The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the human brain:
Structure of the human brain
Visible anatomy Human brain – central organ of the nervous system located in the head of a human being Neuroanatomy Regions in the human brain: Cerebrum Cerebral cortex Frontal lobe Parietal lobe Occipital lobe Temporal lobe Limbic lobe Hippocampus Basal ganglia Cerebellum Hypothalamus Amygdala Brain stem Medulla oblongata Midbrain Pons Significant components: Arcuate fasciculus – neural pathway connecting the junction between the temporal and parietal lobes with the frontal cortex in the brain Broca's area – region of the brain with functions linked to speech production Triangular part of inferior frontal gyrus – part of Broca's area that contributes to propositional (true/false) language comprehension Caudate nucleus – located within the basal ganglia and involved in learning and memory Central nucleus of the amygdala – the major output nucleus of the amygdala, participates in receiving and processing pain information Nucleus accumbens – collection of neurons in the pleasure center that is thought to play a role in reward, pleasure, laughter, addiction, aggression, fear, and the placebo effect Pineal gland – a small endocrine gland in the vertebrate brain that produces melatonin, a hormone that affects wake/sleep patterns Ventricular system – set of structures containing cerebrospinal fluid which bathes and cushions the brain and spinal cord within the skull Cranial nerve – neuron bundles that connect to the brain on one end, and to locations outside the brain on the other, without having a junction inside the spinal column Cranial nerve zero – controversial but commonly found nerve which may be vestigial or may be related to sensing pheromones Olfactory nerve (cranial nerve 1) – smell Optic nerve (cranial nerve 2) – sight Oculomotor nerve (cranial nerve 3) – eye movement (except rotation) Trochlear nerve (cranial nerve 4) – eye rotation Trigeminal nerve (cranial nerve 5) – sensation from the face and certain motor functions such as biting and chewing Abducens nerve (cranial nerve 6) – certain eye rotation Facial nerve (cranial nerve 7) – facial expression and taste sensations from the tongue Vestibulocochlear nerve (cranial nerve 8) – hearing and balance Glossopharyngeal nerve (cranial nerve 9) – sensation from the throat, tonsils, part of the tongue, heart, and stomach. Also facilitates swallowing. Vagus nerve (cranial nerve 10) – output to the intestines and heart, taste information, deep/crude touch, pain, temperature of outer ear Accessory nerve (cranial nerve 11) – specific muscles of the shoulder and neck. Modern descriptions often consider the cranial component as part of the vagus nerve, calling what is left the spinal accessory nerve. Hypoglossal nerve (cranial nerve 12) – muscles of the tongue Spinal cord – bundle of neurons that connects the brain to the peripheral nervous system and coordinates certain automatic reflexes Peripheral nervous system – nerves outside the brain and spinal cord
Microscopic level anatomy Neuron – electrically excitable cells that make up the brain Place cell Grid cell Border cell Head direction cell Spatial view cell Pyramidal cell Granule cell Synapse Chemical synapse Electrical synapse Neurotransmitter Synaptic vesicle Active zone Neural network Nervous tissue Cytochrome c oxidase – correlated with neuronal activity, and used for mapping regional brain metabolism in animals
History of the human brain Brain evolution History of neuroscience History of neurochemistry History of neuroimaging History of neurology History of psychiatry History of psychology History of neuropsychology
Brain development This development section covers changes in brain structure over time. It includes both the normal development of the human brain from infant to adult and genetic and evolutionary changes over many generations.
Neural development in humans Neuroplasticity – changes in a brain due to behavior, environment, aging, injury etc. Nonsynaptic plasticity – changes in the axon, dendrites, and soma of individual neurons Parental brain – patterns in the brain of a new parent such as sensitivity towards infant cues, processing those cues and being motivated to engage with the infant Postpartum depression Interpersonal relationship Attachment theory Human bonding Interpersonal attraction Interpersonal ties Empathy Mirror neuron Antisocial personality disorder Cognitive genomics – genes and genome related to health and activity of the brain Neuroanthropology
Typical brain function This section covers typical brain function as opposed to atypical function discussed below.
Sensory input Sense Sensory system Sensation (psychology) Sight Visual object recognition – the ability to visually perceive an object's physical properties Optic nerve (cranial nerve 2) – main sight-related cranial nerve Hearing Culture in music cognition – the impact that a person's culture has on their music cognition Aphasia – "speechlessness", a disturbance of the comprehension and formulation of language Cochlear nerve (part of cranial nerve 8) – the main hearing-related cranial nerve Smell Olfactory nerve (cranial nerve 1) – the main smell-related cranial nerve Taste Taste-related cranial nerves: Facial nerve (cranial nerve 7) Glossopharyngeal nerve (cranial nerve 9) Vagus nerve (cranial nerve 10) Somatosensory system Haptic perception Thermoception – sense of heat and coldness by the skin Proprioception – sense of the relative position of the parts of the body Nociception – signals pain in response to nerve-damage or damage to tissue Equilibrioception – sense of body movement, direction, acceleration, and balance Vestibular nerve (part of cranial nerve 8) – the main equilibrioception-related cranial nerve Peripheral chemoreceptor in the brain – monitors the carbon dioxide and oxygen levels in the brain Chemoreceptor trigger zone – area in the brain that receives inputs from drugs and hormones, and controls vomiting Reflex arc – neural pathway that controls an action reflex (activation of spinal motor neurons without the delay of routing signals through the brain)
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