Rotate the brain and explore its layers. Follow the outlines and labels to understand how structures relate.
The cortical surface is FreeSurfer fsaverage5, distributed through Nilearn 0.12.1, with 10,242 vertices per hemisphere. Functional overlays use selected Destrieux sulcal and gyral parcels as anatomical references, rather than individual fMRI, Brodmann parcels or exact functional boundaries.
Nilearn data documentation ↗Arteries are manually planned teaching paths, with surface branches following the brain surface; they are not CTA/MRA reconstructions. Brainstem and other deep surfaces use fsaverage segmentations. The cerebellum comes from a high-resolution research specimen and retains its folial geometry. Its placement is schematic, without medical registration across templates. Veins, all perforators, fibre tracts and anatomical variants are not shown.
Cerebral circulation reference ↗The precentral and postcentral gyri serve as motor and somatosensory location references. Language-related cortex is illustrated on the left; lateralisation and extent vary. Use the medial view or reduce cortical opacity to inspect references deep in sulci.
UTHealth Neuroscience Online ↗This is an educational schematic prototype for discussing spatial relationships. It has not received item-by-item independent neuroanatomical review. Analytics record anonymous visits and actions, without names or health information. Internal and acceptance-test traffic are excluded from public-use metrics.
Read each anatomical reference, its location and limits, then open the same structure in the model. Functional-region pages describe anatomical references, not precise functional boundaries.
The precentral gyrus contains an important part of the primary motor cortex and contributes to voluntary movement of the opposite side of the body. Planning and executing movement also involves premotor, supplementary motor and subcortical circuits.
Both precentral gyri are highlighted as an anatomical reference for the motor system.
The entire precentral gyrus is not an exact M1 boundary. A body-part somatotopic map is not shown.
The postcentral gyrus contains primary somatosensory cortex, which processes touch, proprioception and other sensory information. It lies next to the precentral gyrus, across the central sulcus.
Both postcentral gyri are highlighted, behind the central sulcus.
The highlighted extent follows a gyral parcel, rather than the cytoarchitectonic boundaries of Brodmann areas 3, 1 and 2.
Primary visual cortex lies mainly along the banks of the calcarine sulcus on the medial surface of the occipital lobe. Visual information also reaches multiple extrastriate regions involved in shape, colour and motion processing.
The left and right calcarine sulcus parcels provide a medial visual-location reference. Use the medial view.
The highlight is a sulcal anatomical parcel, not the full extent of V1. Retinotopic organisation is not shown.
The transverse temporal gyri, also called Heschl gyri, lie on the superior surface of the temporal lobe, deep in the lateral fissure. They contain an important part of primary auditory cortex and are often obscured by the overlying opercula in a lateral view.
Both transverse temporal gyri are highlighted. Lower cortical opacity to inspect the lateral fissure.
The number, shape and functional subdivisions of these gyri vary between individuals.
The opercular and triangular parts of the left inferior frontal gyrus often contribute to language production and related processing. They are important anatomical references for the classical Broca area. Speech also involves motor, auditory and other language networks.
Only the left pars opercularis and pars triangularis are highlighted.
These two anatomical parcels are not an exact Broca-area boundary for every person. Hemispheric dominance and task responses vary.
Left posterior temporal cortex is part of the language-comprehension network. The boundaries of the classical Wernicke area are not uniform; comprehension involves posterior temporal, parietal, frontal and other regions working together.
The posterior portion of the left lateral superior temporal gyrus parcel is used as a location reference.
This posterior cut is a teaching choice, not a standard Wernicke-area segmentation or a unique language-comprehension centre.
Multiple prefrontal regions contribute to working memory, planning and cognitive control. Different tasks recruit different extents, in networks with parietal and subcortical structures.
The anterior portion of the middle frontal gyrus is highlighted as a local prefrontal example.
This does not show the entire prefrontal cortex or the precise boundary of an executive-function network.
Cingulate cortex extends above the corpus callosum. Its subdivisions contribute to cognitive control, emotion, memory and other processes, rather than one single function.
The anterior, middle and posterior cingulate parcels listed in the Destrieux atlas are highlighted.
These parcels follow sulcal and gyral anatomy, rather than functional-network boundaries.
The anterior cerebral artery usually arises from the internal carotid artery, enters the longitudinal fissure medially and courses near the corpus callosum. It mainly supplies medial parts of the frontal and parietal lobes.
The proximal left and right anterior cerebral arteries are connected by the anterior communicating artery.
Only major connections and selected surface branches are illustrated. Branching and supply territories vary; exact territorial boundaries are not shown.
The middle cerebral artery is usually a terminal branch of the internal carotid artery. It passes laterally into the lateral fissure and branches to supply much of the lateral cerebral surface.
Red branches extend across the lateral surface; only selected major courses are illustrated.
The MCA is not part of the arterial ring of the circle of Willis. Not all M2–M4 branches or lenticulostriate arteries are shown.
The posterior cerebral artery usually arises at the end of the basilar artery. It courses around the midbrain and mainly supplies the occipital lobe and parts of the medial and inferior temporal lobe.
The proximal segment connects with the posterior communicating artery. Major posteriorly directed branches are illustrated.
