StructuresoftheBrain

1.SuperiorSagittalSinusoccupiestheattachedconvex
marginofthefalxcerebri.Commencingattheforamen
cecum,thesinusisdirectedposteriorly,groovingthe
innersurfaceofthefrontalbone,theadjacentpartofthe
parietalbonesandtheinneraspectoftheoccipitalbones.
TheSSSistriangularincrosssectionandgradually
enlargesasitpassesposteriorly.
2.FalxCerebriNamedbecauseofitssicklelikeshape,
isastrongarchedmembranethatextendsvertically
downwardinthelongitudinalfissurebetweenthetwo
cerebralhemispheres.
3.FrontalLobeextendsfromthefrontalpoleofthe
braintothecentralsulcus.Sinceitliesmostlyinthe
anteriorcranialfossa,it'slowersurfaceisshallowly
concavetofittheorbitalroof.Somedistancebehindthe
frontalpoleaprominentfissure,thelateralsulcus
separatesitfromthetemporallobe.
4.ParietalLobeliesbetweenthefrontal,temporal,and
occipitallobes.Itisseparatedfromthefrontallobeby
thecentralsulcus.Similarly,itislargelyseparatedfrom
thetemporallobebythelateralsulcus,butattheendof
thesulcus,parietal,temporal,andoccipitallobesare
confluentonthelateralsurfaceofthehemisphere.
5.CentralSulcusisanimportantlandmarkbecauseit
formstheboundarybetweenthefrontalandparietal
lobesandalsoseparatestheprimarysensorycortex
(posterior)fromtheprimarymotorcortex(anterior).
6.SuperiorFrontalSulcusseparatesthesuperior

frontalgyrusfromthemiddlefrontalgyrusandmayexist
asacontinuoussulcusorbedividedintotwoormore
parts(50%).
7.PrecentralGyrusisboundedinfrontbythe
precentralsulcusandbehindbythecentralsulcus.It
servesastheprimarymotorregionofthecerebralcortex
alsoorganizedinasomatotropicfashion.
8.PostcentralGyrusliesnearlyparalleltothe
precentralgyrus.Itservesastheprimarysomesthetic
cortex,inwhichgeneralsensoryprojectionsare
representedinacharacteristicsomatotropicpattern.
9.CingulateGyrusisanarchedconvolutionthatliesin
itsentiretyadjacenttothecorpuscallosumandis
separatedfromitbythesulcusofthecorpuscallosum.
10.MiddleFrontalGyrusisawideconvolutionthat
extendsanteroinferiorlyfromtheprecentralgyrusandis
boundedabovebythesuperiorfrontalsulcusandbelow
bytheinferiorfrontalsulcus.
11.SuperiorFrontalGyrusissituatedabovethe
superiorfrontalsulcusandisawide,unevenconvolution
continuedontothemedialsurfaceofthehemisphere.
12.AnteriorCerebralA.isoneoftheterminal
branchesoftheICA.ItisconnectedtotheACAofthe
oppositesidebyashorttrunkcalledtheanterior
communicatingartery.
13.LateralVentricleisanirregularlyshapedcavity
locatedwithinthelowerandmedialpartsofeach
cerebralhemisphere,oneoneachsideofthemidline.
Thetwoventriclesareseparatedfromoneanotherbya
thinmedianverticalpartition,theseptumpellicidum.
Eachcommunicateswiththethirdventricleandthus

indirectlytoeachviatheforamenofMonro.
14.CaudateNucleusisanelongatedmassofgray
matterthatiscloselyrelatedtothelateralventricle.
Aroundtherostralborderoftheinternalcapsule,itis
fusedwiththeputamenofthelentiformnucleuswhileits
tailterminatesincloserelationshiptotheamygdala.
15.Putamenisthelargestpartofthebasalgangliaand
itsmostrostralpartislocatedlateraltotheheadofthe
caudatenucleus,beingseparatedbytheanteriorpartof
theinternalcapsule.Itisthelargerpartofthelentiform
nucleuswhichiscomprisedoftheputamenandglobus
pallidus.
16.Genu/SpleniumofCorpusCallosumconsistsof
fasciclesofmyelinatedfiberswhosemainfunction
appearstobethetransmissionofinformationbetween
theneocorticalportionsofthetwohemispheresduring
thelearningprocess.Thegenurepresentsthecurved
anteriorportionwhilethespleniumissituateddorsalto
thepinealbody.
17.MiddleCerbralA.commenceswiththedivisionof
theICAintoitsanteriorandmiddlecerebralbranches.
Consideredthelargestbranch,itappearsasthelateral
continuationoftheICAalongthebaseofthebrainabove
thelesserwingofthesphenoidbone.Itsuppliesmostof
thefrontallobe,nearlyalloftheparietallobeandmost
ofthetemporallobe.
18.FrontalHornofLateralVentriclepassesforward
andlaterallywithaslightinclinationdownwardbeyond
theinterventricularforamenintothefrontallobe.Its
rostralboundaryisformedbythecorpuscallosum,
medialbytheseptumpellucidum,andlaterallybythe

