Neurosciences– Neuroanatomy 1 + 2 + 3
Central nervous system and peripheral nervous system
Central nervous system (CNS); brain (cerebral
hemispheres, diencephalon, cerebellum and
brainstem) and spinal cord
Surrounded by 3 membranes (meninges);
1. Dura (different compartments) mater
2. Arachnoid
3. Pia mater (very thin)
Between arachnoid and pia mater is the
subarachnoid space with arteries and veins.
Neurons with same function are grouped in nuclei
Oligodendrocytes take care for myelin
Axons cannot regenerate (herstellen)
Peripheral nervous system (PNS); cranial nerves and
spinal nerves
• Sensory components; afferent; toward CNS
• Motor components; efferent; away from CNS
o Visceral (autonomic) motor system;
connect brain and spinal cord to smooth
muscles, cardiac muscles and glands
o somatic (animal) motor system; connect
brain and spinal cord to skeletal muscles
Nerve cells bodies in PNS are located in ganglia (local accumulation of nerve cell
bodies and supporting cells)
Swann cells take care for myelin
Axons can regenerate (herstellen)
Neuronal migration
Occurs in CNS and PNS. Move from their initial genesis to a
distant site where they differentiate and are integrated into
mature neural circuits. Radial glia cells migrate the neurons.
Anatomical orientation
It can be confusing because the axis of the CNS has a bend in it.
Sagittal can be divided into
1. Midsagittal; section is at the midline
2. Parasagittal; section is more lateral
Fossa (hollow) of the brain:
1. Anterior fossa; frontal lobe
2. Middle fossa; temporal lobe
3. Posterior fossa: cerebellum and brain stem
,Neocortex vs cortex:
Cerebral cortex:
Neocortex: most cerebral cortex is made up of 6 layers (different cell types in each
layer) and white matter. Large cells are pyramidal neurons
1. Molecular layer
Modulating inputs on dendrites
2. External granular layer; very small neurons
Integrating information within certain cortex (arrow within
cortex)
3. External pyramidal layer; big neurons (pyramidal cells)
Corticocortical projections
4. Internal granular layer; very small neurons
Afferent to thalamus
Integrating information within certain cortex (arrow
within cortex)
5. Internal pyramidal layer; big neurons (pyramidal
cells
Efferent to spinal cord, brain stem and striatum
6. Multiform layer; mixture of all types of cells
Efferent to thalamus
Motor cortex; large internal pyramidal layer --> large
pyramidal neurons
Sensible/sensorics cortex; large internal granular layer
Associative cortex; large external pyramidal layer
Phylogenetic oldest cortex = hippocampus; 3 layers
(archicortex)
Subdivision of central nervous system; brain
Developing of the brain
Developing of the brain part I;
• Prosencephalon
• Mesencephalon
• Rhombencephalon
• Spinal cord
Developing of the brain part II;
• Prosencephalon (forebrain)
o Telencephalon; give rise cerebral cortex,
cerebral nuclei (basal ganglia, amygdala,
basal forebrain) --> lateral ventricles (biggest
ventricles)
o Diencephalon; thalamus, hypothalamus (lies under
thalamus) and retina (via the optic vesicles) are
derived from this --> third ventricle
• Mesencephalon (midbrain); give rise to superior and
inferior colliculi, red nucleus and substantia nigra -->
cerebral aqueduct
• Rhombencephalon (hindbrain)
, o Metencephalon; cerebellum and pons --> fourth ventricle
o Myelencephalon; medulla oblongata --> fourth ventricle
• Spinal cord --> central canal (in embryos and young children the opening in
the spinal cord is patent)
Because the nervous system starts as a simple tube the lumen of the tube remains in
adult brain as series of connected fluid-filled spaces = ventricles. Filled with
cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) produced by
choroid plexus present in each ventricle.
CSF percolates through the ventricular
system and flows into the subarachnoid
space through perforations in the fourth
ventricle (foramen of Magendie and 2 lateral foramina of Luscka). It
eventually passed through arachnoid villi or granulations along the dorsal
midline in the forebrain and returned to venous circulation via the superior
sagittal sinus
CSF also passes through interstitial spaces of brain tissue itself, moves into
brain by passing through water channels in astrocytic end feet.
