The image on Page 1 shows a Nissl stained coronal section of rat brain. Some structures can be easily seen.  The most obvious are the two voids on either side of the medial area of the brain.  These empty spaces are the lateral ventricles.  If you look near the top of the brain, something that resembles a white bird in flight can be seen.  It is the corpus callosum. It is white due to the myelination, which does not allow it to stain.

Although more can be seen, it may be useful to view Page 2.  Working from the left side of the image to the right, you can see rhinal fissure (RF), which appears as an indentation or fissure.  Next, is the external capsule (ec), which lies just outside of the corpus callosum (CC).  Just beneath the corpus callosum is one of two lateral ventricles (LV).  Only one is labeled, so that the second can be clearly seen.  The nuclear group labeled VDB is the nu Vertical limb Diagonal Band.  To the right of it is the anterior portion of the anterior commisure (aca).  The  right most labeled area is the Caudate Putamen (CPu).

A tracing of the stained brain was done to arrive at the image shown on  Page 3 .  A micro projector was used to magnify the brain further.  Even more detail can be seen in the drawing that in the Nissl stained images.  The Islands of Calleja can be seen in the lower left hand side of the tracing.  They appear as the name implies, like little islands on the lower protion of the brain.

Dr. Tim Cannon's Homepage  can be used to gain further information about the amazing brain, or to access other student's web pages.