headofthecaudate.
19.GlobusPallidusformsthemoremedialpartofthe
lentiformnucleusanditisseparatedfromtheputamen
byathinlayerofwhitemattercalledthelateral
medullarylamina.Itisconsideredtheoldestpartofthe
corpusstriatum,anditreceivesitsnamefromthefact
thatthemanymyelinatedfibersthattraverseitsstructure
giveitalightercolorthanthatoftheputamenorcaudate
nucleus.
20.ForamenofMonropermitscommunicationofthe
thirdventriclewitheachofthelateralventricleson
anterolateralaspectofthethirdventricle.
21.InternalCapsuleisathickmassofwhitefibersthat
boundedlaterallybythelentiformnucleus,mediallyby
theheadofthecaudatenucleus,thedorsalthalamus,and
thetailofthecaudatenucleus.Caudally,manyofthe
fibersformthecerebralpeduncles,whilerostrallythe
fibersspreadinafanlikearrangementtobecomethe
coronaradiata..Theanteriorlimbcontains
thalamocorticalfibers,corticothalamicfibers,and
frontopontinefibers.Thegenuadditionallycontains
corticobulbarfiberstothemotornucleiofthecranial
nerves.Theposteriorlimbcontainsthecentralthalamic
radiationwhichcarriesthethalamocorticalsomesthetic
fiberstoboththeprecentralandpostcentalgyriwhich
communicatetothethalamus.
22.ThirdVentricleisanarrow,vertical,mediancleft
betweenthethalamiofthetwohemispheres.It
communicateswiththetwolateralventriclesbythe
interventricularforamen.Caudally,itcommunicateswith
thefourthventriclethroughthecerebralaqueduct.

23.FrontalSinusaresituatedbehindthesuperciliary
arches,arerarelysymmetrical,andtheseptumbetween
themdeviatestoonesideoranotherofmidline.Absent
atbirth,thefrontalsinusesarefairlywelldevelopedby
theageof78years,butdonotreachmaximalsizeuntil
afterpuberty.
24.StraightSinusissituatedattheloneofthejunction
ofthefalxcerbriandthetentoriumcerebelli.Itis
triangularincrosssection,anditenlargesposteriolyasit
proceedsposteriorlyfromtheendoftheinferiorsagittal
sinus.Itopensintothetransversesinusoftheside
oppositethatinwhichthesuperiorsagittalsinus
terminates.
25.Vermisliesbetweenthecerebellerhemispheresand
iscontinuousbutunpairedmedianregion.It'snameis
derivedfromtheLatinwordvermismeaningworm
becauseofitsshape.
26.OpticChiasmaistheconvergenceoftheoptic
nervesinfrontandthedivergenceofthep[tictracts
behind.Itrestsuponthetuberculumsellaeofthe
sphenoidbone.Lateraltotheopticchiasmaarethe
anteriorperforatedsubstanceandtheICAs.
27.Insulaliesinthedepthsofthelateralsulcusonthe
lateralaspectsofthecerebrum.Thecorticalgyrithat
overlapthisstructurearederivedfromtheovergrowthof
thefrontal,parietal,andtemporallobes.
28.Midbrainormesencephalonisthatpartofthe
neuroaxislocatedbetweentheponsinferiorlyandthe
thalamussuperiorly.Itisashort,constrictedsegmentof
thebrainstemthatmeasuresonlyabout2cm.By
definitioneachhalfofthemidbrainiscalledthecerebral

