Anatomy & Physiology OER

Link to chapter thirteen in the OpenStax Anatomy & Physiology 2e book.

Chapter thirteen PowerPoint slideshow with close-captioned recorded lecture.

Link to a video where you can examine the development of the brain, starting with the neural tube. As the anterior end of the neural tube develops, it enlarges into the primary vesicles that establish the forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain. Those structures continue to develop throughout the rest of embryonic development and into adolescence. They are the basis of the structure of the fully developed adult brain.

Link to a video where you can learn about the white matter in the cerebrum that develops during childhood and adolescence. This is a composite of MRI images taken of the brains of people from 5 years of age through 20 years of age, demonstrating how the cerebrum changes. As the color changes to blue, the ratio of gray matter to white matter changes. The caption for the video describes it as “less gray matter,” which is another way of saying “more white matter.”

Link to a video where you can learn about the basal nuclei (also known as the basal ganglia), which have two pathways that process information within the cerebrum. As shown in this video, the direct pathway is the shorter pathway through the system that results in increased activity in the cerebral cortex and increased motor activity. The direct pathway is described as resulting in “disinhibition” of the thalamus.

Link to a video where you can learn about the basal nuclei (also known as the basal ganglia), which have two pathways that process information within the cerebrum. As shown in this video, the indirect pathway is the longer pathway through the system that results in decreased activity in the cerebral cortex, and therefore less motor activity. The indirect pathway has an extra couple of connections in it, including disinhibition of the subthalamic nucleus.

Link to a video tutorial on the external anatomy of the spinal cord.

Link to a video tutorial on the meninges of the spinal cord and the basic internal structure.

Link to a video where you can learn about the gray matter of the spinal cord that receives input from fibers of the dorsal (posterior) root and sends information out through the fibers of the ventral (anterior) root. As discussed in this video, these connections represent the interactions of the CNS with peripheral structures for both sensory and motor functions. The cervical and lumbar spinal cords have enlargements as a result of larger populations of neurons.

Link to a website explaining about Parkinson Disease.

Link to an article in Scientific American online.

Link to a video tutorial on the Circle of Willis.

Link to a video where you can see a description of the procedure known as the lumbar puncture, a medical procedure used to sample the CSF. Because of the anatomy of the CNS, it is a relative safe location to insert a needle.

Link to a video where you can see the flow of CSF through the brain and spinal cord, and how it originates from the ventricles and then spreads into the space within the meninges, where the fluids then move into the venous sinuses to return to the cardiovascular circulation.

Link to a tissue sample of the spinal cord and a root ganglion in which you can see glial cells when you zoom in.

Link to a tissue sample of the close-up of the nerve trunk in which you can see the layers of connective tissue.

Link to an article about the diagnosis of a man who wakes with a headache and a loss of vision.

Link to a video tutorial on the structure and branches of the lumbar plexus.

Link to a video tutorial on the brachial plexus.

Link to a video tutorial on the branches of the brachial plexus.

Link to a video tutorial on the terminal branches of the brachial plexus.