Anatomy
The putamen is a structure in the forebrain. Along with the caudate nucleus it forms the dorsal striatum. The caudate and putamen contain the same types of neurons and circuits - many neuroanatomists consider the dorsal striatum to be a single structure, divided into two parts by a large fiber tract, the internal capsule, passing through the middle. The putamen, together with the globus pallidus, makes up the lenticular nucleus. The putamen is the outer most portion of the basal ganglia. These are a group of nuclei in the brain that are interconnected with the cerebral cortex, thalamus, and brain stem. The other parts of the basal ganglia include the dorsal striatum, substantia nigra, nucleus accumbens, and the subthalamic nucleus.
In mammals, the basal ganglia are associated with motor control, cognition, emotions, and learning. The basal ganglia are located on the left and right sides of the brain, and have rostral and caudal divisions. The putamen is located in the rostral division as part of the striatum. The basal ganglia receive input from the cerebral cortex, via the striatum.
The putamen is interconnected with the following structures:
Read more about this topic: Putamen
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“Man is a shrewd inventor, and is ever taking the hint of a new machine from his own structure, adapting some secret of his own anatomy in iron, wood, and leather, to some required function in the work of the world.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)