peduncle,andthisisfurtherdividedintoaventralpart
calledthecruscerebriandadorsalpartcalledthe
midbraintegmentum.
29.MamillaryBodiesprojectprominentlyoneachside
oftheventralsurfaceoftheposteriorhypothalamusnear
themidline.
30.PosteriorCerebralA.intheadultcommencesasthe
terminalbranchesofthebasilarartery.However,in
about20%itoriginatesasabranchoftheICA.It
suppliestheareasofthebrainresponsibleforvisual
motorbehaviorandvisualperception.
31.CerebralAqueductconnectsthethirdandfourth
ventricles;ithasnochoroidplexus.Blockagewillresult
inhydrocephalus.
32.CerebralPeduncleisbydefinitionhalfofthe
midbrain,alsocalledthecerebralpeduncle.Thisis
furtherdividedintoaventralpartcalledthecruscerebri
andadorsalpartcalledthemidbraintegmentum.
33.OpticTractleavesthechiasmaanddivergesfromits
fellowoftheoppositesideuntilitreachesthecerebral
peduncle,whereitwindsobliquelyacrossthe
undersurface.Thefiberslyingmediallyintheopticnerve
crossinthechiasmaandcontinueintheoptictractofthe
otherside.Thelateralfibersareuncrossedandcontinue
tothebrainintheoptictractofthesameside.
34.TemporalLobeisthepartofthehemispherethat
liesbelowthelateralsulcus.Thebackendofthislobeis
continuouswiththeoccipitallobe.
35.EthmoidSinusliebetweentheupperpartsofthe
nasalcavitiesandtheorbits,andareseparatedbythese
cavitiesbythinbonylaminae.Thissinusbeginsto

developafterfetallife.
36.MiddleRectusisoneofthefourrectithatattachesto
thebulboftheeyeinsuchamannerthat,actingsingly,
theyturnitscornealsurfaceinthedirection
correspondingtotheirnames.
37.CranialNerveIIarisesfromtheretinalganglion
cells.Thecentralaxonsconvergeattheopticdiscto
formtheopticnervewhichenterstheskullviatheoptic
canal.Opticnerveaxonsterminateinthelateral
geniculatebody.
38.Lensisatransparent,biconvexbody;theconvexity
ofitsanteriorsurfaceislessthanthatofitsposterior
surface.
39.InternalCarotidA.ascendsfromitsorigininthe
neckposterolateraltothewallofthepharynxtoenterthe
carotidcanalinthelowersurfaceofthepetrousportion
ofthetemporalbone.
40.LateralRectusisoneofthefourrectithatattaches
tothebulboftheeyeinsuchamannerthat,acting
singly,theyturnitscornealsurfaceinthedirection
correspondingtotheirnames.
41.PituitaryGlandliesimmediatelybelowthebrain
andisconnectedbyastalk,representingthestemby
whichtheposteriorlobegrewoutfromthebrain.This
glandisdividedintotwolobeseachwithitsowntissue
derivationandarrayofsecretoryhormones.
42.DorsumSellaeiscomposedofsquareplatesofthe
sphenoidbonethatendatsuperioranglesintwo
turbuclesastheposteriorclinoidprocesses.
43.BasilarA.ascendsalongthebasilarsulcusonthe
ventralaspectofthebraintotherostralborderofthe

ponstodivideintorightandleftposteriorcerebral
arteries.
44.FourthVentricleisaflattened,diamondshaped
cavityofthehindbrainanditcontainsthecerebrospinal
fluid.Itissituatedventraltothecerebellumanddorsalto
theponsandupperhalfofthemedulla.Itscavityis
continuouswiththecerebralaqueductthroughthethird
ventricle.Inferiorly,itscavityopensbelowintothe
centralcanal,continuouswiththespinalcord.
45.Cerebellumislocateddorsaltotheponsandmedulla
andoccupiesthespacebetweenthebrainstemandthe
occipitallobesofthecerebralcortex.Itisconnectedto
thebrainstembythreepeduncles.Althoughthisstructure
probablydoesnotinitiatevoluntarymovement,it
appearstoserveasasupersegmentalcoordinatorof
muscularactivity,especiallythosethatrequire
sequential,repetitive,orcoordinatedmovements.
46.Uncusisananteriorcontinuationofthelingualgyrus
(temporallobe)thatisahooklike,anteriorstructure
partiallycoveredbytheperiamygdaloidcortex.
47.PontineCisternisalargespaceontheventralaspect
ofthepons;withinitcoursesthebasilarartery.Itis
continuouscaudallywiththesubarachnoidspaceand
rostrallywiththeinterpeduncularspace.
48.Ponsiscontinuousabovewiththemidbrainand
inferiorlywiththemedullaoblongata
49.NasalSeptumisbonyinitslargeposterior
component.Theupperpartofthebonyseptumisformed
bytheperpendicularplateoftheethmoidbone.Itslower
partisformedbythevomer,withminimalcontributions
bythepalantineandmaxillarybones.

