Nervous System - Meninges and Brain

Meninges - membranes located between bone and soft tissues of the nervous system

Dura mater = outmost layer, blood vessels, nerves

Arachnoid mater = no blood vessels, located between

Pia mater = contains many nerves and blood vessels to nourish cells of brain and spinal cord

Spinal Cord

- nerve column, passes from brain down through the vertebral canal
- has 31 segments, each with a pair of spinal nerves

• Cervical Nerves (C1-C8)
• Thoracic Nerves (T1-T12)
• Lumbar Nerves (L1-L5)
• Sacral Nerves (S1-S5)
• Coccygeal Nerve (Co)

Brain

1. Cerebrum:

   • Frontal Lobe: Responsible for decision-making, problem-solving, planning, and reasoning (blue)
   • Parietal Lobe: Processes sensory information like touch, temperature, and pain; also involved in spatial awareness and perception. (yellow)
   • Temporal Lobe: Plays a role in processing auditory information, memory, speech, and language. (green)
   • Occipital Lobe: Primarily responsible for visual processing and interpretation. (pink)

   
   Corpus Callosum - connects the left and right hemispheres

   
   

2. Cerebellum:
   • Coordinates voluntary movements, balance, posture, and motor learning. It helps in fine-tuning motor movements and maintaining equilibrium.
   • Contains a region of white matter that resembles a tree, known as the arbor vitae
     
     
3. Brainstem:
   
   • Medulla Oblongata: Controls involuntary functions like breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, and reflexes such as coughing and swallowing.
   • Pons: Acts as a bridge between different parts of the brain and is involved in functions like sleep, facial movements, and relay of sensory information.
   • Midbrain: Handles visual and auditory reflexes, as well as eye movement control.
     
     
4. Thalamus:
   • Acts as a relay station for sensory information, directing it to the appropriate areas of the brain for further processing.
     
     
5. Hypothalamus:
   • Regulates body temperature, hunger, thirst, sleep cycles, emotional responses, and controls the pituitary gland, which regulates hormone production.
   • Attaches the the pituitary, which regulates hormones
     
     
6. Limbic System:
   • Hippocampus - involved in memory
   • Amygdala - regulates fear and emotional processing.
   • Includes hypothalamus and thalamus
   • Cingulate gyrus - emotional processing, decision making, autonomic functions

 

Student Activities and Resources

The Curios Case of Phineas Gage

Anatomy of the Brain (Coloring)

Brain Crossword

Sheep Brain Dissection

Label the Major Structures of the Brain

Label the Brain (Sli des Version)