EXPERIMENT
Gross Anatomy of the
Central Nervous System
Hands-On Labs, Inc.
Version 42-0011-00-02
Review the safety materials and wear goggles when
ǁŽƌŬŝŶŐ ǁŝƚŚ ĐŚĞŵŝĐĂůƐ͘ ZĞĂĚ ƚŚĞ ĞŶƟƌĞ ĞdžĞƌĐŝƐĞ ďĞĨŽƌĞLJŽƵďĞŐŝŶ͘dĂŬĞƟŵĞƚŽŽƌŐĂŶŝnjĞƚŚĞŵĂƚĞƌŝĂůƐ you will need and set aside a safe work space in
ǁŚŝĐŚƚŽĐŽŵƉůĞƚĞƚŚĞĞdžĞƌĐŝƐĞ͘
Experiment Summary: zŽƵǁŝůůŝĚĞŶƟĨLJƚŚĞƐƚƌƵĐƚƵƌĞƐĂŶĚĨƵŶĐƟŽŶƐŽĨƚŚĞ brain stem, cerebellum, diencephalon, cerebrum, and the spinal cord of the human central nervous system. Then, you will model the human brain. You
ǁŝůůĂůƐŽĚĞƐĐƌŝďĞƚŚĞĨƵŶĐƟŽŶƐŽĨƚŚĞƚǁĞůǀĞĐƌĂŶŝĂů
ŶĞƌǀĞƐĂŶĚƐƉŝŶĂůŶĞƌǀĞƐ͘&ŝŶĂůůLJ͕LJŽƵǁŝůůŝĚĞŶƟĨLJƚŚĞ
ƐƚƌƵĐƚƵƌĞƐŽĨĂƐŚĞĞƉďƌĂŝŶƚŚƌŽƵŐŚĚŝƐƐĞĐƟŽŶ͘

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Experiment

Gross Anatomy of the Central Nervous System

Objectives hƉŽŶĐŽŵƉůĞƟŽŶŽĨƚŚŝƐůĂďŽƌĂƚŽƌLJ͕LJŽƵǁŝůůďĞĂďůĞƚŽ͗ Ɣ

ĞƐĐƌŝďĞƚŚĞŵĞŶŝŶŐĞƐŽĨƚŚĞĐĞŶƚƌĂůŶĞƌǀŽƵƐƐLJƐƚĞŵ͘

Ɣ

džƉůĂŝŶƚŚĞĨƵŶĐƟŽŶŽĨƚŚĞǀĞŶƚƌŝĐůĞƐŝŶƚŚĞĐĞŶƚƌĂůŶĞƌǀŽƵƐƐLJƐƚĞŵ͘

Ɣ

/ĚĞŶƟĨLJƚŚĞƐƚƌƵĐƚƵƌĞƐĂŶĚĨƵŶĐƟŽŶƐŽĨƚŚĞďƌĂŝŶƐƚĞŵ͕ĐĞƌĞďĞůůƵŵ͕ĚŝĞŶĐĞƉŚĂůŽŶ͕ĐĞƌĞďƌƵŵ͕
ĂŶĚƚŚĞƐƉŝŶĂůĐŽƌĚŽĨƚŚĞŚƵŵĂŶĐĞŶƚƌĂůŶĞƌǀŽƵƐƐLJƐƚĞŵ͘

Ɣ

DŽĚĞůƚŚĞŚƵŵĂŶďƌĂŝŶĂŶĚĚĞƐĐƌŝďĞƚŚĞĨƵŶĐƟŽŶŽĨĞĂĐŚƐƚƌƵĐƚƵƌĞ͘

Ɣ

ŽŵƉĂƌĞƚŚĞĨƵŶĐƟŽŶƐŽĨƚŚĞƚǁĞůǀĞĐƌĂŶŝĂůŶĞƌǀĞƐĂŶĚƚŚĞŐĞŶĞƌĂůĨƵŶĐƟŽŶƐŽĨƚŚĞƐƉŝŶĂů
ŶĞƌǀĞƐ͘

