Basal Ganglia Structure And Gallbladder Location Discovery In The Body

The human body is an amazing set of high level units functioning in coordination to maintain us alive and set us moving. Among them, the basal ganglia of the nervous system and gallbladder of the digestive system have different but useful functions. While one is essential for smooth co-ordination and movement, the other is essential for fat digestion as well as storage of bile. Let’s see their anatomy and location in detail.

Also Know About: Well Health Organic Fitness Tips

Table of Contents

Basal Ganglia Anatomy

Basal ganglia anatomy is known as the group of connected subcortical nuclei deep in the cerebral hemispheres. Basal ganglia is a system responsible for controlling voluntary movement of the body, procedural memory, habits, and specific components of cognition and emotion.

Basic Basal Ganglia Structures

Basal ganglia consist of the following structures:

Caudate Nucleus – A C-shaped nucleus near the lateral ventricles that is concerned with motor control and learning.
Putamen – Along with the caudate nucleus, regulates movement and impacts the majority of motor activity.
Globus Pallidus – Midline and putamen in-between; separated into external (GPe) and internal (GPi) divisions, implicated in voluntary movement control.
Subthalamic Nucleus – Located within subthalamus and is important in the modulation of motor behavior, and lesions within this area produce bizarre involuntary movement.
Substantia Nigra – This region, in midbrain, releases dopamine, which controls motor activity; damage here causes Parkinson’s disease.

Functional Circuits

Basal ganglia function through intricate circuits between the cerebral cortex, thalamus, and brainstem. The circuits are:

Direct Pathway – Evokes movement by exciting motor cortex.
Indirect Pathway – Suppresses unwanted or opposite movements.

Clinical Significance

Damage or abnormal activity of basal ganglia can result in neurological diseases, like:

Parkinson’s Disease: It is due to insufficient dopamine because of the demise of substantia nigra.
Huntington’s Disease: Genetic disorder leading to abnormal movement and mental decline.
Dystonia & Tourette’s Syndrome: Discusses dysfunctional basal ganglia activity.

In short, the basal ganglia is an ultra-intelligent traffic cop, and our movements become smooth, goal-oriented, and well-planned.

Where Is The Gallbladder Located?

Carrying the head and into the digestive system, we come to the gallbladder, a small, pear-shaped organ that has a very important function in digestion, particularly of fats.

Proper Location

The gallbladder is located in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen below the liver. More precisely:

It lies in a shallow depression known as the gallbladder fossa.
Its position is approximately approximating the ninth rib on the midclavicular line.

Anatomy Of Gallbladder

Gallbladder consists of total three segments:

Fundus: The rounded end, which lies outside the liver border.

Body: The middle segment for bile storage.

Neck: It will become smaller to become the cystic duct which joins with the common hepatic duct to become the common bile duct, which carries bile to the small intestine.

Function

Between meals, especially following meals with fat, it gets contracted and spouts bile into the duodenum in a bid to emulsify fat.

Clinical Significance

The gallbladder is prone to the following:

Gallstones (Cholelithiasis): Hardening of bile deposits clogging ducts and causing pain at times.
Cholecystitis: The Gallbladder inflammation, typically as a result of gallstones.
Biliary Dyskinesia: Abnormal functioning of the gallbladder without a reason for stones.

Surgical removal of the gallbladder (cholecystectomy) is a proven cure for recurring gallbladder disease, and the vast majority of individuals can live normally without it.

Conclusion

Basal ganglia and the gallbladder could be on two other planets at the back of the brain controlling movement and deep in the liver aiding digestion but both utterly indispensable to function. Discovering where and how they are formed not only shows the complexity of the human body but illustrates exactly how painstaking each organ is to keep the gaunt tip of life in equilibrium.

Also Know About: PICME 3.0 Login