Sunday, February 7, 2010

Neuro

Neuroscience is like anatomy on steroids with less distinguishing characteristics and more interrelations. This makes it more challenging, but also more rewarding. And they said Term 2 would be easy!

In terms of the actual class at SGU, having quizzes where you must distinguish between the Anterior Commissure and Lamina Terminalis on a 200x200 pixel MRI with big thick lines drawn in MS Paint while at the same time labeling the Hypothalamus is the epitome of a throw-away question. Please, either don't label two things so closely together that the lines themselves cover the actual structures and surrounding features or just upload a higher resolution image - this doesn't help me learn anything.

Presentation complaints aside, I can already see the general direction of the class and the material fascinates me. The whole process of how your body is sensed and controlled through your cerebral hemispheres, as if your brain was a reflection of the body, is simply surreal. Though the myriad of structures can feel overwhelming, for each Netter card I memorize, I get information about structures with functions relating to language (Wernicke's Area, the S/I Colliculi's), sense of self (Precuneus), as well as the reflection of the body along the sensory cortex going down the post-central gyri (same goes for motor in the pre-central gyri). The latter formation is what gives rise to this guy which is a visual representation of the brain space we give to different parts of our body: In our case, Human evolution has strongly favored our hands - those nifty tools of ours - as well as our great communicators (larynx, tongue etc). There is a great run down of this on the NIH website with a nice detailed graphic.

For other animals, evolution obviously favored different body parts and structures based on selective pressures. Below is a representation of the mole rat, which has complete control over it's incisors.







This type of information makes for some fascinating science inspired artwork... would like to see more of it! Link if you know of some...

2 comments:

Callous Callosotomy said...

If you like the mole rat, you're going to LOVE the star-nosed mole: http://scienceblogs.com/neurophilosophy/2009/08/the_star_nosed_moles_amazing_appendages.php

As an admitted neuro geek, this might be one of my favorite model systems, but mostly they're just AWESOME creatures. Hunt around and find one of the videos of them eating, as well as their sensory mole-unculus--incredible! Plus, they just look awesome. =) I remember in my lab days trying to find a way to justify getting a couple in the lab for some experiment or other. Never got there, but I maintain that it would have made a great addition to the lab.

Glad you're enjoying neuro--the brain is a truly fascinating organ!

-CC

JP said...

What an awesome, um, star nosed molunculus! And I somehow missed that really neat Science Blog when I added a bunch from that website to my RSS feeder...what a cool blog.

I'll have to watch some videos after my next exam is over is over... thanks for the comment!