CarissaReulbach

MarinaMondot
KaiBrown
MaddyCarjulia
Physiology6
4/1/15

SheepBrainvsHumanBrain

Purpose:
Themainpurposeofthislabistonotethemajoranatomicalfeaturesandfunctionsofthe
sheepbrain,andtocompareandcontrastthesheepbraintoahumanbrain.

Hypothesis:
Althoughthesheepandhumanbrainwillbefairlyidentical,therewillbeafairamountof
differences,duetothesheepsrelianceonitssensesandlackofabilitytothinkandreasonlikeahuman.

Procedure:
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Obtainasheepbrainanddissectionmaterials/tools.
Conductfivequalitativemeasurementsofthebrain,includingthelength,width,andvolume.
Recordfivephysicalcharacteristicsoftheexternalanatomy
Removetheduramaterfromthebrain
Positionbrainwiththeventralsurfacedownonthetray.Carefullyobservethebrainandmakean
accuratescaledrawingofthebrain.Labelthecerebralhemispheres,gyrus/sulc,longitudinal
fissure,frontallobe,parietallobe,temporallobe,occipitallobe,cerebellum,andmedulla
oblongata
Carefullypullapartthecerebralhemispheresandidentifythecorpuscallosum.
Bendthecerebellumandthemedullaoblongataawayfromthecerebrumandidentifythepineal
gland.
Positionthebrainwiththeventralsurfaceupandmakeanaccurateandscaleddrawing.Labelthe
longitudinalfissure,olfactorybulbs,opticnerve,opticchiasma,optictract,pituitarygland,andthe
pons.
Labelasmanyofthecranialnervesaspossible,includingtheocculomotornerve,trochlearnerve,
trigeminalnerve,abducens,facialnerve,vestibularnerve,glossopharyngealnerve,vagusnerve,
accessorynerve,andhypoglossalnerve
Cutthebrainalongthemidlinetoproduceamediansection.Makeanaccuratedrawingofthe
internalanatomy.labelthecerebralcortex,whitematter,graymatter,olfactorybulb,corpus
callosum,brainstem,opticchiasma,pituitarygland,thalamus,hypothalamus,pinealgland,pons,
andmedullaoblongata

Data/Results:
Volume:108ml
TotalLength:105mm
TotalWidth:71mm
Mass:143.1g

LengthofBrainstem:49mm
Height:47mm

Observations:
1. Cerebellumisontopofbrainstem.
2. Thebrainstememergesfromthebackofbrainandishorizontalduetothehorizontalorientation
ofthesheepshead.
3. Therearetwolargeventricleslocatedatthefrontofbrain
4. Thebrainmatteristannishbrown
5. Theventriclesaresymmetrical
6. Theolfactorybulbsinthesheepsbrainarebiggerbecauseoftheirbettersenseofsmell
7. Smallerfrontallobeinsheepbrainbecausesheepsdonthavehigherorderthinking
8. Largercerebelluminsheepbrainrelativetothebrainssize
9. Largerparietal,temporal,andoccipitallobesbecausethesheepreliesmoreonitssensesthan
thinking

Structure

Function

Cerebralcortex

Higherfunctionslikelanguageandinformation
processing

Longitudinalfissure

Separatesleftandrightfissures,containsfalx
cerebri

Cerebellum

Receivesinformationfromsensorysystems,brain
andspinalcord,andregulatesmotormovement

Medullaoblongata

Transfersmessagestospinalcordandthalamus,
andcontrolsbreathing,heartfunction,blood
vesselfunction,sneezing,digestionand
swallowing

Olfactorybulb

Receivesneuralneuralinputaboutodorssensed
bycellsinthenasalcavity

Opticchiasma

Wheretheleftandrightopticnervescross,going
totheoppositeoptictract

Optictract

Extensionofopticnerve,relaysinformationfrom
opticchiasmatotheipsilaterallateralgeniculate
nucleus,pretectalnuclei,andsuperiorcolliculus

Pituitarygland

Createandsecretehormonesthatregulatethe
functionsofotherendocrineglands

Pons

Containsnucleithatsendsignalsfromthe
forebraintothecerebellum,dealingwiththings
likesleep,respiration,hearing,taste,swallowing,
equilibrium,andposture

Whitematter

Madeofbundlesofmyelinatedaxons,connect
areasofgraymatterinthebrain,andsendnerve
impulses,whichtravelwithmorespeedduetothe
insulationfromthemyelin

Graymatter

Carriessensoryinformationthatcomesfromgrey
matterwhitecellsandsensoryorgans,ispassedto
areasofthebrainthatprocesssensoryinformation

Corpuscallosum

Integratesmotor,sensoryandcognitive
performancesbetweenoppositeregionsofthe
cerebralcortex

Thalamus

Controlsmotorsystemsofthebrainthatare
responsibleforvoluntarybodymovementand
coordination

Hypothalamus

Responsibleforhormoneproduction

PinealGland

Producesmelatonin,maintainscircadianrhythm,
andregulatesreproductivehormones

Amygdala

Integrativecenterforemotions,emotional
behaviorandmotivation

Oculomotornerve

Controlsmosteyemovement

Trigeminalnerve

Nerveresponsibleforsensationinthefaceand
motorfunctions

Vagusnerve

Partofinvoluntarynervoussystem,commands
unconsciousprocedureslikemaintainingheartrate
andaidingindigestion

Analysis/Questions:
1. Identifythestructuresofthebraininvolvedinthefollowingactions.
a. Yousingalongwiththelyricstoafavoritesong
Youutilizetheamygdala,whichallowsyoutouseyourmemorytosingtheproperlyrics.
Thenyouusethefrontallobetoreasoningandplanifyouwillsinganddeterminewhen
willyoucomeinonyourpartandwhatpartswillyousing.Youuseyourcerebellumfor
motorfunctiontomakeyourbodyphysicallymovetosing.
b. Youtakeabigsipofmilkthatisspoiledanditmakesyourvomit.

