Images Dated 16th May 2001

Human brain, 3-D MRI scan

3-D brain scan. Coloured three-dimensional (3-D) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of a healthy human brain with a section cutaway. The cerebrum, which makes up most of the brain, has outfolds called gyri that are fissured with sulci. The grey matter (blue/green & dark grey) and white matter (red & light grey) are seen in the cutaway portion. The cerebrum controls conscious thoughts, emotions and movements. MRI scanners produce slice images of the body using a powerful magnetic field and pulses of radio waves. Successive slices can be formed into a 3-D image by a computer. This scan was produced at the Laboratory of Neuro Imaging (LONI) at UCLA, USA

© ARTHUR TOGA/UCLA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY