Lateral Surface Sulci

Lateral Surface Gyri

Ventral Surface

Medial Surface

A close-up of the laterall surface of the brain with the meninges removed is shown below.  One of the first things you will probably want to do is to identify the central sulcus and the lateral (Sylvian) fissure. The central sulcus, which separtes the frontal from the parietal cortex, runs from just over the dorsal medial aspect of the cortex in a ventral and anterior orientation just to the lateral fissure. You can see how the pre- and post-central gyri follow that orientation, while the gyri of the prefrontal cortex extend from the pre-central gyrus in a more anterior-posterior orientation. Move your cursor over the image to see what we mean. The lateral fissure, which marks the border of the temporal lobe, and the associated temporal gyri, have the same anterior-posterior orientation.