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Anatomy of the Brain: Major Regions

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The brain is the most complex organ in the human body. It consists of four main parts: the cerebrum, diencephalon, cerebellum, and brainstem.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 6, 2026

Microdissection of Mouse Brain into Functionally and Anatomically Different Regions

Microdissection of Mouse Brain into Functionally and Anatomically Different Regions

Published on: February 15, 2021

Neuroanatomy goes viral!

Jonathan J Nassi¹, Constance L Cepko², Richard T Born³

¹Systems Neurobiology Laboratories, Salk Institute for Biological Studies La Jolla, CA, USA.

Frontiers in Neuroanatomy

|July 21, 2015

Summary

Neurotropic viruses are powerful tools for neuroanatomy, enabling researchers to trace neural connections and study neuronal function. Modifications enhance their utility for mapping complex brain circuits.

Keywords:

expression vectors neuroanatomy neurotropic virus review transsynaptic tracing

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Molecular Biology
Genetics

Background:

The complexity of the nervous system lies in specific neuronal connections, a key focus of neuroanatomy.
Traditional neuroanatomical methods like Golgi staining and electron microscopy have limitations in tracing interconnected neurons.
Neurotropic viruses offer a natural mechanism for genetic material transfer between synaptically connected neurons.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the utility of neurotropic viruses as tools for neuroanatomical tracing.
To discuss the advantages and limitations of using modified viruses in neuroscience research.
To explore strategies for improving viral tracing techniques for enhanced brain circuit analysis.

Main Methods:

Utilizing naturally neurotropic viruses (e.g., rabies, alpha-herpes virus) for transsynaptic tracing.
Employing molecular techniques to engineer recombinant viruses for targeted gene expression.
Investigating viral properties for controlled spread and genetic payload delivery.

Main Results:

Modified neurotropic viruses enable tracing of multi-synaptic connections within and across brain regions.
Engineered viruses can target specific neuronal populations and express exogenous proteins (e.g., calcium sensors).
Wild-type and recombinant viruses have significantly advanced understanding of brain connectivity.

Conclusions:

Neurotropic viruses are invaluable reagents for modern neuroanatomy, offering precise circuit mapping.
Further improvements in viral vector design can reduce toxicity and enhance control over transsynaptic spread.
Optimized viral tracing methods will expand the study of neural circuits across diverse species.