Yippee! This is the last unit of
the semester! We get to end with a bang, by studying the brain in this unit!!!
The brain is a rather complex organ. At the same
time, it is fascinating. We have a lot of material to cover, so I have broken it up
in the way shown below. You won't understand all of this listing until you go
through the web pages, but it should be handy for studying all the material. Also,
some of these web pages are long, but others are very short. So don't worry that
they are all lengthy.
 | First, you should
investigate the development of the CNS. This is important for
understanding the organization of the brain... and, as you have learned this semester, if
you understand how something is organized, it is much easier to understand all the
details.
By the end of this page, you will learn that the brain can be
considered to be made up of the brainstem, cerebellum, and forebrain.
|
| Brainstem
& cerebellum
 | Brainstem--
this brain region looks like an enlarged continuation of the spinal cord. However, a
lot of functions take place here.
|
| Cerebellum--
this region of the brain is concerned with the control of movement
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|
| Forebrain--
the forebrain is the telencephalon and the diencephalon... these will be considered
separately.
| Telencephalon--
this region contains both of the following:
 | Cerebrum--
the cerebral hemispheres, the big, folded areas that cover the entire brain
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| Deep
Telencephalic Regions-- including the basal ganglia, amygdala, and hippocampus
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|
| Diencephalon--
this region includes the thalamus (sensory relay center) and hypothalamus (controlling
region over the autonomic nervous system)
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|
| Cranial
Nerves-- there are 12 cranial nerves, all of which you need to learn! Plan on
taking some time on this page to fully understand them.
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