Central Nervous System

Anatomy of the Brain

 Parts of the Brain
1. Cerebrum
• Largest part of brain
• Composed of right and left hemispheres
• Performs higher functions like interpreting touch, vision
and hearing etc.

2. Cerebellum
• Located under cerebrum
• Coordinate muscle movements, maintain posture and
balance.

3. Brainstem
• Includes pons, midbrain and medulla
• Acts as relay center connecting cerebrum and cerebellum
to the spinal cord
 Lobes of the brain
FRONTAL LOBE
- Personality, behavior,
emotions
- Judgment, planning,
problem solving
- Speech: speaking
and writing (Broca’s
area)
- Body movement
(motor strip)
- Intelligence,
concentration, self
awareness
 Functional Areas of Frontal Lobe

• Primary motor
area (Brodmann
Area 4)
• Premotor Area
(area 6 of
Brodmann)
• Broca area
(area 44, 45)
• Prefrontal area
PARIETAL LOBE
• Interprets
language, words

• Sense of touch,
pain, temperature
(sensory strip)

• Interprets signals
from vision, hearing,
motor, sensory and
memory

• Spatial and visual

perception
 Functional Areas of Parietal Lobe

• Primary sensory
area
(Areas 3,1,2 of
Brodmann)
• Wernicke’s area
(area 39, 40)
• Sensory
association area
(area 5,7 of
Brodmann)
TEMPORAL LOBE
• Memory
• Hearing
• Sequencing and
organization
 Functional Areas of Temporal Lobe
• Primary auditory
area (Brodmann
area of 41,42)
• Secondary
auditory area
(Brodmann area
22)
OCCIPITAL LOBE
• Interprets vision
(color, light,
movement)
Functional Areas of Occipital Lobe

• Primary visual
area (Brodmann
area 17)
• Secondary
visual area
(Brodmann area
18,19)
Cerebellum
 Functions

• Maintenance of equilibrium (responsible for

maintaining the position of body in space)
• Control crude movement of the limbs
• Smooth performance of highly skilled voluntary
movements of precision
Brainstem
 Brainstem
• Connects the spinal cord with the forebrain
• Consists of : medulla oblongata, pons and midbrain
• Serves 4 major functions:
1. Provides passage to various ascending and
descending tracts that connect the spinal cord to the
different parts of the forebrain
2. Contains important autonomic reflex centres (vital
centres) associated with the control of respiration
heart rate and blood pressure
3. Contains reticular activating system which controls
consciousness
4. Contains important nuclei of the last ten cranial
nerves (i.e. IIIrd to XIIth)
 Other parts of the brain
• Basal Ganglia
- Large masses of grey matter situated within the
white core of each cerebral hemisphere
- Are important in organizing and coordinating somatic
motor activities especially willed movements.
- Also involved in automatic stereotyped postural and
reflex motor activities (eg: normal individuals swing
their arms when they walk)
• Thalamus
- Sensory integration and relay station of all the
sensory pathways except for the olfactory pathway,
which is projected directly to the cerebral cortex
without being relayed in the thalamus.
- Influences voluntary movements by receiving
impulses from basal ganglia and cerebellum and
relaying them to the motor cortex, which in turn
influences lower motor neurons through
corticonuclear and corticospinal pathways.
- lays a role in pain sensation, attention, maintenance
of state of wakefulness and alertness, mood and
memory.
• Hypothalamus
- Autonomic control
- Endocrine control
- Neurosecretion by secreting
vasopressin and oxytocin
- Regulation of food and water intake
- Emotional expression
- Regulates sexual behaviour and
reproduction
- Temperature regulation
- Biological clock
Blood Supply of the Brain
The brain receives its
arterial supply from
two pairs of vessels:
(a)Vertebral artery
(b)Internal carotid
arteries
Which are
interconnected in the
cranial cavity to
produce an arterial
circle of Willis.
Blood Supply of the Brain
Functional significance of
circle of Willis:
- Provides various
alternative roots for
collateral circulation like
an arterial traffic circle