Ɣ

/ĚĞŶƟĨLJƚŚĞƐƚƌƵĐƚƵƌĞƐŽĨĂƐŚĞĞƉďƌĂŝŶ͘

dŝŵĞůůŽĐĂƟŽŶ͗ϯ͘ϱŚŽƵƌƐ

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Experiment

Gross Anatomy of the Central Nervous System

Materials
Student Supplied Materials
YƵĂŶƟƚLJ
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1
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1
1
1
1
1
1
1
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/ƚĞŵĞƐĐƌŝƉƟŽŶ
ůĞĂĐŚ
ĂŵĞƌĂ͕ĚŝŐŝƚĂů
WĂŝƌŽĨƐĐŝƐƐŽƌƐ
WĞŶŽƌƉĞŶĐŝů
WůĂƐƟĐďĂŐŽƌĐŽŶƚĂŝŶĞƌĨŽƌŵŽĚĞůŝŶŐĐůĂLJ
YƵĂƌƚŽƌůĂƌŐĞƌƐŝnjĞnjŝƉďĂŐ
ZŽůůŽĨƉĂƉĞƌƚŽǁĞůƐ
^ĞƚŽĨŽůĚĐůŽƚŚĞƐĨŽƌĚŝƐƐĞĐƟŽŶ
^ŚĞĞƚŽĨƉĂƉĞƌ
^ŽƵƌĐĞŽĨƚĂƉǁĂƚĞƌ dŽŽƚŚƉŝĐŬƐ HOL Supplied Materials
YƵĂŶƟƚLJ /ƚĞŵĞƐĐƌŝƉƟŽŶ
1
ϵͲƉŝĞĐĞĚŝƐƐĞĐƟŽŶŬŝƚ͗
ϮͲ^ĐĂůƉĞůƐǁŝƚŚďůĂĚĞƐ
ϭͲŝƐƐĞĐƟŽŶƐĐŝƐƐŽƌƐ
ϭͲ^ƚƌĂŝŐŚƚƉƌŽďĞ
ϭͲĞŶƚƉƌŽďĞ
ϭͲZƵůĞƌ͕ŵŵŵĂƌŬŝŶŐƐ
ϭͲƌŽƉƉŝŶŐƉŝƉĞƚ
ϭͲ^ƚƌĂŝŐŚƚĨŽƌĐĞƉƐ
ϭͲdŝƐƐƵĞĨŽƌĐĞƉƐ
1
ŝƐƐĞĐƟŽŶĂƉƌŽŶ
1
&ĂĐĞŵĂƐŬǁŝƚŚĞĂƌůŽŽƉƐ
1
&ŽĂŵƉĂĚ
1
DĞƚĂůƐƉĂƚƵůĂ
1
DŽĚĞůŝŶŐĐůĂLJ͕ϵ͘ϱŽnj
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WĂŝƌƐŽĨŐůŽǀĞƐ
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WĂŝƌŽĨƐĂĨĞƚLJŐŽŐŐůĞƐ
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^ĞƚŽĨĚŝƐƐĞĐƟŽŶƉŝŶƐ;ϮϬͿ
1
^ŚĞĞƉďƌĂŝŶ

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Experiment

Gross Anatomy of the Central Nervous System

Note: To fully and accurately complete all lab exercises, you will need access to: ϭ͘ ĐŽŵƉƵƚĞƌƚŽƵƉůŽĂĚĚŝŐŝƚĂůĐĂŵĞƌĂŝŵĂŐĞƐ͘
Ϯ͘ ĂƐŝĐƉŚŽƚŽĞĚŝƟŶŐƐŽŌǁĂƌĞ͕ƐƵĐŚĂƐDŝĐƌŽƐŽŌtŽƌĚΠŽƌWŽǁĞƌWŽŝŶƚΠ͕ƚŽĂĚĚůĂďĞůƐ͕ůĞĂĚĞƌ ůŝŶĞƐ͕ŽƌƚĞdžƚƚŽĚŝŐŝƚĂůƉŚŽƚŽƐ͘ ϯ͘ ^ƵďũĞĐƚͲƐƉĞĐŝĮĐƚĞdžƚŬŽƌĂƉƉƌŽƉƌŝĂƚĞƌĞĨĞƌĞŶĐĞƌĞƐŽƵƌĐĞƐĨƌŽŵůĞĐƚƵƌĞĐŽŶƚĞŶƚŽƌŽƚŚĞƌƐƵŐŐĞƐƚĞĚƌĞƐŽƵƌĐĞƐ͘

Note: The packaging and/or materials in this LabPaq kit may differ slightly from that which is listed above. For an exact listing of materials, refer to the Contents List included in your LabPaq kit.

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Experiment

Gross Anatomy of the Central Nervous System

Background
The Central Nervous System dŚĞŶĞƌǀŽƵƐƐLJƐƚĞŵŝƐƐĞƉĂƌĂƚĞĚŝŶƚŽƚǁŽĂŶĂƚŽŵŝĐĂůĚŝǀŝƐŝŽŶƐ͗ƚŚĞĐĞŶƚƌĂůŶĞƌǀŽƵƐƐLJƐƚĞŵĂŶĚ ƚŚĞƉĞƌŝƉŚĞƌĂůŶĞƌǀŽƵƐƐLJƐƚĞŵ͘dŚĞcentral nervous systemĐŽŶƐŝƐƚƐŽĨƚŚĞďƌĂŝŶĂŶĚƐƉŝŶĂůĐŽƌĚ͘ dŚĞperipheral nervous system ĐŽŶƐŝƐƚƐŽĨƚŚĞĂīĞƌĞŶƚ;ƐĞŶƐŽƌLJͿŶĞƵƌŽŶƐĂŶĚĞīĞƌĞŶƚ;ŵŽƚŽƌͿ
ŶĞƵƌŽŶƐƚŚĂƚĞdžƚĞŶĚĨƌŽŵƚŚĞƐƉŝŶĂůĐŽƌĚƚŽƚŚĞďŽĚLJ͘WĞƌŝƉŚĞƌĂůŶĞƌǀĞƐĐĂůůĞĚcranial nerves
ƐĞŶĚƐŝŐŶĂůƐƚŽĂŶĚĨƌŽŵƚŚĞďƌĂŝŶ͕ǁŚŝůĞperipheral spinal nervesƐĞŶĚƐŝŐŶĂůƐƚŽĂŶĚĨƌŽŵƚŚĞ
ƐƉŝŶĂů ĐŽƌĚ͘ DŽƐƚ ƐŝŐŶĂůƐ ĂĐƋƵŝƌĞĚ ĨƌŽŵ ƚŚĞ ďŽĚLJ ĂƌĞ ƚƌĂŶƐĨĞƌƌĞĚ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ďƌĂŝŶ ĂŶĚ ƐƉŝŶĂů ĐŽƌĚ
ǁŚĞƌĞƚŚĞLJĂƌĞƉƌŽĐĞƐƐĞĚ͘^ĞĞ&ŝŐƵƌĞϭ͘

Figure 1.dŚĞĐĞŶƚƌĂůŶĞƌǀŽƵƐƐLJƐƚĞŵ͗ƚŚĞďƌĂŝŶĂŶĚƚŚĞƐƉŝŶĂůĐŽƌĚ͘Ξ>/WZƵƐƚŽŵDĞĚŝĂ
The brain is one of the largest organs in the human body. It weighs around 3 pounds, and has about 100 billion connections.