Directional Terms
| Rostral/ Anterior |
---> |
Head or front end |
Caudal/ Posterior |
---> |
Tail or hind end |
Dorsal |
---> |
Back or top side |
Ventral |
---> |
Belly or bottom side |
Lateral |
---> |
away from the midline |
Medial |
---> |
toward the midline |
Proximal |
---> |
closer |
Distal |
---> |
farther away |
Three directional planes exist in the brain:
rostral/caudal, dorsal/ventral, and
medial/lateral. When sectioning (cutting) the brain, which planes are visible is determined by the type of section. In the sagittal section (which is made parallel to the midline, dorsal to ventral) the rostral/caudal and dorsal/ventral planes can be seen. In the coronal or cross section (made perpendicular to the midline, as if you're slicing a loaf of bread) the medial/lateral and dorsal/ventral planes can be seen. The images below shows the 3 different planes (axial, coronal, and sagittal) in which a brain can be sectioned:
(image thanks to http://www-psych.stanford.edu/~kalina/BB)
(image thanks to http://nirlweb.mc.duke.edu/directionalplanes.htm)
In addition, there are four possible views of the brain: lateral, medial, dorsal, and ventral. Lateral is from the side; medial is towards the midline (often from a sagittal section); dorsal is looking from above; and ventral is looking from below.
There are numerous specific parts of the brain that we could name and explore. The following is a list of structures within the four basic subdivisions of the brain:
Forebrain Telencephalon: cerebral cortex, corpora striata (caudate nucleus, internal capsule, putamen), and rhinencephalon (e.g., olfactory bulb, hippocampus,
amygdala, septal region, and cingulate cortex)
Diencephalon: thalamus, hypothalamus, pineal gland, and posterior lobe of the
pituitary (a migrated portion of the hypothalamus)
Midbrain Mesencephalon: corpora quadrigemia (tectum--inferior and superior colliculi),
tegmentum
Hindbrain Metencephalon: cerebellum, pons
Myelencephalon: medulla oblongata
Brain Stem: pons, medulla, spinal cord.
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