These two arteries branch off of the internal carotid arteries and supply the lateral areas of the cerebral hemispheres. 

Ohio State University, Columbus

The vascular system is the complex web of blood vessels that work to supply all the parts of the brain with blood so the brain can keep functioning. 

There are a few major arteries to take note of: 
- carotid arteries
- anterior cerebral arteries
- middle cerebral arteries
- posterior cerebral arteries
- vertebral arteries
- basilar artery
- circle of Willis


Vascular system

Cerebrum

Breedlove, S. & Watson, N. (2017). Behavioral neuroscience, eighth edition. Oxford University Press.

Behavioral Neuroscience 8th Edition

These are two main arteries that supply blood to the brain and run up either side of the neck. They branch off internally to form other arteries. 

Carotid arteries

These two arteries are branches of the internal carotid arteries and supply blood  to the anterior and medial regions of the cerebral hemispheres. 

Anterior cerebral arteries

Middle cerebral arteries

These two arteries are branches of the basilar artery and supply the posterior area of the brain and parts of the cerebellum and brainstem. 

Posterior cerebral arteries

These are two major arteries that run up along each side of the spinal column and enter the brain through the base of the skull. When they fuse together, they form the basilar artery. 

Vertebral arteries

This is the artery that is formed from the two vertebral arteries and supplies the posterior cerebral arteries. The basilar artery also has some branches that supply the hindbrain.

Basilar artery

This is where the carotid and basilar arteries join at the base of the brain to form a circle, and provides a different path in case blood flow is blocked.  

Circle of Willis

This is the condition in which blood supply to the brain is blocked or if a blood vessel ruptures, thus causing damage to brain tissue.

There are two main kinds of stroke: 
- ischemic stroke
- hemorrhagic stroke


Stroke

Also known as just cortex, it is made of neuronal cell bodies, dendrites and axons. 
Due to different anatomical and functional differences, the major cortical regions have been divided into 4 categories:
- Frontal lobe
- Parietal lobe
- Temporal lobe
- Occipital lobe. 

They have been named after the bones of the skull that overlie them. There are boundaries between these lobes known as central and lateral sulcus. 

Any injuries that lead to impairment of the cortex can be dangerous 

Cerebral cortex

It is pale colored layer which is underneath the cortex and contains axonal fiber tracts. It also has whitish fatty myelin that covers and insulates the axons of neurons. It mostly transmit information to other locations. 

White Matter

The superior longitudinal fasciculus is a bilateral white-matter pathway that represents one of the brain's major rostro-caudal fiber pathways. In vivo imaging of the superior longitudinal fasciculus  in humans with diffusion tensor imaging has led to a broad division into three major subcomponents, connecting more dorsal temporo-parietal areas with numerous (mostly lateral) prefrontal regions.

Superior Longitudinal Fasciculus

Gray matter contains a preponderance of neuronal cell bodies and dendrites, and it is devoid of myelin. It receives and processes information in the brain.

Gray matter

The corpus callosum is a substantial bundle of neural fibers, containing approximately 200 million axons, that serves as the primary connection between the brain's two hemispheres. Its function is to facilitate communication between the hemispheres, enabling information processed in one half of the brain to be shared with the other.

Corpus Callosum

A patient undergoes a procedure that severs the thick band of nerve fibers connecting the two large, superior hemispheres of the brain. Afterward, an image of a common object is flashed exclusively to the patient's left visual field. Based on the typical functional specializations of the brain's hemispheres, which of the following outcomes is most likely?

A patient undergoes a surgical procedure that severs the thick bundle of nerve fibers connecting the two large, wrinkled hemispheres of the brain. In a subsequent experiment, an image of a spoon is briefly shown only to the patient's left visual field. When asked what they saw, how is the patient most likely to respond, and why?

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