Terminology Neuro

Neuroanatomical Terminology

Javier Reyes NeiraID 2161355

04

01

Posterior

Superior

05

02

Superficial

Inferior

06

03

Deep

Anterior

10

07

Medial

Ventral

11

08

Coronal slice

Dorsal

12

09

Rostral

Lateral

Info

13

Caudal

14

Contralateral

12

15

About...

IpsiLateral

Superior

Located upward, higher, towards the top of the head

The nasal cavity is superior to the oral cavity.

Image source (click here)

Inferior

Located Downward, lower, towards the bottom of the body

The tracheal cartilages are inferior to the cricoid cartilage.

Image source (click here)

Anterior

Located forward, towards the face

The ethmoid bone is anterior to the sphenoid bone

Image source (click here)

Posterior

Located backward, towards the back

The occipital bone is posterior to the parietal bones

Image source (click here)

Superficial

Located towards the surface (i.e., outwards)

The cingulate cortex is superficial to the corpus callosum.

Image source (click here)

Deep

Located towards the interior (i.e., inwards)

The fornix is deep to the corpus callosum.

Image source (click here)

Ventral

(Lat. venter, belly).Located towards the abdominal surface of the body, if a quadruped position is assumed.

The amygdala is ventral to the putamen.

Superior Image source(click here)

Inferior Image source(click here)

Dorsal

(Lat. dorsum, back) Located towards the backbone (spine) of the body, if a quadruped position is assumed.

The cerebellum is dorsal to the pons.

Superior Image source(click here)

Inferior Image source(click here)

Lateral

Located towards the sides of the body, away from the midline.

The ossicular chain is lateral to the cochlea.

Image source(click here)

Medial

Located towards the midline of the body.

The corpus callosum is medial to both cerebral hemispheres

Image source(click here)

Coronal (slice)

superior Image source(click here)

Suppose you slice the body to observe what is inside. Those slices (planes) ca have different orientations, depending on how you slice the body. The coronal plane (slice) divides the body in anterior and posterior sections (front and back).

inferior Image source(click here)

The bottom image on the right shows, through a coronal slice of the brain, both hemispheres and part of the limbic system. This coronal slice shows that the body of the fornix is medial to the body of the caudate nucleus.

Rostral

(Lat. rostrum, beak) Assume your nose is like a beak. A rostral position is Located towards the face. Above the mid-brain, rostral means anterior, but below the midbrain, rostral means superior.

Superior Imagesource(click here)

The frontal lobes are rostral to the parietal lobes. However, the cerebellum is rostral to the larynx.

Inferior Image source(click here)

Caudal

(Lat. caudus, tail) A caudal position is Located towards the tail, i.e., away from the face. Above the mid-brain, caudal means posterior, but below the midbrain, caudal means inferior.

Superior Imagesource(click here)

The occipital lobe is caudal to the parietal lobes. However, the spinal cord is caudal to the pons.

Inferior Image source(click here)

Navigation Chart!

This image shows many of the anatomical orientations, related to the brain

It is going to prove quite useful!

Anatomical directions(click for source)

Image source(click here)

Contralateral

Assume a mid-saggital slice, which divides the body in two sides, left and right, right through the midline. A contralateral position, with reference to another position or landmark, is situated on the opposite side of the body. It can be easily observed in a coronal slice, because both sides can be seen in the same image.

The image on the right shows the central auditory system pathways for hearing. Sound can be perceived in any of the left or right ears, but then, part of the neural response of hearing decussates or changes its side to the contralateral pathway, thus being processed by the opposite auditory cortex, located in the temporal lobe.

The image below shows the homuncular distribution of the somatosensory and motor cortex. Somatory sensation can be processed in the same side it was perceived. For example, a texture felt with the right-side hand can be processed in the right-side somatosensory cortex. This means that such stimulus is ipsilateral.

Ipsilateral

Assume a mid-saggital slice, which divides the body in two sides, left and right, right through the midline. An ipsilateral position, with reference to another position or landmark, is situated on the same side of the body. It can be easily observed in a coronal slice, because both sides can be seen in the same image.

Image source(click here)

Info

About the producer of this material...

Javier Reyes Neira

Post-baccalaureate student (ComDis)

UH PSID: 2161355 jareyesn@cougarnet.uh.edu

Born in Bogotá, Colombia. Professional degree (BA) in Linguistics. Master's degree (MA) in Hispanic Linguistics.

Thank you!