Brain Flashcards
(140 cards)
1
Q
The brain and spinal cord are made up of what?
A
matter
2
Q
What are the two kinds of matter?
A
gray and white
3
Q
What is the function of gray matter?
A
receive and process
4
Q
What kind of structures are made of gray matter?
A
neuron bodies, dendrites
5
Q
What is the function of white matter?
A
send
6
Q
What kind of structures are made up of white matter?
A
myelinated axons
7
Q
What are the characteristics of the brain?
A
- an organ in the CNS
- located in the head (near the sensory organs)
- 4 regions
- communicates through the spinal cord and 12 pairs of cranial nerves
8
Q
What are the four regions of the brain?
A
- cerebrum
- diencephalon
- brainstem
- cerebellum
9
Q
What protects the brain?
A
- cranium
- three meninges
- cerebrospinal fluid
- blood-brain barrier
10
Q
What is a meninge?
A
brain-covering membranes
11
Q
What three meninges protect the brain?
A
- duramater
- arachnoid mater
- pia mater
12
Q
Duramater
A
tough outer membrane
13
Q
Arachnoid mater
A
web-like, secures the vessels, filled with the CSF
14
Q
Pia mater
A
delicate inner membrane fused with the brain
15
Q
What cell produces cerebrospinal fluid?
A
ependymal cells
16
Q
Blood-brain barrier function
A
prevents the entry of harmful materials
17
Q
What cell is responsible for forming the blood-brain barrier
A
astrocytes
18
Q
What is a ventricle?
A
interconnected cavities
19
Q
Ventricles characteristics
A
- 4 chambers
- connect with the central canal of the spinal cord
- parts contain choroid plexus involved in the production of CSF
20
Q
Cerebrospinal fluid function
A
mechanical and chemical protection
21
Q
What does “mater” mean?
A
mother
22
Q
Cortex
A
an outer layer of an organ
23
Q
Sulcus
A
shallow groove
24
Q
Fissure
A
deep grove
25
Gyrus
worm-like fold on the surface
26
Ganglion
cluster of neuron bodies (GM) in the PNS
27
Nucleus
cluster of neuron bodies (GM) deep in the CNS
28
Nerve
bundle of axons (WM) in PNS
29
Tract
Bundle of axons (WM) in CNS
30
Cerebrum function
processing of:
- all complex intellectual functions
- voluntary movement
- conscious senses
31
Complex intellectual functions
reasoning, thoughts, memory
32
Conscious senses
visual, auditory, olfactory, etc
33
Structure of cerebrum
two hemispheres separated by the longitudinal fissure
34
What are the three components of the cerebrum?
- cerebral cortex
- cerebral white matter
- cerebral nuclei
35
The cerebral cortex is made up of what kind of matter?
gray matter
36
Structural components of the cerebral cortex
gyri (=folds/hills)
- sulci (= invaginations/valleys)
37
Cerebral white matter function
forms tracts
38
Tracts =
pathways
39
What is an example of cerebral white matter?
corpus callosum that connects left and right hemispheres
40
Cerebral (basal) nuclei is made up of white kind of matter?
gray matter
41
Cerebral (basal) nuclei function
regulate movement, muscle tone
42
The cerebral cortex is divided into how many lobes?
six
43
What are the lobes of the cerebral cortex?
- frontal lobe
- parietal lobe
- occipital lobe
- temporal lobe
- insular lobe
- limbic lobe
44
Insular lobe
"island" within the lateral fissure
45
Limbic lobe
medial "border" of hemispheres
46
What are the functional areas the cerebral cortex is divided into?
- motor areas
- sensory areas
- association areas
47
What are the two motor areas?
primary motor cortex and motor speech (broca) area
48
Primary motor cortex function
voluntary movement
49
Primary motor cortex location
precentral gyrus
50
Motor speech (Broca) area function
speech
51
Motor speech (Broca) area location
left frontal lobe
52
What are the five sensory areas?
- primary somato sensory cortex
- primary visual cortex
- primary auditory
- primary olfactory cortex
- primary gustatory cortex
53
Primary somato sensory cortex function
Processes info arriving from:
- proprioceptors
- touch and pressure receptors
- nociceptors
- thermoreceptors
54
Primary somato sensory cortex location
postcentral gyrus
55
Primary visual cortex location
occipital lobe
56
Primary auditory cortex location
temporal lobe
57
Primary olfactory cortex location
temporal lobe
58
Primary gustatory cortex location
insula lobe
59
Proprioceptors
body position, movement
60
Nociceptors
pain receptors
61
Thermoreceptors
heat & cold receptors
62
Gustatory =
taste
63
The brain combines senses together to construct what?
your reality
64
Association areas location
adjacent to motor/ sensory areas
65
Association areas function
interpret, coordinate, integrate with memories
66
What is an example of an association area?
frontal association area (AA)
67
Frontal association area =
prefrontal cortex
68
Frontal AA structure
numerous connections with other parts of the brain
69
Frontal AA function
determines personality, conscience, learning abilities, judgement, planning
70
Most cortical areas are replicated on both sides, however, some areas show what?
lateralization
71
Lateralization
the tendency for some neural functions or cognitive processes to be specialized to one side of the brain or the other
72
The left side of the brain is responsible for what?
language, numerical, scientific skills
73
What three functions does the left side of the brain perform?
