5. Int. Pyramidal layer
6. Fusiform layer
Describe the main adaptation of the neocortex
The folding of the neocortex, creating gyri (ridges) and sulci (grooves), dramatically increases its surface area within a limited cranial space. This allows for a greater number of neurons and more complex neural connections
What do you think Wiegert-PAL highlights?
Myelin Sheath
What techniques can be used to map the neocortex? (5)
- Brodmann’s cytoarchitectural map.
- Using lesions or direct stimulation.
(Non-invasive functional imaging):
- PET - Positron emission tomography
- fMRI - Functional magentic resonance imaging.
- EEG - Electroencephalography.
What does the toluidine blue stain?
It stains the cell bodies
What are the 4 lobes present in the neocortex?
- Temporal lobes (above your eyebrows)
- Frontal and parietal lobes separated by the central sulcus
- Occipital lobe
How many layers does the olfactory cortex have?
3 layers
What areas of the neocortex can you see from a lateral view (side view)?
- Primary sensory areas
- Secondary sensory areas
- Motor areas
- Rest of cortex = association areas ( motor, somatic sensory, visual and auditory)
What area of the cortex can you see from a medial view (chopped in half and can see inside)?
The limbic lode can be seen. Separated into:
- Cortex of cingulate gurus
- Cortex on medial aspect of temporal lobe
- Hippocampus
What is the ‘hidden area’ of the neocortex?
Insula
How many major nuclei’s doe the hypothalamus have?
11 major nuclei
What are the three different types of white matter and what do they do?
- Commisural fibres - Connect between hemispheres.
- Projection fibres - Link to non-cortical areas
- Association fibres - Link areas within a hemisphere.
How many nucleis does the thalamus have?
Over 50 nuclei.
What is the role of the thalamus in connecting the neocortex to various CNS regions?
The thalamus acts as a relay station, ensuring that information from various parts of the CNS is effectively transmitted and processed by the neocortex.
Only olfactory bypasses thalamus.
How many major nucleis does the Hypothalamus have?
11 major nuclei
