You’ve probably heard about the brain, but what’s its structure like? Besides the cerebrum, you’ve probably heard of the occipital lobe, the Parietal lobe, and the cerebellum. So, where are all of these parts located and what do they do?
Cerebrum
The cerebrum is a part of the brain that controls our conscious thoughts, planning, actions, and personality. It also controls our hearing, vision, and somatosensory abilities. The cerebrum contains billions of neurons and glia that make up the cerebral cortex. This area is also critical for maintaining our physical and mental health.
The cerebrum is the largest portion of the brain and makes up about 85 percent of its weight. Its outer surface is pronounced and wrinkled, and makes it stand out from other parts of the brain. Other mammals’ brains are larger, but humans have the largest and most developed cerebrum. In fact, the cerebrum is packed to capacity inside the skulls of humans. The cerebrum is also covered in three layers of protective covering called meninges.
The cerebrum contains the cerebral cortex, which is the outer layer of the brain. It is divided into two halves, called the left hemisphere and the right hemisphere. Both hemispheres are connected by the corpus callosum, a loop of arteries near the base of the skull.
Cerebellum
The cerebellum is part of the brain and receives input from the brain’s other parts, including the lateral hemisphere and pontine nuclei. It also receives input from the ventrolateral thalamic nucleus and the contralateral red nucleus. This area also receives input from vestibular nuclei, which are located outside the cerebellum. These nuclei originate from the vestibular labyrinth and flocculonodular lobe.
The cerebellum is the part of the brain that helps people maintain balance, stand upright, and move around. It is surrounded by the brain stem, which connects the rest of the brain with the spinal cord. It is pinkish-gray in color and is divided into two halves, one for each side of the body. The cerebellum is made of two layers of tissue: cortex and cerebellar nuclei. Both are made up of neurons.
Occipital lobe
The occipital lobe is a part of the brain dedicated to vision. It has several different functions, including mapping the visual world and visual memory. Visual memory is necessary for spatial reasoning, so the occipital lobe helps the brain to process visual information. Other functions of the occipital lobe include colour perception, determining the properties of different objects, and identifying visual stimuli like familiar faces.
The occipital lobe helps to process visual information and transmits it to other parts of the brain. It receives raw visual data from the retina. Damage to this lobe can cause problems with vision, including hallucinations, and the inability to interpret visual stimuli. Neurologists divide the occipital lobe into multiple visual regions.
Parietal lobe
The parietal lobe is important in spatial perception. It helps us gain access to information and bring it together. This area of the brain contains many types of visual neurons. A few examples of these neurons include those that respond to light moving in multiple directions, as well as those that respond to light moving away from the center of the field.
Damage to the left side of the parietal lobe can affect language and math, and can lead to Gerstmann’s Syndrome. A person with this disorder may have difficulty identifying body parts or recognizing the left and right sides of objects. They may also struggle with reading and writing. In contrast, damage to the right side of the parietal loboid can result in difficulties with abstract thinking and integrating separate images.
Occipital ganglia
The occipital ganglia in the human brain are the projections of the basal ganglia. These projections are maintained by intrinsic circuitry. However, the function of the occipital ganglia is not yet fully understood.
These areas receive input from the striatum. They are similar to the primary motor cortex. The striatum receives afferents from the entire cerebral cortex and the thalamus. Some of these projections go to the putamen and lateral geniculate nucleus. The occipital cortex, on the other hand, is the primary vision center of the brain.
Early anatomists thought of the striatum as a major cerebral system. In 1664, Thomas Willis published his first description of the subcortical elements. This group includes the caudate nucleus, the putamen, and the mass linking them ventrally. The structure was given the name striatum because of its striped or striated appearance, and because it is surrounded by dense bundles of striato-pallido-nigral axons.
Dura mater
The brain is protected by the dura mater, which is a layer of connective tissue in the skull. This layer is made of fibroblasts, a large amount of extracellular collagen, and the meninges. It divides into two sheets, the outer layer (periosteum) and the inner layer (dura mater). These two layers separate the brain into two compartments: the upper and lower brain, or thalamus.
The dura mater in the brain is different from that of the spinal cord. The spinal cord has one layer of dura mater, but it doesn’t connect to the vertebrae. The space between the vertebrae is filled with adipose tissue, which acts as a cushion for the spinal cord. The spinal cord is also surrounded by cerebrospinal fluid, which is the blood of the brain.
Cerebellar ganglia
The cerebellum receives input from the cerebral cortex. This input is relayed to the pontine nuclei in the cerebellar cortex, where it is processed. From there, the output is transmitted to the deep cerebellar nuclei, which project to the thalamus.
The activity of the cerebellum is linked to the stochastic variation in the brain. This region is believed to provide the anatomical substrate for reward-related signals. This region is also linked to disorders like dystonia and Parkinson’s disease. Imaging studies in patients with Parkinson’s disease have found increased cerebellar activity.
The cerebellar ganglia are distributed throughout the brain. They are organized in three layers. The innermost layer contains the cerebellar ganglia, and the outer layer is the cerebellum’s cerebellar cortex. The cortex connects to the cerebellar nuclei via parallel-fiber inputs. These inputs determine the firing rate of Purkinje cells. Climbing-fiber inputs, on the other hand, occur less frequently and have little effect on Purkinje cell firing.
Cerebellar cortex
The cerebellar cortex is brain tissue located in the lower part of the brain. It consists of a thin layer of cortex, a layer of white matter beneath it, and four deep cerebellar nuclei. The cortex contains about 95 percent of the cerebellar neurons. A cross-section of the cerebellum reveals a complex pattern of folds. These folds, called gyri, are reproducible between different individuals.
The cerebellar cortex has multiple neuronal microcircuits, including seven major types of neurons and three types of afferents. The neurons in this area form a three-layered network and are characterized by synaptic plasticity and feed forward and feedback inhibition. In addition, the cerebellar cortex has a small number of output cells.
Gray matter
Scientists are figuring out just how important gray matter is to our cognitive and emotional well-being. This is the material that sends signals to and from the brain. Dementia is linked to diminished gray matter volume. The hippocampus also experiences atrophy in Alzheimer’s disease patients.
Grey matter is composed of neuronal cell bodies, which are spherical structures containing a nucleus and cytoplasm. These structures are responsible for processing and storing information. MRI images can help detect diseases and other abnormalities in brain tissue. MRI provides much more detailed images than X-rays and CT scans.
Gray matter is located in the cerebrum, brainstem, and cerebellum. It surrounds white matter and contains more neurons than the rest of the brain. It is also found inside the brainstem, where neurons are grouped into pathways called axons. This area also contains the brain’s fluid-filled ventricles and the basal ganglia.
