Sheep Brain Dissection

During this dissection we looked at the brain of a sheep. We first looked at the outer structures and identified the anterior and posterior sides of the brain. We then labeled the major structures such as the cerebrum, cerebellum, and brain stem. We then cut the brain in half lengthwise to observe the internal parts. Finally we did another perpendicular cut of the brain to identify the grey and white matter of the brain.

Cerebellum	Coordinates voluntary muscle activity/function
Cerebrum	This part of the brain is associated with more complex brain function such as thought and action
Brain Stem	Associated with many involuntary actions of the body, primarily relating to respiratory and cardiac activity

Thalamus	Responsible for organizing sensory information
Optic nerve	Transfers visual information from the retina to the brain
Medulla Oblongata	Responsible for activity of heart and lungs
Pons	Is a bridge between various parts of the brain such as cerebellum and cerebrum
Midbrain	Associated with hearing, vision, motor control, sleep/wake, arousal, and temperature regulation
Corpus Callosum	Connects and relays sensory and motor information between both hemispheres of the brain
Hypothalamus	Links the nervous system to the endocrine system, regulates hormones in body