anatomy of the head (human brain).pdfVIP

25 2 Basic Anatomy and Physiology of the Human Brain This chapter contains some basic background on the anatomy and physiology of the human brain relevant to this project. The final section focuses on the neonatal brain and some common pathologies. 2.1 Anatomy of the head The human nervous system consists of the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS). The former consists of the brain and spinal cord, while the latter composes the nerves extending to and from the brain and spinal cord. The primary functions of the nervous system are to monitor, integrate (process) and respond to informa- tion inside and outside the body. The brain consists of soft, delicate, non-replaceable neural tissue. It is supported and protected by the surrounding skin, skull, meninges and cerebro- spinal fluid. Figure 2–1 Skin and underlying subcutaneous tissue. (Reproduced from [Marieb 1991]). 26 Skin The skin constitutes a protective barrier against physical damage of underlying tissues, invasion of hazardous chemical and bacterial substances and, through the activity of its sweat glands and blood vessels, it helps to maintain the body at a constant temperature. Together with the sweat and oil glands, hairs and nails it forms a set of organs called the integumentary system. Figure 2–1 shows a cross-section of the skin and underlying subcutaneous tissue. The skin consists of an outer, protective layer, the epidermis and an inner layer, the dermis. While the top layer of the epidermis, the stratum corneum, consists of dead cells, the dermis is composed of vascularised fibrous connective tissue. The subcutaneous tissue, located underneath the skin, is primarily composed of adipose tissue (fat). Skull Depending on their shape, bones are classified as long, short, flat or irregular. Bones of different types contain different proportions of the two types of osseous tissue: compact and spongy bone. While the former has a smooth structure, the latter is composed of small ne