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-a longitudinal division on each side of the spinal cord comprising white matter
between the dorsal root and the posteriormedian sulcus
-The portion of the medulla spinalis which lies between the posterolateral sulcus and
the posterior median sulcus is named the posterior funiculus. This area includes the
dorsal columns (also called the posterior columns) which contains the fasciculus gracilis and,
higher in the body, the fasciculus cuneatus, which are separated by a partition of glial cells.
Histologically, these two fasciculi are on other sides of the dorsal intermediate sulcus.
Spinocerebellar tract
-is a set of axonal fibers originating in the spinal cord and terminating in the
ipsilateral cerebellum. This tract conveys information to the cerebellum about limb and joint
position (proprioception).
Spinothalamic tract
- is a sensory pathway originating in the spinal cord. It transmits information to the
thalamus about pain, temperature, itch and crude touch. The pathway decussates at the
level of the spinal cord, rather than in the brainstem like the posterior column-medial
lemniscus pathway and corticospinal tract.
The cell bodies of neurons that make up the spinothalamic tract are located principally
within the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. These neurons receive input from sensory fibers
that innervate the skin and internal organs.
PART OF BRAIN
BRAIN-The brain is made of three main parts: the forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain. The
forebrain consists of the cerebrum, thalamus, and hypothalamus (part of the limbic system).
The midbrain consists of the tectum and tegmentum. The hindbrain is made of the
cerebellum, pons and medulla. Often the midbrain, pons, and medulla are referred to
together as the brainstem.
The Cerebrum: The cerebrum or cortex is the largest part of the human brain, associated
with higher brain function such as thought and action. The cerebral cortex is divided into
four sections, called "lobes": the frontal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe, and temporal lobe.
Here is a visual representation of the cortex:
Frontal Lobe- associated with reasoning, planning, parts of speech, movement, emotions,
and problem solving
Parietal Lobe- associated with movement, orientation, recognition, perception of stimuli
Occipital Lobe- associated with visual processing
Temporal Lobe- associated with perception and recognition of auditory stimuli, memory,
and speech.
The Cerebellum: The cerebellum, or "little brain", is similar to the cerebrum in that it has two
hemispheres and has a highly folded surface or cortex. This structure is associated with
regulation and coordination of movement, posture, and balance.
The cerebellum is assumed to be much older than the cerebrum, evolutionarily. What do I
mean by this? In other words, animals which scientists assume to have evolved prior to
humans, for example reptiles, do have developed cerebellums. However, reptiles do not
have neocortex. Go here for more discussion of the neocortex or go to the following web site
for a more detailed look at evolution of brain structures and intelligence: "Ask the Experts":
Evolution and Intelligence
Limbic System: The limbic system, often referred to as the "emotional brain", is found buried
within the cerebrum. Like the cerebellum, evolutionarily the structure is rather old.
This system contains the thalamus, hypothalamus, amygdala, and hippocampus. Here is a
visual representation of this system, from a midsagittal view of the human brain:
• Thalamus
• Hypothalamus
• Amygdala
• Hippocampus
Brain Stem: Underneath the limbic system is the brain stem. This structure is responsible for
basic vital life functions such as breathing, heartbeat, and blood pressure. Scientists say that
this is the "simplest" part of human brains because animals' entire brains, such as reptiles
(who appear early on the evolutionary scale) resemble our brain stem. Look at a good
example of this here.
The brain stem is made of the midbrain, pons, and medulla:
• Midbrain
• Pons
• Medulla
Cranial nerves
- are nerves that emerge directly from the brain stem, in contrast to spinal nerves
which emerge from segments of the spinal cord.
- are composed of twelve pairs of nerves that emanate from the nervous tissue of the
brain. In order reach their targets they must ultimately exit/enter the cranium through
openings in the skull. Hence, their name is derived from their association with the cranium.
The function of the cranial nerves is for the most part similar to the spinal nerves, the
nerves that are associated with the spinal cord. The motor components of the cranial
nerves are derived from cells that are located in the brain. These cells send their axons
(bundles of axons outside the brain = a nerve) out of the cranium where they will ultimately
control muscle (e.g., eye movements) , glandular tissue (e.g., salivary glands) or specialized
muscle (e.g., heart or stomach). The sensory components of cranial nerves originate from
collections of cells that are located outside the brain. These collections of nerve cells bodies
are called sensory ganglia. They are essentially the same functionally and anatomically as
the dorsal root ganglia which are associated with the spinal cord. In general, sensory
ganglia of the cranial nerves send out a branch that divides into two branches: a branch that
enters the brain and one that is connected to a sensory organ. Examples of sensory organs
are pressure or pain sensors in the skin and more specialized ones such as taste receptors
of the tongue. Electrical impulses are transmitted from the sensory organ through the
ganglia and into the brain via the sensory branch that enter the brain. There are two
exceptions to this rule that should be noted when the special senses of smell and vision are
discussed. In summary, the motor components of cranial nerves transmit nerve
impulses from the brain to target tissue outside of the brain. Sensory components transmit
nerve impulses from sensory organs to the brain. -