Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

Anatomy > CNS - Brain > Flashcards

CNS - Brain Flashcards

(79 cards)

Start Studying
1
Q

What is Wernicke’s area

A

Part of the brain in the left temporal lobe that recognizes spoken words

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is a functional MRI (fMRI)

A

Measures change of blood flow in regions of the brain (as well as use of oxygen and sugar by cells)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What structures protect the brain

A

Skull, hair, meninges, and CSF

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What are the 3 meninges

A

Dura mater (tough mother), arachnoid mater (spider mother), and pia mater (soft mother)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What are the 4 characteristics of the dura mater

A

Opaque outer layer that feels like leather, 2 layers of dense irregular CT, blood sinus (dural sinus) between layers to drain blood away from brain, layers fused where there’s no sinus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What are the 4 characteristics of the arachnoid mater

A

Thin/filmy, middle layer over medulla onlongata, reticular CT, spider web like extensions connect it with pia mater

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What are the 4 characteristics of the pia mater

A

Inner layer, loose areolar CT, clings to brain surface, very vascular

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What are the spaces between meningeal layers

A

Subdural space and subarachnoid space

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Describe the subdural space

A

Between dura mater and arachnoid mater that contains a thin film of fluid (subdural hematoma is a brain bleed where blood pools here)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Describe the subarachnoid space

A

Between arachnoid mater and pia mater that has Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is CSF

A

A blood filtrate produced in the brain that circulates within and around the brain and spinal cord

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What are the functions of CSF

A

Nourishes brain tissue, removes waste products, and cushions brain by allowing it to float (1/2 cup at any given time continually produced and removed)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is the choroid plexus

A

Capillary network writhing ventricles that produces CSF

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What are arachnoid villi

A

Portions of arachnoid mater that push up into dural sinuses where CSF is reabsorbed back into blood after circulation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What are the ventricles of the brain

A

Connected, fluid containing spaces of the brain lined by ependymal cells and filled with CSF

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Name the ventricles of the brain

A

Lateral ventricles (2), third ventricle (1), cerebral aqueduct (1), fourth ventricle (1)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

In which 2 ventricles is the majority of CSF produced

A

Laterals and third

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What is hydrocephaly

A

Overproduction of CSF or improper removal causing an increase in head size/swelling in infants, increased intracranial blood pressure causes brain damage

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What is meningitis

A

Inflammation of meninges, usually caused by infection which can spread to nervous tissue of brain and cause swelling and death

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What are the 2 types of meningitis

A

Viral (most common and resolves within a few weeks), and bacterial (most dangerous because of quick progression but can be treated with antibiotics)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What is the blood brain barrier

A

Specialized continuous capillaries of the brain have tightly packed endothelial cells lacking in intercellular clefts, many more tight junctions, making it hard for things to get in or out

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What is one downside of the blood brain barrier

A

Can make an immune response hard

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What makes white matter of the brain look white

A

Oligodendrocytes (fatty, insulatory cells)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What are the characteristics of white matter