- verbal memory
- motor speech area (broca's area)
- Understanding written and spoken language, mathematic comprehension (Wernicke area)
74
The right side of the brain is responsible for what?
space, patterns, artistic skills, emotional speech
75
What three functions does the right side of the brain perform?
- memory for shapes (limited language comprehension)
- musical ability
- recognition of faces and spatial relationships
76
The diencephalon is made up of what?
gray and white matter
77
Gray matter in diencephalon =
nuclei
78
White matter in diencephalon =
sensory/motor tracts
79
What are the three components of the diencephalon?
epithalamus, thalamus, and hypothalamus
80
What is an example of the epithalamus?
pineal gland
81
Epithalamus/pineal gland function
hormone melatonin, circadian rhythm
82
Thalamus composition
composed of many thalamic nuclei
83
Thalamus functions
1. "filters" sensory info before it reaches cortex (becomes conscious) to avoid sensory overload
2. Motor areas coordination (there are many of them)
84
Hypothalamus composition
composed of many hypothalamic nuclei (GM)
85
Functions of hypothalamus
1. master of autonomic NS
2. master of endocrine system
3. thermoregulation
4. Basic emotion
5. food intake: sense of hunger
6. water intake: sense of thirst
7. circadian rhythms
86
What does "autonomic" mean?
self-regulatory
87
The hypothalamus is the master of the endocrine system thorough what structure?
the pituitary gland
88
Thermoregulation aka
thermostat
89
Basic emotion is a function of the hypothalamus though what system?
limbic nervous system
90
What are the "basic emotions?"
pleasure, rage, sex drive
91
The brainstem, midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata are made up of what?
gray and white matter
92
Brainstem gray matter function
- forms nuclei
- regulation
93
Brainstem white matter function
- forms sensory and motor tracts
- send
94
External gray matter structures of the midbrain
superior colliculus and inferior colliculus
95
Superior colliculus function
visual reflex cortex
96
Visual reflex cortex
coordinate movement of eyes, head, torso in response to the visual stimuli
97
Inferior colliculus
auditory reflex center
98
Auditory reflex center
coordinate movement of eyes, head, torso in response to the auditory stimuli
99
Internal gray matter structures of the midrbain
red nucleus and substantia nigra
100
Red nucleus (motor control) function
involuntary motor control, like in maintenance of posture
101
Substantia nigra function
neurotransmitter dopamine
102
Dopamine function
movement control, emotions, pleasure/pain
103
Dopamine loss results in what?
Parkinson's disease
104
What are some of the most common symptoms of Parkinson's disease?
resting tremors, stiffness,
105
Pons regulatory nuclei (GM centers) of importance
pontine respiratory center and superior olivary nucleus
106
Pontine respiratory center function
responsible for breathing
107
Superior olivary nucleus function
responsible for sound localization
108
Medulla oblongata gray matter forms what?
autonomic nuclei
109
What are the autonomic nuclei present in the medulla oblongata?
- cardiac center
- vasomotor center
- medullary respiratory center
- protective center
- digestive center
110
Cardiac center function
controls the heart
111
Vasomotor center function
controls vessels
112
Medullary respiratory center function
controls breathing
113
Protective center function
coughing, sneezing, gagging, vomiting etc.
114
Digestive center function
salivation, swallowing, etc.
115
What structure coordinates the activities of the medulla oblongata nuclei centers in order to maintain homeostasis?
hypothalamus
116
What structures make up the cerebellum?
- 2 hemispheres
- cerebellar cortex
- arbor vitae
- cerebellar nuclei
117
Cerebellar cortex
outer gray matter with folds, folia
118
Arbor vitae composition
white matter
119
Cerebellar nuclei composition
inner gray matter
120
Cerebellum functions
1. elevates, "fine-tunes" movement = smooth + precise
2. stores memories of previously learned movements
3. balance and posture
121
How does the cerebellum control the fine-tune movements?
cerebellum receives input from motor pathways and sensory pathways
122
How does the cerebellum perform balance and posture?
collects proprioceptive information thus adjusting muscle tone
123
What are the two functional brain systems?
reticular formation and limbic system?
124
What is the reticular formation?
small clusters of gray matter interspersed among small bundles of white matter.
125
Where is the reticular formation located?
parts of thalamus, brain, stem, and superior spinal cord
126
What are the two functions of the reticular formation?
motor coordination and sensory functions
127
Reticular formation: motor coordination
responsible for motor coordination between different parts of the brain involved in the regulation of movement of the skeletal, smooth, cardiac muscles
128
What system is derived from the sensory function of the reticular formation?
Reticular activating system (RAS)
129
Reticular activating system
uses passing sensory signal to activate cortex (state of consciousness)
130
What type of sensory signal does not affect the RAS?
olfactory signals (smell)
131
comaWhat is the result of the inactivation of RAS?
sleep
132
What is the result of damage to the RAS?
coma
133
What does "limbus" mean?
border
134
Limbic system is also known as what?
the emotional brain
135
What five structures make up the limbic system?
- basal nuclei
- olfactory bulb + olfactory cortex
- amygdala
- hippocampus
- hypothalamus
136
Basal nuclei function
responsible for pleasure/aversion, motivation, and addiction
137
Olfactory bulbs + olfactory cortex function
emotions associated with odors
138
Amygdala function
responsible for the self-preservation emotions:
- fear
- aggression
139
Hippocampus function
conversion of short-term memories into the long-term memory
140
Hypothalamus function in limbic system
coordination of various limbic system components
