Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
The nervous system is composed of nervous tissue of ectodermal origin. This system is very
sensitive and all its parts are structurally connected and functionally integrated. Brain is the
anterior part of the central nervous system present in all bilaterally symmetrical vertebrates.
Every vertebrate's brain is built in accordance with a single architectural plan. The brain
exhibits varying degrees of differentiation and segregation of the sense organs in the head
region. The brain of early embryo and of lower vertebrates is almost identical. It is in the
form of a swollen anterior end of the neural tube and is known as 'encephalon'. On account of
differential growth it gets divided into three 'Primary cerebral vesicles'. These are known
as 'FOREBRAIN or PROSENCEPHALON',
MIDBRAIN or MESENCEPHALON and HIND BRAIN or RHOMBENCEPHALON.
From the study of brain in different groups of vertebrates, it is evident that the olfactory lobes
are more prominent in lower forms are gradually reduced. The brain is enclosed in four
ventricles - Lateral ventricles (1&2) or paracoes.the third ventricle or diacoel and fourth
ventricle or myelocoel The lateral ventricles communicate with the third ventricle by an
aperture Known as 'inter ventricular foramen' or 'foramen of Monro". The third ventricle is
connected with the fourth ventricle by a narrow channel called as 'Cerebral aqueduct' or
'Aqueduct of sylvius' or 'Iter'.
The brain is composed with grey and white matter. The grey matter consists of nerve cell
bodies with their dendrites and proximal axons. The white matter consists of tracts of
medullated fibres connecting the various parts of the brain and carry impulses from and to the
spinal cord. A serous fluid the cerebrospinal fluid fills all the ventricles of the brain. It is
secreted by the choroid plexus. It is also present in the spaces between the meninges. Here it
is absorbed into the blood vessel.
FUNCTIONS OF THE BRAIN