Brain Dissection

1.

The picture above shows the anterior and posterior sides of the brain. The color of the pins coordinate with structures of the brain. The red pin is the brain stem, the black pin is the posterior side of the brain, the green pin is the cerebellum, the yellow pin is the cerebrum, and the white pin is the anterior side of the brain.

Here is a sketch of the posterior and anterior side of the brain.

2.

Structure	Function
Cerebellum	Region of the brain that receives information from sensory systems, regulates motor movements, and coordinates voluntary movements
Brain Stem	Posterior part of the brain that regulates the heart rate, breathing, sleeping, and eating
Cerebrum	Largest part of the brain associated with controlling voluntary movements and other higher brain functions
Anterior Side	Nearer to the front, situated in the front of the body
Posterior Side	Closer to the back, situated in the back of the body

3. The function of myelin in a neuron is to increase the speed at which impulses propagate along the myelinated fiber.

4.

The picture above shows the brain cut along the sagittal plane. The yellow pin is the thalamus, the green pin is the optic nerve, the white pin is the medulla oblongata, the black pin is the pons, the blue pin is the midbrain, the red pin is the corpus callosum, and the gray pin is the hypothalamus. 

Here is a sketch of the brain that is cut along the sagittal plane.

5.

Structure	Function
Thalamus	Structure located in the middle of the brain that works with consciousness, sleep, and sensory interpretation
Optic Nerve	Structure that transfers information from the retina to the vision centers in the brain through electrical impulses
Medulla Oblongata	Part of the brain that helps to regulate breathing, heart and blood functions, digestion, sneezing, and swallowing
Pons	Small structure in the brain that is a bridge among different parts of the brain, including the cerebrum and the cerebellum
Midbrain	Portion of the central nervous system associated with vision, hearing, motor control, and other functions
Corpus Callosum	Brain structure that integrates motor, sensory, and cognitive performances of the body
Hypothalamus	Portion of the brain that links the nervous system to the endocrine system through the pituitary gland

6.

Above shows the brain cut along the sagittal plane and the horizontal plane, being cut into four parts. The black pin represents the gray matter, and the white pin represents the white matter. 

Here is a sketch of the brain with gray matter and white matter labeled.

Relate and Review
During the brain dissection, we dissected a sheep brain and labeled the brain structures three times-- the original state of the brain, the state of the brain after cut along the sagittal plane, and the state of the brain after cut along the sagittal and horizontal plane. Although I did not participate in dissecting the brain, I took pictures and helped in the labeling process. Throughout the brain dissection, I found the brain really disgusting because I could see the grooves of the brain and the slimy covering of the brain. The brain dissection confirmed my aversion of seeing brains and helped me visually recognize the structures of the brain we learned in our lecture notes. Seeing the brain live helped me to learn the structures better and connect the lecture notes to a real-live situation.