Common variants, including the fetal-type configuration, are not shown. A highlighted artery does not define an exact tissue-supply territory.
The internal carotid arteries are important inputs to the anterior cerebral circulation. Their intracranial portions usually give rise to the ACA and MCA and connect to the posterior circulation through the posterior communicating arteries.
Only the intracranial terminal portions and nearby connections are illustrated.
The cervical course, carotid siphon and branches such as the ophthalmic artery are not fully drawn.
The vertebral arteries unite to form the basilar artery. It ascends along the ventral surface of the pons and usually divides into the two posterior cerebral arteries.
The midline red trunk along the ventral brainstem.
The basilar artery is part of the posterior-circulation input. Pontine perforators and several cerebellar arteries are omitted.
The vertebral arteries enter the cranial cavity through the skull base, ascend near the medulla and unite near the lower border of the pons to form the basilar artery.
A simplified bilateral connection into the basilar artery is shown.
The cervical portions, PICA and anterior spinal artery branches are not shown.
The anterior communicating artery connects the proximal left and right anterior cerebral arteries and forms the anterior connection of the circle of Willis.
The short transverse vessel connecting both ACAs at the anterior brain base.
The circle of Willis has many anatomical variants. The presence of a connection does not guarantee adequate collateral compensation in every situation.
A posterior communicating artery usually connects the internal carotid artery with the posterior cerebral artery on the same side, forming a posterolateral connection of the circle of Willis.
Two schematic connections at the brain base link the anterior and posterior circulations.
Size and development vary substantially. The model uses an idealised complete-ring configuration.
The thalami lie in the diencephalon and relay and modulate sensory, motor and cognitive information. They have extensive reciprocal connections with the cerebral cortex.
Bilateral thalamus segmentations from fsaverage aseg, labels 10 and 49. The third ventricle lies in the intervening direction.
These are standard-template segmentation surfaces, without individual thalamic nuclei. Individual anatomy varies.
The hippocampus lies in the medial temporal lobe on each side. It is important for forming new episodic memories and spatial representations, working with regions including entorhinal cortex.
Bilateral medial-temporal hippocampal segmentations from fsaverage aseg, labels 17 and 53.
The whole hippocampal segmentation is shown, without CA subfields, dentate gyrus or parahippocampal gyrus subdivisions.
The corpus callosum is a major commissural fibre structure connecting the two cerebral hemispheres. It forms an upward-curving arch at the base of the longitudinal fissure.
The fsaverage aseg corpus callosum segmentation, labels 251–255, lies in the midline above the thalami.
Individual axons, tractography results and precise fibre-bundle distributions are not drawn.
The brainstem comprises the midbrain, pons and medulla. It forms an important passage between the brain and spinal cord; its nuclei and circuits contribute to basic functions including breathing and arousal.
The whole-brainstem fsaverage aseg segmentation, label 16, lies below the diencephalon and in front of the cerebellum.
The template segmentation does not separately label the midbrain, pons or medulla. Cranial nerve nuclei and long tracts are not shown.
The cerebellum lies below the posterior cerebrum and behind the brainstem. It contributes to movement coordination, balance and motor learning, as well as some cognitive processes.
A publicly available high-resolution human cerebellar surface from Sereno and colleagues preserves the original folial geometry. The surfaces were assembled for viewing in Blender.
The cerebellum comes from a different research specimen. Its placement in the whole-brain view is schematic and has not been medically registered across templates. Lobules and nuclei are not individually labelled.
The anterior communicating artery connects the two anterior cerebral arteries. The posterior communicating arteries usually connect each internal carotid artery with the posterior cerebral artery on the same side. These connections help illustrate relationships between the anterior and posterior circulations.
The inferior view shows schematic connections between the terminal internal carotid arteries, ACAs, PCAs and communicating arteries, together with some input vessels and branches.
The circle of Willis is not separately or precisely segmented in this model. The ACA and PCA drawings extend beyond the ring; the MCA and basilar artery are not part of the ring itself. Connections are idealised and do not represent individual variants or collateral capacity.
Cortex uses the FreeSurfer fsaverage5 template surface, with 10,242 vertices per hemisphere. Functional references use selected Destrieux sulcal and gyral parcels. Deep structures use fsaverage aseg segmentations. The Sereno2020 cerebellar research surface preserves folial geometry, but comes from another specimen; its assembled placement is schematic, without medical registration across templates. Arterial paths are manually drawn teaching schematics, not CTA/MRA reconstructions.
An educational schematic prototype for understanding spatial relationships. Item-by-item independent neuroanatomical review is pending. Functional highlights are not results of an individual examination and do not support individual diagnosis or treatment decisions.
Yes. The public web model needs no login and supports rotation, layers and teaching-image or 3D-model export.
No. Highlights use sulcal and gyral anatomy as location references, rather than individual fMRI or exact M1, V1 or Broca-area segmentations.
No. Red vessels are simplified teaching paths. Not all branches, veins or individual variants are shown.
No. It comes from another research specimen. Its surface geometry is retained, while placement in the assembled brain is schematic.
Use “Open in 3D” on its page, or add ?s=precentral-gyrus&view=left to the model URL. Language links open the corresponding structure.
