CNS Flashcards
(84 cards)
major parts of the brain
- cerebrum
- diencephalon (thalamus and hypothalamus)
- cerebellum
- brain stem (midbrain, pons, medulla oblongata)
white matter
- bright pearly white color due to myelin around its nerve fibers
- in most of the brain it is deep to gray matter (opposite of spinal cord)
- composed of tracts (bundles of axons)
gray matter
- little myelin, duller white color
- forms the cortex and deeper masses called nuclei
cranial meninges
- dura mater, arachnoid, pia mater
- connective tissue membranes
- cover and protect the CNS, protect blood vessels, enclose venous sinuses, contain CSF, partition the brain
dura mater
- layer of meninges pressed closely against the cranial bone
- two layers which are separated in some places by dural sinuses
superior sagittal sinus
dural sinus found just under the cranium along the median line
transverse sinus
dural sinus that runs horizontally from the rear of the head toward each ear
jugular veins
the place where the sinuses empty into
falx cerebri
extension of the dura mater into the longitudinal fissure as a wall between the cerebral hemispheres
tentorium cerebelli
extension of the dura mater is like a roof over the posterior cranial fossa and separates the cerebellum from the cerebrum
falx cerebelli
extension of the dura mater that partially separates the right and left halves of the cerebellum
arachnoid mater
transparent membrane over the brain surface
ventricles
four internal chambers of the brain that are filled with cerebrospinal fluid, continuous with each other and the central canal of the spinal fluid, and lined with ependymal cells
lateral ventricles
the largest ventricles, which form an arc in each cerebral hemisphere; separated by the septum pellucidum; interventricular foramen allow CSF to flow into third ventricle
third ventricle
ventricle in the diencephalon; CSF flows through cerebral aqueduct into fourth ventricle
fourth ventricle
triangular chamber between the pons and cerebellum in the brain stem; lateral apertures allow CSF to flow into subarachnoid space
choroid plexus
a mass of blood capillaries on the floor or wall
ependyma
a type of neuroglia that resembles cuboidal epithelium; lines ventricles and canals, covers the choroid plexuses, and produces CSF
blood-cerebrospinal fluid
made up of ependymal cells, which permit certain substances to enter the fluid but excludes others and protects the brain and spinal cord from harmful elements
cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
a clear, colorless liquid that protects the brain and spinal cord against chemical and physical injuries and carries oxygen, glucose, and other needed chemicals from the blood to neurons and neuroglia
three ways the CSF contributes to homeostasis
1) Buoyancy
2) Protection
3) Chemical stability
blood vessels that deliver blood to the brain
internal carotid arteries and basilar artery
areas blood is drained into in the brain
dural sinuses and then into jugular veins
blood-brain barrier (BBB)
protects brain cells from harmful substances and pathogens by serving as a selective barrier to prevent passage of many substances from the blood to the brain