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The supraesophageal ganglion (also "supraoesophageal ganglion", "arthropod brain" or "microbrain") is the first part of the arthropod, especially insect, central nervous system. It receives and processes information from the first, second, and third metameres. The supraesophageal 
* The '' protocerebrum'', associated with the 
The subesophageal ganglion continues the nervous system and lies ventral to the esophagus. Finally, the
ganglion
A ganglion is a group of neuron cell bodies in the peripheral nervous system. In the somatic nervous system this includes dorsal root ganglia and trigeminal ganglia among a few others. In the autonomic nervous system there are both sympatheti ...
lies dorsal to the esophagus and consists of three parts, each a pair of ganglia that may be more or less pronounced, reduced, or fused depending on the genus:
* The '' protocerebrum'', associated with the eye
Eyes are organs of the visual system. They provide living organisms with vision, the ability to receive and process visual detail, as well as enabling several photo response functions that are independent of vision. Eyes detect light and conv ...
s ( compound eyes and ocelli). Directly associated with the eyes is the optic lobe, as the visual center of the brain.
* The ''deutocerebrum'' processes sensory information from the antennae. It consists of two parts, the antennal lobe The antennal lobe is the primary (first order) olfactory brain area in insects. The antennal lobe is a sphere-shaped deutocerebral neuropil in the brain that receives input from the olfactory sensory neurons in the antennae and mouthparts. Function ...
and the dorsal lobe
The dorsal lobe of arthropods is also known as the ''Antenna (biology), antennal mechanosensory center'' in contrast to the Optic lobe (arthropods), Optic lobe (visual center) and the antennal lobe (olfactory center). Together with the antennal lob ...
. The dorsal lobe also contains motor neurons which control the antennal muscles.
* The ''tritocerebrum'' integrates sensory inputs from the previous two pairs of ganglia. The lobes of the tritocerebrum split to circumvent the esophagus and begin the subesophageal ganglion The suboesophageal ganglion (acronym: SOG; synonym: ''subesophageal ganglion'') of arthropods and in particular insects is part of the arthropod central nervous system (CNS). As indicated by its name, it is located ''below the'' ''oesophagus'', insi ...
.
The subesophageal ganglion continues the nervous system and lies ventral to the esophagus. Finally, the segmental ganglia
The segmental ganglia (singular: s. ganglion) are ganglia of the annelid and arthropod central nervous system that lie in the segmented ventral nerve cord
The ventral nerve cord is a major structure of the invertebrate central nervous system. It i ...
of the ventral nerve cord are found in each body segment as a fused ganglion; they provide the segments with some autonomous control.
A locust brain dissection to expose the central brain and carry out electro-physiology recordings can be seen here.
See also
* Lateral horn of insect brain * Mushroom bodies * Virtual Fly Brain * Drosophila connectomeReferences
Further reading
* * * * * * * *Chaudonneret, J. "Evolution of the insect brain with special reference to the so-called tritocerebrum." Arthropod brain. Wiley, New York (1987): 3-26. *External links
* Insect anatomy Fish anatomy Invertebrate nervous system {{Insect-anatomy-stub