Week 1:

• Gyrus are the parts of the brain visible on the surface between the grooves
• The bag that keeps the chemicals together is known as the cell membrane and the chemicals themselves are all that is necessary for that cell to be alive.
• According to estimates, humans contain 3.72 × 10^13 cells.
• Endocrine system releases harmones.
• Cell control = Endocrine + Nervous System
• Anatomical division of Nervous System
  • CNS (Central)
    • Brain
    • Spinal Cord
  • PNS (Peripheral)
• Brain
  • Lateral Sulcus
  • Cental Sulcus
• Based on Sulcuses, we have four parts
  • Frontal Lobe
  • Temporal Lobe
  • Parietal Lobe
  • Occipital Lobe
• Two types of brain cells
  • Neurons are information processors and transmitters
  • Glia cells provide physical support for neurons and may have specific functions too.
• Neurons
  • Usually Colourless
  • Smaller than most cells
  • Different structure than most cells
    • Dendrites
    • Axon
    • Ternimals/Synaptic ends
    • Myelin - type of glia cells which aid the process in axon
• Types of neurons
  • Sensory
  • Motor
  • Interneurons
  • Neurons in the brain
• Maximum number of neurons as toddlers
• Limited areas have neurogenesis properties in adulthood
• Darker Areas
  • Cell bodies and dendrites
  • Gray Matter
  • Found on outer surface and center of brain
  • Folds on the cortical surface are also lined with grey matter and therefore the folds simply act to increase the surface area
• Lighter Areas
  • Axons
  • White Matter
  • Found beneath the gray matter and form bridge between two halves of brain
  • The myelin produced by the oligodendrocytes is a type of lipid (fat) and has a pale appearance so the color of white matter
• Glial Cell Type
  • Oligodendrocyte type in CNS
  • Schwann cell type in PNS
• Why the folded structure
  • As brain evolved to grow bigger and contain more cells there were two options
  • Increase surface area or folded structure
  • Rodents have smooth brains
• Brain function is localised
• Similar looking neurons are grouped together and have same functions
• Penfield’s maps
• Homunculus is neurological map of human body for motor functions