Biological Bases of the Brain Study Apps

Here again, on my love for technology, is a post about using educational apps about the brain for study purposes. (As you probably have guessed, I just reached that particular portion of my study materials.) I'm a more visual person (or "right-brained" in study terms) and have always appreciated having a visual aid to accompany lecture or study materials. Since most study materials for the EPPP do not offer that (or it's very basic, if that), here are some cool apps for your phone or iPad that can help you master all of those portions of the brain that might be more difficult to visualize.

Screenshot from 3D Brain App

3D Brain (Free!!) - is a free app (iOS and Android) that outlines basic brain structures, and allows you to move them around in 3D space using your fingers. Its very basic, but also very free! I found so far it seems to do the job pretty well in identifying structures.


Brain Tutor 3D (Free!!) - Provides images of the brain using MRI imaging from multiple views. It also gives information for certain areas of the brain in terms of its parts, location, and function. The images on this app don't look the best, like someone took MRI images and then used Microsoft paint to color in the parts that are labeled. Brain Tutor 3D HD is also available for $1.99, and looks a little bit cleaner and provides more detailed images of the brain. 

Pocket Brain ($14.99) - Obviously, this one is very expensive in contrast to free or $1.99. It appears to be designed more for our friends in the medical field, but there is still potentially some use. It has comprehensive imaging and information about the brain, 3D rotating brain with 9 layers of interactivity, interactive clinical cases, multiple quizes, and the ability to add your own notes to the app. Here is an additional review of this app. 

Another study material that can be handy, and if you enjoyed coloring books as a child (and secretly love doing it now) is "The Human Brain Coloring Book". Just as a warning, this book is designed for anatomy students, so it is probably more comprehensive than for our purposes, but you can always take the color the pages that fit your study needs. Otherwise, just find some diagrams of various parts of the brain online, and pull out those colored pencils!