CNS functional anatomy

Question 1

what makes up the CNS

Answer 1

brain and spinal cord

Question 2

what are the roles of the brain stem

Answer 2

relay centre between higher brain and spinal cord
receives and integrates sensory input
balance and posture

Question 3

which parts make up the brain stem

Answer 3

medulla oblongata
midbrain

Question 4

what are the roes of the medulla oblongata

Answer 4

involuntary function - vital (breathing/digestion) and non vital (coughing/vomiting)

Question 5

what are the roles of the cerebellum

Answer 5

fine control of coordinated voluntary movement - receives sensory information and inputs to motor areas

Question 6

what makes up the diencephalon

Answer 6

thalamus - relay centre
hypothalamus - homeostatic control centre

Question 7

role of the thalamus

Answer 7

relay centre - sensory input and motor control

Question 8

role of the hypothalamus

Answer 8

homeostatic control and hormone secretion from pituitary gland - limbic system

Question 9

what is the limbic system

Answer 9

interconnecting group of structures in the forebrain - basic emotions and behaviour (survival)

Question 10

what makes up the cerebrum

Answer 10

cerebral cortex and basal nuclei

Question 11

what is the basal nuclei

Answer 11

Collections of cell bodies within sub cortical region

Question 12

role of basal nuclei

Answer 12

involved in control of movement generally inhibitory

Question 13

what is the cerebral cortex

Answer 13

two hemispheres that make up most of the brain - shell of grey matter and white matter highly folded controlling the opposite side of the body

Question 14

what is grey matter

Answer 14

cell bodies, dendrites, glia

Question 15

what is white matter

Answer 15

myelinated axonal tracts

Question 16

what are the four parts of the cerebral cortex and their functions

Answer 16

frontal lobe - motor function and personality
parietal lobe - sensory processing
occipital lobe - visual cortex
temporal lobe - auditory cortex

Question 17

what is the somatosensory cortex

Answer 17

in the parietal lobe, receives sensory input from the opposite side of the body, area for the body part is proportional to the amount of input from it

Question 18

define plasticity in the somatosensory cortex

Answer 18

if one area receives extra stimulation or reduced stimulation the size of the devoted area will change accordingly – use-dependent

Question 19

what is the motor cortex

Answer 19

in the frontal lobe, for voluntary movement, use dependency for cortical space

Question 20

how does motor control work

Answer 20

Motor cortex send signals to the alpha motor neurons after input from the supplementary motor area, premotor cortex, posterior parietal cortex, basal ganglia, thalamus and cerebellum

Question 21

which are the cortical areas involved with language

Answer 21

broca’s area - articulation of speech, controls muscles via motor cortex for speaking
Wernicke’s area - involves comprehension and planning/coherence of language - parietal

Question 22

define aphasia

Answer 22

language deficits resulting from brain damage

Question 23

what are glial cells

Answer 23

main cell types in CNS - 4 types
astrocytes
microglia
oligodendrocytes
ependymal cells

Question 24

what are astrocytes

Answer 24

most abundant glial cell, structural support, blood brain barrier and repair and maintenance - neurotransmitter removal from extracellular fluid

Question 25

what are microglia

Answer 25

immune cells of CNS - scavengers and cytokine release
- resting : homeostasis
- active : ameboid and pro-inflammatory

Question 26

what are oligodendrocytes

Answer 26

form the myelin sheath around neuronal axons

Question 27

what are ependymal cells

Answer 27

epithelial cells that line fluid filled cavities of the CNS (ventricles)