50.SphenoidSinusiscontainedwithinthebodyofthe
sphenoid.Eachsinuscommunicateswiththe
sphenoethmoidalrecessbymeansofanostiuminthe
upperpartofitsanteriorwall.Thesesinusesarepresent
asminutecavitiesatbirthbutmaximaldevelopment
occursafterpuberty.
51.Clivusisashallowdepressionlocatedposteriorlyto
thedorsumsellae.Thisstructuresupportstheponsand
thebasilarartery.
52.Medullaisthedirectupwardcontinuationofthe
spinalcordthroughtheforamenmagnumwhichisitself
continuousrostrallywiththepons.Therearrangementof
grayandwhitemattertractsmorerostrallywithinthe
medulla,orbulb,asitiscommonlyknownissuchthatat
thelevelofthedecussationofthepyramids,atransverse
sectionofthebrainstemistotallydifferentfromone
throughthespinalcord.
53.ExternalAuditoryMeatusextendsfromthebottom
oftheconchatothetympanicmembrance.Itformsans
shapedcurve.Itcontainsacartilaginousportionandan
osseousportion,whichisslightlynarrowerandlonger.
54.MastoidAirCellsareahollowedoutsectionofthe
mastoidprocess.Thesuperiorportionofthiscavityis
largeandirregular,towardtheinferiorpartitnarrows
anddiminishesinsize.Occasionally,thesecellsare
completelyabsent.
55.SigmoidSinusisdirectlycontinuouswiththe
transversesinusesandcommenceswherethetransverse
sinusesemergefromthetentoriumcerebelli.Each
sigmoidsinuscurvesinferiorlyandmedially,inans
shapedmanner,inordertoreachtheposteriorpartofthe

jugularforamenwhereitterminatesintheIJV.
56.MaxillarySinusisthelargestofaccessorysinusesof
thenose.Itisapyramidalcavitylocatedinthebodyof
themaxilla.Inthesuperiorpartofitsmedialwallisan
ostiumthatcommunicateswiththelowerpartofthe
infindibulum;asecondoraccessoryorificeisfrequently
presentinthemiddlemeatusposteriortothefirst.This
sinusappearsasashallowgrooveonthemedialsurface
oftheboneaboutthefourthmonthoffetallife,butdoes
notreachitsmaximalsizeuntilafterthesecond
dentition.
57.CerebellarTonsilarethelateralportionsofthe
uvulaofthecerebellumlocatedintheposteriorlobe.
58.ParotidGlandisthelargestofthe3salivaryglands.
Itliesuponthesideoftheface,immediatelybelowand
infrontoftheexternalear.
59.InternalJugularVeinemergesdeeptotheposterior
bellyofthedigastricmuscleandreceivesoneormore
veinsatthelevelofthehyoidbone.Theonevein
regularlyenteringtheIJVatthispointisthefacialvein.
60.Mandible,theunpairedboneofthelowerjaw
consistsofthetoothbearingbodyandthemore
verticallydisposedramusthatreceivestheinsertionsof
thechiefmusclesofthejawandarticulateswiththe
temporalbone.Ramusandbodymeetposteriorlyatthe
angleofthemandible.
61.SpinalCordanditssurroundingmeningeslieinthe
vertebralcanal.Thespacebetweenthewallsofthecanal
andtheoutermeninxofthecord,theduramater,isthe
epiduralspace.
62.SoftPalateissuspendedfromtheposteriorborderof