Central nervous system and peripheral nervous system
Central nervous system (CNS); brain (cerebral
hemispheres, diencephalon, cerebellum and
brainstem) and spinal cord
Surrounded by 3 membranes (meninges);
1. Dura (different compartments) mater
2. Arachnoid
3. Pia mater (very thin)
Between arachnoid and pia mater is the
subarachnoid space with arteries and veins.
Neurons with same function are grouped in nuclei
Oligodendrocytes take care for myelin
Axons cannot regenerate (herstellen)
Peripheral nervous system (PNS); cranial nerves and
spinal nerves
• Sensory components; afferent; toward CNS
• Motor components; efferent; away from CNS
o Visceral (autonomic) motor system;
connect brain and spinal cord to smooth
muscles, cardiac muscles and glands
o somatic (animal) motor system; connect
brain and spinal cord to skeletal muscles
Nerve cells bodies in PNS are located in ganglia (local accumulation of nerve cell
bodies and supporting cells)
Swann cells take care for myelin
Axons can regenerate (herstellen)
Neuronal migration
Occurs in CNS and PNS. Move from their initial genesis to a
distant site where they differentiate and are integrated into
mature neural circuits. Radial glia cells migrate the neurons.
Anatomical orientation
It can be confusing because the axis of the CNS has a bend in it.
Sagittal can be divided into
1. Midsagittal; section is at the midline
2. Parasagittal; section is more lateral
Fossa (hollow) of the brain:
1. Anterior fossa; frontal lobe
2. Middle fossa; temporal lobe
3. Posterior fossa: cerebellum and brain stem
,Neocortex vs cortex:
Cerebral cortex:
Neocortex: most cerebral cortex is made up of 6 layers (different cell types in each
layer) and white matter. Large cells are pyramidal neurons
1. Molecular layer
Modulating inputs on dendrites
2. External granular layer; very small neurons
Integrating information within certain cortex (arrow within
cortex)
3. External pyramidal layer; big neurons (pyramidal cells)
Corticocortical projections
4. Internal granular layer; very small neurons
Afferent to thalamus
Integrating information within certain cortex (arrow
within cortex)
5. Internal pyramidal layer; big neurons (pyramidal
cells
Efferent to spinal cord, brain stem and striatum
6. Multiform layer; mixture of all types of cells
Efferent to thalamus
Motor cortex; large internal pyramidal layer --> large
pyramidal neurons
Sensible/sensorics cortex; large internal granular layer
Associative cortex; large external pyramidal layer
Phylogenetic oldest cortex = hippocampus; 3 layers
(archicortex)
Subdivision of central nervous system; brain
Developing of the brain
Developing of the brain part I;
• Prosencephalon
• Mesencephalon
• Rhombencephalon
• Spinal cord
Developing of the brain part II;
• Prosencephalon (forebrain)
o Telencephalon; give rise cerebral cortex,
cerebral nuclei (basal ganglia, amygdala,
basal forebrain) --> lateral ventricles (biggest
ventricles)
o Diencephalon; thalamus, hypothalamus (lies under
thalamus) and retina (via the optic vesicles) are
derived from this --> third ventricle
• Mesencephalon (midbrain); give rise to superior and
inferior colliculi, red nucleus and substantia nigra -->
cerebral aqueduct
• Rhombencephalon (hindbrain)
, o Metencephalon; cerebellum and pons --> fourth ventricle
o Myelencephalon; medulla oblongata --> fourth ventricle
• Spinal cord --> central canal (in embryos and young children the opening in
the spinal cord is patent)
Because the nervous system starts as a simple tube the lumen of the tube remains in
adult brain as series of connected fluid-filled spaces = ventricles. Filled with
cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) produced by
choroid plexus present in each ventricle.
CSF percolates through the ventricular
system and flows into the subarachnoid
space through perforations in the fourth
ventricle (foramen of Magendie and 2 lateral foramina of Luscka). It
eventually passed through arachnoid villi or granulations along the dorsal
midline in the forebrain and returned to venous circulation via the superior
sagittal sinus
CSF also passes through interstitial spaces of brain tissue itself, moves into
brain by passing through water channels in astrocytic end feet.
