Anatomy of the Nervous System Systems
Anatomy of the Nervous System Systems
3.1 General Layout of the Nervous System
3.2 Cells of the Nervous System
3.3 Neuroanatomical Techniques and Directions
3.4 Spinal Cord
3.5 Five Major Divisions of the Brain
3.6 Major Structures of the Brain
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Biopsychology, Eighth Edition, by John P.J. Pinel. Published by Allyn & Bacon. Copyright © 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
In order to understand what the brain does, it is firstnecessary to understand what it is—to know the namesand locations of its major parts and how they are con- nected to one another. This chapter introduces you to these fundamentals of brain anatomy.
Before you begin this chapter, I want to apologize for the lack of foresight displayed by early neuroanatomists in their choice of names for neuroanatomical structures— but, then, how could they have anticipated that Latin and Greek, universal languages of the educated in their day, would not be compulsory university fare in our time? To help you, I have provided the literal English meanings of many of the neuroanatomical terms, and I have kept this chapter as brief, clear, and to the point as possible, covering only the most important structures. The payoff for your effort will be a fundamental understanding of the structure of the human brain and a new vocabulary to discuss it.
3.1 General Layout of the Nervous System
Divisions of the Nervous System The vertebrate nervous system is composed of two divi- sions: the central nervous system and the peripheral nerv- ous system (see Figure 3.1). Roughly speaking, the central nervous system (CNS) is the division of the nervous system that is located within the skull and spine; the peripheral nervous system (PNS) is the division that is located out- side the skull and spine.
The central nervous system is composed of two divi- sions: the brain and the spinal cord. The brain is the part of the CNS that is located in the skull; the spinal cord is the part that is located in the spine.
