4 Brainstem
The brainstem is the most caudally situated and phylogenetically oldest portion of the brain. It is grossly subdivided into the medulla oblongata (usually called simply the medulla), pons, and midbrain…
3 Motor System
The motor impulses for voluntary movement are mainly generated in the precentral gyrus of the frontal lobe (primary motor cortex, Brodmann area 4) and in the adjacent cortical areas (first…
2 Somatosensory System
After a preliminary chapter on the structural elements of the nervous system, the discussion of its major functional components and mechanisms now begins with the perceptual processes mediated by receptor…
1 Elements of the Nervous System
The nervous system is composed of excitable cells, called neurons, which are specialized for information processing and transmission. Neurons make contact with each other at junctions called synapses, at which…
