Central Nervous System Review

Question 1

What 2 organs make up the CNS?

Answer 1

Brain and Spinal cord

Question 2

What is the most superficial of the meninges?
What is it composed of?

Answer 2

Dura mater
Of white fibrous connective tissue sheath

Question 3

What is the function of cerebrospinal fluid?

Answer 3

Assists the brain by providing protection, nourishment, and waste removal

Question 4

Why is the pia mater important as a mengie?

Answer 4

Nourishes the surface of the CNS

Question 5

What material fills the subarachnoid space?

Answer 5

Cerebrospinal fluid

Question 6

What is the function(s) of the spinal cord?

Answer 6

Conductions of nerve impulses up and down its length
Acts as a center for spinal reflexes

Question 7

The termination of the spinal cord is called…

Answer 7

Cauda Equine

Question 8

How many pairs of spinal nerves come off the spinal cord?

Answer 8

31

Question 9

Explain the arrangement of white matter and grey matter in the spinal cord.

Answer 9

Resembles a tree and is called the arbor vitae (tree of life)

Question 10

Myelinated neurons make up ascending fibers and descending fibers of the spinal cord, what type of nerve impulses do each of them carry?

Answer 10

Sensory Neurons

Question 11

Anterior horns carry which type of nerve impulses towards the brain?

Answer 11

Anterior roots lead the efferent (motor) nerves

Question 12

Posterior horns carry which type of nerve impulses away from the CNS?

Answer 12

Posterior roots being afferent (sensory) nerves into the posterior horns

Question 13

List the 5 parts of a reflex arc and the function of a reflex

Answer 13

I have notes but I’m not sure which ones this is

Question 14

What are the functions of neuroglial cells. List 2 different types

Answer 14

maintaining neuronal survivability, protecting the nervous system, and producing myelin
1. Astrocytes
2. Microglia
3. Oligodendrocytes
4. Schwann Cells

Question 15

What is the peripheral nervous system?

Answer 15

Everything outside the CNS

Question 16

What is the difference between an axon and a dendrite?

Answer 16

Axon- efferent process, carry impulses away from the cell body (branched or singular)
Dendrites- afferent process, carry impulses toward the cell body

Question 17

List the 3 types of neurons and their number of dendrites and axons and where they are found?

Answer 17

Unipolar- single axon and dendrite (D- receptor, A- leads to spinal cord and brain)
Bipolar- 1 Axon, 1 Dentrie (only found in the ear and eye)
Multipolar- Single Axon, many Dendrites (brain and spinal cord only)

Question 18

A polarized membrane measures ___ mv

Answer 18

-70mv

Question 19

A depolarized membrane measures ___ mv

Answer 19

+30mv

Question 20

What 2 ions trade places when a neuron depolarizes?

Answer 20

Na+ from outside to inside and K+ from inside to outside
Takes about .001 seconds

Question 21

Which type of neuron has the fastest conduction rate?
Which has the slowest?

Answer 21

Large, myelinated nerves
-130m/sec (saltatory conduction)
Small, unmyelinated
-2-.5m/sec

Question 22

Explain how a neurotransmitter works?

Answer 22

Chemicals which cause changes in permeability at the receptor site of the postsynaptic membrane

Question 23

List 3 kinds of excitatory neurotransmitters and where they are located within the nervous system

Answer 23

The presynaptic membrane
1. Acetylcholine
2. Serotonin
3. Dopamine
4. Norepinephrine

Question 24

Explain why reflexes are important

Answer 24

The reflex is a form of protection, instead of the sensory impulse traveling all the way to the brain and back down to cause the effector to respond, it is done automatically without utilizing the brain

Question 25

List the 3 main parts of the brain and their functions

Answer 25

**Cerebrum** - Center for all voluntary muscle contractions, sensory input, and initiates all higher mental functions **Cerebellum** - Contains centers associated with coordination of voluntary muscles **Brainstem** - Contains pathways by which various parts of the nervous system are interconnected and regulation of various visceral activities.

Question 26

What is the arrangement of grey matter and white matter in the cerebrum and cerebellum? Does it differ from the medulla oblongata?

Answer 26

White matter is predominantly found in deeper areas – with gray matter coating the white matter

Question 27

Explain what the motor, sensory, and associative areas of the lobes of the cerebral cortex function in?

Answer 27

**Motor** -Deals with the voluntary muscle contraction **Sensory** -Deals with the monitoring of the various sensory organs of the body **Associative** -Deals with higher mental functions

Question 28

List the functions of each of the lobes of the cerebral cortex

Answer 28

**Frontal Lobe** - only lobe with motor area (controls voluntary skeletal muscles) - associative area (concentration, judgement, problem solving) **Parietal Lobe** - sensory area (touch, taste, pain, temperature) - associative area (speech) **Temporal Lobe** - sensory area (hearing) - associative area (memory, music, complex sensory patterns)

Question 29

List the functions of the cerebellum

Answer 29

- reflex center for coordination of skeletal muscles - helps control posture - controls skeletal muscles to maintain balance

Question 30

List the 3 parts of the brainstem and each of their function(s)

Answer 30

**Medulla Oblongata** - Contains the cardiac center controlling heart rate - Contains the vasomotor center controlling blood pressure - Along with the pons, contains the respiratory center, controlling the rate and depth of breathing **Pons** - Contains nerve tracts which transmit impulses from the cerebrum to the cerebellum **Midbrain** - It connects the cerebrum and interbrain with the cerebellum, medulla, and the spinal cord

Question 31

What are the main functions of the hypothalamus?

Answer 31

Portion of the inter-brain which is very important in terms of maintenance of homeostasis and is the link between the endocrine system and the nervous system

Question 32

What sense does not send impulses to the thalamus?

Answer 32

The only sense that does not pass through the thalamus is smell

Question 33

How does the limbic system help insure our survival?

Answer 33

Central role for: - Memory - Reproductuin - Nutrition - Expression of emotions

Question 34

What hormone does the pineal gland secrete? List the functions of the pineal gland

Answer 34

Secretes at least 1 hormone, melatonin Though to control the circadian rhythms (period of wakefulness)

Question 35

What are the 2 divisions of the autonomic nervous system and what they control during times of stress and relaxation?

Answer 35

**Sympathetic division**- most active in times of stress produces “fight or flight” response **Parasympathetic division**- most active under ordinary conditions

Question 36

List 2 diseases of the neuron and what causes them

Answer 36

**Cerebral Palsy** - This condition is caused by damage to the motor areas of the brain during fetal development, at birth, or early infancy. **Cerebral Apoplexy** - Tissue death of part of the brain usually the cerebral cortex due to a blood clot or hemorrhage within the brain.

Question 37

What is cerebral palsy? What causes it?

Answer 37

- Spastic, shaking movements or tremors as we as a loss of motor control - This condition is caused by damage to the motor areas of the brain during fetal development, at birth, or early infancy.

Question 38

What are the 2 causes of cerebral apoplexy?

Answer 38

- Stroke - Aneurysm

Question 39

What machine measures the electrical activity of the brain? List the 5 types of brain waves produced by the brain

Answer 39

The Electroencephalograph 1. Alpha 8-13 cps. - Awake 2. Beta- 1 14-25 cps. - Asynchronous REM sleep 3. Beta-2 synchronous - Tension, cerebral activity 4. Theta- 4-7cps - Emotional stress in adults, frustration 5. Delta < 3.5f cps. - Deep sleep, coma, serious organic brain disease

Question 40

What is the function of the cerebrum?

Answer 40

- Contains the center for all voluntary muscle contractions, sensory input, and initiates all higher mental functions