Anatomy of the Brain

Understanding the Anatomical Terms and Views of the Brain

• The brain can be studied in slices along different planes, including the axial, coronal, and sagittal planes.
• In an axial slice, you can see the left and right sides of the brain but not the dorsal and ventral sides.
• In a coronal slice (also known as the transverse plane), you can see the anterior and posterior sides of the brain but not the dorsal and ventral sides.
• In a sagittal slice, you can see the dorsal and ventral sides of the brain but not the anterior and posterior sides.
• The terms "medial" and "lateral" are used to describe positions relative to the midline of the brain.
• "Contralateral" refers to functions that cross sides of the brain, while "ipsilateral" refers to functions on the same side.
• The brain can be divided into superior, middle, and inferior sections along the coronal plane.
• The frontal lobe and temporal lobe can also be divided into superior, middle, and inferior sections.
• Slicing the brain allows for different views of the same organ, but it can be challenging to visualize in three dimensions.
• The terms "axial" and "horizontal" are used interchangeably to describe slices along the horizontal plane.
• In an axial slice, you can see the left and right sides of the brain, but not the dorsal and ventral sides.
• The spinal cord can be sliced along the transverse (coronal) plane, which is the same as the axial slice when considering a human in a quadruped position.