CNS Flashcards
(54 cards)
What are the fundamental cellular units that form neural circuits?
Neurons
Neurons are specialized cells responsible for transmitting information throughout the nervous system.
What type of glial cell regulates inflammation and forms the blood-brain barrier?
Astrocytes
Astrocytes play a critical role in maintaining the environment around neurons.
What are the immune cells of the central nervous system?
Microglia
Microglia are crucial for the immune defense in the CNS.
What type of glial cell produces cerebrospinal fluid?
Ependymal cells
Ependymal cells line the ventricles of the brain and facilitate the production of cerebrospinal fluid.
What are the major divisions of the central nervous system?
- Telencephalon
- Diencephalon
- Mesencephalon
- Metencephalon
- Myeloencephalon
These divisions organize the brain’s structure and function.
What is the gateway to the cerebral cortex that processes sensory inputs?
Thalamus
The thalamus acts as a relay station for sensory information.
What structure controls autonomic functions, emotions, and sleep cycles?
Hypothalamus
The hypothalamus plays a vital role in homeostasis and behavioral regulation.
Which part of the brain contains the auditory and visual pathways?
Mesencephalon (Midbrain)
The midbrain is involved in processing sensory information and motor control.
What part of the brain connects the cerebellum to the brain and modifies respiratory output?
Pons
The pons serves as a communication hub between different parts of the brain.
What is the function of the medulla oblongata?
Controls vital involuntary reflexes (swallowing, breathing, heart rate)
The medulla oblongata is essential for autonomic functions necessary for survival.
What are the three protective layers of the meninges?
- Dura mater
- Arachnoid layer
- Pia mater
These layers protect the brain and spinal cord from injury.
What is the role of cerebrospinal fluid?
Allows brain to float within skull
Cerebrospinal fluid provides cushioning and support for the brain.
True or False: Blood-brain barrier controls substance entry into the brain.
True
The blood-brain barrier selectively permits certain substances to enter the brain while blocking others.
What types of neural circuits exist?
- Monosynaptic reflexes
- Multi-synaptic circuits with interneurons
- Complex pathways (ascending and descending)
These circuits facilitate different types of information processing.
What system regulates emotion and memory?
Limbic System
The limbic system is integral to emotional responses and memory formation.
List key components of the limbic system.
- Cingulate gyrus
- Fornix
- Anterior thalamic nuclei
- Hypothalamus
- Amygdaloid nucleus
- Hippocampus
Each component plays a unique role in emotional and memory processing.
What is canine degenerative myelopathy?
Progressive fatal hereditary disease causing fiber degeneration in brain and spinal cord
Symptoms include hind limb weakness, paralysis, and respiratory problems, with no available cure.
What advanced imaging technique is mentioned?
MRI
MRI is widely used for visualizing internal structures of the body, including the brain.
What are some research contributions acknowledged with the Nobel Prize?
- Nervous system structure
- Green fluorescent protein
- Magnetic resonance imaging
- Hypothalamus function
- Artificial neural networks
These contributions have significantly advanced the fields of neuroscience and technology.
Where do microglia develop?
Yolk sac
The microglia are like which type of body cell but of the CNS?
Macrophages
How many neurons in the human brain?
100 billion
How is it possible for there to be so many neurons in the human brain?
- gyrus - brain itself
- sulcus - shallow spaces
- fissures - big spaces btw gyrus
Where is stimulus received in the neuron?
Dendrites