First,yourfrontallobewouldallowforthemotormovementthatallowsyoutopourthe
milkandbringittoyourlips,thenyourparietallobewouldallowyoutotasteandyourfrontal
lobetosmellthat,yep,thatmilkisnogood.Youlluseyouroccipitallobetolookatthemilkand
see,ifyoucan,anyvisiblechunks.Thenyourareapostremacomesintoplay,allowingyouto
vomitthebadmilkthatyourchemoreceptorspickedup.
c. Youareasoccergoaliewhomakesadivingsaveofapenaltykick
Yourfrontallobewillallowyoutoplan,andmakethedecisiontomakethediveandsave
thegame,andwillalsoallowformotormovement,gettingyoutodive.Yourparietallobemakes
youawareofhowandwhereyourbodyismoving.Yourtemporallobeletsyouheartheswooshof
theballbeingkicked,andthingssaidorshoutedbyotherplayers,andyouroccipitallobeallows
youtoseeandrecognizethefacialexpressionsoftheotherplayers,aswellasfeelexcitedor
embarrassed,dependingonhowthesituationends,andfinally,yourcerebellum,controlsyourfine
motormovements,andallowsyoutocatchandbalancetheball,thatis,ifyoucatchit.
d. Youareaphysiologystudentwhofinallyunderstandsbrainanatomyafterreadingthe
textbook.
Youroccipitallobeallowsyoutoseewhatisonthepagesofyourtextbook,yourfrontallobe
allowsyoutounderstandthemeaningofthewordsonthepages,andevensaythatyouunderstand
it.Theangularandsupramarginalgyrusactasareadingintegrator,bringingtogetherallofthe
differentactionbydifferentpartsofyourbrain,allowingyoutosee,read,andeventually
understandaword.Andofcourse,onceyoufigurethisout,yourlimbiclobeisgoingtobeactive,
allowingforyoutoshowemotionslikehappiness.
2. Writeabriefcomparisonofthebrainyoudissectedandthehumanbrain.Aretheirany
evolutionaryrelationshipsfortheanatomicaldifferences?
Althoughthehumanbrainisverysimilartomostbrainsofmammals,therearenoticeable
differences,mostobviouslybeingthatthehumanbrainislarger.Butasidefromthehumanbrainjustbeing
bigger,ithasmoreofaroundedshape,wherethebrainofsheepiselongated,andhasthebrainstem
protrudingfromthebackhorizontallybecausetheywalkonallfoursandthespineishorizontal,whereas
thebrainstemofahumanisuprightduetoourverticalspine.Beforeweevolvedandbecamebipedal
creatures,ourbrainwouldhavehadasimilarpositionthatthesheephasnow.Becauseofourprimate
history,ourbrainsstillwouldnothavebeenthesameasasheeps,butwouldhavemoreofahorizontal
similarity.

Conclusion:
Thislabwasmeanttoprovideuswithinsightintothefunctionsofthedifferentpartsofthebrain
andthelocationsofthesepartsinthesheepbrain,whilecomparingthesheepbraintoahumanbrain.
Beforethelab,wepredictedthatalthoughthesheepandhumanbrainwillbefairlyidentical,therewillbe
afairamountofdifferences,duetothesheepsrelianceonitssensesandlackofabilitytothinkandreason
likehumans.
Whiledissectingthebrain,wenotedsomeofthesimilaritiesanddifferencesbetweenthesheep
andhumanbrain.Suchas,thefactthatthecerebellumisontopofbrainstemandthebrainstememerges
fromthebackofbrainandishorizontal,bothduetothehorizontalorientationofthesheepshead.Also,
theolfactorybulbsinthesheepsbrainarelargerinrelationtothesizeofthesheepbrainbecauseoftheir
bettersenseofsmellandgreaterrelianceontheirolfactorysense.Sheepsalsopossessasmallerfrontal

lobeintheydonthavetheabilityofhigherorderthinking.Tomakeupforthesmallfrontallobe,thereare
largerparietal,temporal,andoccipitallobesbecausethesheepreliesmoreonitssensesthanthinking.
Bycompletingthelab,wewerebetterabletounderstandthefunctionsofthesepartsofthebrain,
aswewereabletousethesefunctionstomakesenseofthedifferencesinthesheepandhumanbrain.The
sheepbrainalsoallowedustoseefeaturesandcharacteristicsthatitshareswithahumanbrain,increasing
ourunderstandingofthehumanbrain.Forexample,wewereabletoobservethewhitematterandgray
matter,thecerebellumatthebackofthebrain,thebrainstem,andotherfeaturesofthebrain.
Thislabalsoallowedustounderstandhowthebrainsofdifferentanimalsdifferwiththeirvariety
ofabilitiesandusesofthebrain.Overall,ourpredictionswereaccuratebecausethereweresome
differencesduetothevaryingbrainabilitiesofthesheepandhuman,butoverall,thebrainswerevery
similar.Thislabprovideduswithagreaterunderstandingofthestructureandfunctionofthebrain.