A

Composed of myelinated axons that form fiber tracts

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
What are the characteristics of gray matter
Better for processing (all important functions of the brain happen here), composed of dendrites, cell bodies, glial cells, and unmyelinated axons
26
Where is gray matter in the brain
Outer gray matter formed by the cortex in the cerebrum and cerebellum, inner gray matter formed by nuclei in ganglia
27
What type of tissue does the spinal cord lack
Outer gray matter
28
What structure develops into the brain
Dorsal hollow nerve cord
29
What is the telencephalon
Cerebral hemisphere (cortex, white matter, basal nuclei)
30
What is the diencephalon
Thalamus, hypothalamus, and epithalamus
31
What is the mesencephalon
Midbrain
32
What is the metencephalon
Cerebellum and pons
33
What is the myelencephalon
Medulla oblongata
34
What is the brain stem
Midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata
35
What are the 5 developmental regions of the brain
Telencephalon, diencephalon, mesencephalon, metencephalon, and myelencephalon
36
Describe the cerebrum
2 hemispheres with complete neural networks, make up most of brain mass, responsible for high order thinking, personality, ability to ration, etc.
37
What 5 things is the cortex of the brain responsible for
Brain lobes: higher order brain functions including cognition (thinking, reasoning, remembering), personality, interpretation and storage of sensory impulses, initiation of voluntary movements, and communication
38
What are the 3 kinds of fiber tracts
Projection fibers, commissural fibers, and association fibers
39
Describe projection fibers
Very long, allow communication between the cortex and the rest of the nervous system, have a decussation (fibers crossover)
40
Describe commissural fibers
Allow communication between left and right cerebral hemispheres
41
What is the name of the main commissural fiber
Corpus Callosum
42
Describe association fibers
Allow communication within different parts of the same hemisphere
43
What are the 5 paired lobes of the cerebrum
Made of cerebral cortex: frontal, parietal, occipital, temporal, insula
44
What are the 3 processing areas of the cortex
Sensory (interpret sensory info coming into brain), motor (dictate motor responses), and association (receive and integrate info from multiple areas, store memory, play role in coordinated responses)
45
What 4 things is the frontal lobe in charge of
Personality, cognition, impulse control, voluntary motor control
46
What are the 3 structural/functional areas of the frontal lobe
Primary motor cortex (strip of gray matter), premotor cortex, and prefrontal cortex
47
What does the primary motor cortex do
Conscious control of skeletal muscles (damage to it means loss of voluntary muscle control)
48
What does the premotor cortex do
Association area where storage and coordination of repetitive learned motor skills takes place (damage to it means loss of skill/muscle memory, but still able to do it)
49
What does the prefrontal cortex do
Most complex association area, processes emotions related to social interactions and responds (personality), working memory for object-recall tasks (cognition), and solved complex multitask problems (intellect) Damage caused mental and personality disorders
50
What was a frontal lobotomy
Sticking a steel rod though the orbital of the eye into the prefrontal cortex and swishing it around
51
Who was Phineas Gage
Railroad foreman who had an iron role shot through his skull and suffered personality problems after damaging his frontal lobe
52
What is the parietal lobe responsible for
Input and interpretation of sensory info from somatic senses (touch, temp, pain, pressure, etc.)
53
What are the structural and functional areas of the parietal lobe
Primary somatosensory cortex (receives input from somatic sensory receptors) and somatosensory association area (interprets info based on prior experience)
54
What would damage to your somatosensory association area cause
Wouldn’t be able to identify an object by touch
55
What is the function of the temporal lobe
Receives and interprets sound sensory info from inner ear and smell from nasal cavity
56
What are the structural and functional areas of the temporal lobe
Primary auditory cortex (received sensory info from inner ear), auditory association area (recognition of past sounds) that includes Wernicke’s area, and primary olfactory cortex (input from smell receptors and association area for recognition of smells)
57
What is the function of the occipital lobe
Receives and interprets stimuli from retina of eye
58
What are the structural/functional areas of the occipital lobe
Primary visual cortex (receives info from receptors of retina in eye) and visual association area (memories of images, analysis of color, form, and movement)
59
What is the structural/functional area of the insula
Gustatory cortex receives and interprets sensory info from taste buds of the tongue
60
What are 4 characteristics of basal nuclei/ganglia in the brain
Inner gray matter clusters of cell bodies deep to white matter of cerebrum, work with cerebral cortex to control and coordinate muscle movements, allow for unconscious control of skeletal muscles, major component is the striatum
61
What does the striatum of the basal ganglia do
Starts, stops, and regulates intensity of movement
62
What is the limbic system
Structures within cerebrum and diencephalon, emotional brain (prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala) deep to cortex of frontal lobe
63
What does the amygdala do
Memory of fears, regulates anger, proper response to social cues, linked to anxiety, autism, and depression
64
What are the 6 characteristics of the thalamus
Largest of diencephalon, info going to cerebral cortex must pass through it, processing, organizing, and relay center primarily for sensory info, core that cerebrum grows around
65
What are the characteristics of the epithalamus
Pineal gland, secretes melatonin (hormone signaling to sleep)
66
What does the hypothalamus do
Visceral control center for inner functionings
67
What 4 things do the nuclei within the hypothalamus regulate
Hunger/thirst (monitors salt and nutrient concentration in blood/blood sugar levels), body temp (sweating and shivering), controls smooth muscle, cardiac muscle, and glands (blood pressure, digestion, respiration), and limbic system control center
68
What other function does the hypothalamus have
Endocrine - regulates release of hormones from pituitary gland
69
What is a structure of the midbrain
Nuclei contained in corpora quadrigemina
70
What does the corpora quadrigemina do
Controls reflexes: visual and ability to follow movements through superior colliculi, auditory and ability to react to sound through inferior colliculi
71
What does the pons do
Controls respiration (regulated speed of inhalation/exhalation), and bridge between cerebrum and cerebellum (all info going out must go through here)
72
What are the structures of the cerebellum
Cerebellar cortex (gray matter that processes info) and arbor vitae (white matter that carries info)
73
What does the cerebellum do
Smooths and coordinates muscle movements using current movements (proprioceptors in skeletal muscle send info for where body parts are), planned movements (info from cerebral cortex), and equilibrium (info from inner ear if you’re laying down, standing, etc, so you know how much force to use)
74
What does the medulla oblongata do
Basic life support functions (heart rate and force of contractions, regulates blood pressure, breathing rate), and relay station for sensory info entering brain
75
What is a stroke
Interruption of blood flow to region of the brain resulting in neuronal cell death (blood clot/aneurysm)
76
How is a stroke treated
For large vessels: thrombectomy removes blood clot and puts in catheters, for smaller vessels: medication
77
Who was Anton Raderscheidt
Artist who suffered stroke to right parietal and occipital cortex, left sided visual neglect and loss of left side spatial skills
78
What is plasticity
Ability to reorganize neural pathways
79
What is Parkinson’s
A degeneration of neural pathways to basal ganglia that results in difficulty starting and controlling movements

Anatomy (16 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions