BrainMaps.org provides endlessly fascinating ultra-hi-rez scans of sectioned monkey brains as interactive Flash apps and as layered Photoshop files.
We are providing for free use a high resolution histological atlas of the rhesus monkey brain. The first generation atlas has been prepared from three, celloidin-embedded rhesus (Macaca mulatta) brains, serially sectioned at a thickness of 40 microns in the frontal (coronal), sagittal or horizontal planes and stained by the Nissl stain.
For the first iteration of the atlas, we have uploaded images of the series of frontal sections, scanned at 2,666 D.P.I., and presented at approximately 800 micron intervals through the brain. The sections contain fiduciary marks obtained by inserting electrodes into the brain at defined stereotaxic coordinates before perfusing the animal. Two horizontal tracks were made at Horsley-Clarke coordinates: horizontal 0.0 and +10.0 mm, both at lateral 5.0mm; two vertical tracks made at AP +25.0mm and AP 0.0mm, both at lateral 10.0mm.
The images are best opened in Photoshop® in order to preserve the capacity to turn the layers on or off. Each consists of four layers: a layer containing the image of the histological section, registered to its neighbors on the basis of the fiduciary marks; a layer consisting of one vertical line at lateral 5mm, and two horizontal lines at horizontal 0mm and +10mm; a layer of type showing the AP position of the section and labeling of key structures using a standard abbreviation system; a template layer giving the outlines of the section and of the larger grey and white matter components.