thehardpalate.Itconsistsofmucousmembranethat
enclosesmuscularfibersandvessels.Whenelevated,as
insuckingandswallowing,itcompletelyseparatesthe
nasopharynxfromtheoralcavity.
63.Tongueisdividedintolateralhalvesbyamedian
fibrousseptum,whichextendsitsentirelengthandis
fixedinferiorlytothehyoidbone.Ineitherhalfthereare
twosetsofmuscles,extrinsicandintrinsic;theformer
havetheiroriginsoutsidethetongue,thelatterwithinit.
Itistheprimaryorganoftasteandanimportantorganof
speech;italsoassistsinmasticationandswallowing.
64.Uvulam.arisesfromtheposteriornasalspineofthe
palantinebonesandfromthepalantineaponeurosisand
insertsintotheuvula.
65.NasalConchaarecurvedshelvesofbonecoveredby
mucosathatprojectfromthelateralnasalwalland
greatlyincreasetherespiratorysurfaceofthenose.Each
conchaisnamedaccordingtoitspositionwiththe
inferiorconchabeinglongest.Abovethesuperiorconcha
maylieasubtlebulgereferredtoasthesupremeconcha.
a.SuperiorConcha
b.MiddleConcha
c.InferiorConcha
66.Sternocleidomastoidextendsobliquelyupwardand
backwardbetweenthesternumandclaviclefromeach
sideofthenecktodividethecervicalregionoftheneck
intoaanteriorandlateralpart.Thesepartsformthe
anteriorandposteriortriangles.
67.Fornixisaflattenedfascicleofwhitematterwhich
liescentraltotheseptumpellucidumnearthegenuofthe
corpuscallosum.Itisthelargestprojectiontothe

hypothalamusprojectingfromthehippocampal
formationtothemamillarynucleus,anteriornucleus,and
septalarea.
68.Nasopharynxliesposteriortothenoseandabovethe
levelofthesoftpalate:itdiffersfromtheoraland
laryngealpartsofthecavityinthatiscavityalways
remainspatent.Itcommunicateswiththechoanaeofthe
nasalcavitiesanteriorly.
69.Masseterm.isathick,quadralateralmuscle
composedofthreepartswhichacttoclosethejawsby
elevatingthemandible.Thefibersofthethreeparts
blendandarecontinuousattheirinsertionontheramus
ofthemandible.
70.LateralPterygoidmuscleisashort,thickmuscleof
twoheads.Itissomewhatconicalinformandextends
horizontallybetweentheinfratemporalfossaandthe
condyleofthemandible.Theupperheadarisesfromthe
infratemporalcrestandthelateralsurfaceofthegreater
wingofthesphenoidbone,whiletheinferiorheadarises
fromthelateralsurfaceofthelateralpterygoidplate.It
insertsontheneckofthecondyleofthemandibleand
thearticulardiscoftheTMjoint.
71.MedialPterygoidisathick,quadrilateralmuscle
thatoccupiestheinneraspectoftheramusofthe
mandible,oppositeofthemasseter.Itarisesfromthe
medialsurfaceofthelateralpterygoidplateandthe
palantinebone.Thismuscleassistsinclosingthejawsby
elevatingthemandible.Actingtogether,theyassistin
protrudingthemandiblewhichassistsinthechewingof
food.
72.Thalamusisthelargestpartofthediencephalon,but

muchofitisburiedinthecerebralhemispheres.The
thickrightandleftthalamiareseparatedbythethird
ventricle.
73.Meningeala.giveoffbranchestosupply
extracranialstructuresadjacenttoit.Theymayenterthe
skullthroughtheforamenovaletoreachthemeninges
aroundthetrigeminalganglion.
74.Amygdalaconsistsofagroupofnuclei,locatedin
thedorsomedialpartoftherostraltemporallobe,that
underliesorformsabulgecalledtheuncus.
75.CranialNerveIarisesinbipolarolfactoryneurons
andareresponsibleforsmell.Thecentralaxonsproject
totheolfactorybulbviathecribiformplateofthe
ethmoidbone.
76.SuperiorRectusm.isoneofthefourrectithat
attachestothebulboftheeyeinsuchamannerthat,
actingsingly,theyturnitscornealsurfaceinthedirection
correspondingtotheirnames.
77.TemporalisMuscleisabroadradiatingmuscle,
situatedatthesideofthehead.Itarisesfromthewhole
ofthetemporalisfossaandthetemporalfascia.Itinserts
ontotheanteriorcoronoidprocessandtheanteriorborder
oftheramusofthemandible.Itelevatesthemandible
andactstoclosethejaws.
78.SuperiorObliquem.directsthecorneadownward
andlateralabouttheanteroposterioraxisoftheorbit.
79.InferiorObliquem.directsthecorneaupwardand
lateralabouttheanteroposterioraxisoftheorbit.