CNS / PNS overview

Question 1

afferent tracts

Answer 1

transmit electrical impulses from the body to the brain

Question 2

efferent tracts

Answer 2

transmit electrical impulses from the brain to the body

Question 3

sensory nerves, afferent or efferent?

Answer 3

afferent - send sensory info from the sensory receptors to the spinal cord

Question 4

motor nerves, afferent or efferent?

Answer 4

efferent - send motor commands from the spinal cord to activate the skeletal muscle

Question 5

rostral vs caudal
(in the spinal cord and brainstem)

Answer 5

rostal = towards the head
caudal = towards the coccyx

Question 6

rostral vs caudal
(in the brain)

Answer 6

rostral = towards the nose
caudal = towards the back of the head

Question 7

ventral vs dorsal
(in the brainstem and spinal cord)

Answer 7

ventral = anterior = towards belly
dorsal = posterior = towards the back

Question 8

ventral vs dorsal
(in the brain)

Answer 8

ventral = inferior = towards jaw
dorsal = superior = towards top of head

Question 9

main function of the corpus callosum

Answer 9

communication between cerebral hemispheres

Question 10

function of the basal ganglia

Answer 10

movement and motor learning

Question 11

function of the amygdala

Answer 11

expression of emotion

Question 12

function of hippocampus

Answer 12

memory formation

Question 13

function of the frontal lobe

Answer 13

higher functions

motor planning, organising behaviour, decision making, working memory

Question 14

function of the parietal lobe

Answer 14

sensory guiding motor action, multisensory integration, spatial awareness

Question 15

function of the occipital lobe

Answer 15

early visual processing (direction of movement, orientation of lines, colour, motion)

Question 16

function of the temporal lobe

Answer 16

vision, hearing, memory, and language

Question 17

two organs in the diencephalon

Answer 17

thalamus and hypothalamus

Question 18

function of the thalamus

Answer 18

essential link in sensory paths from periphery to brain

connects cerebellum adn basal ganglia with regions of cerebral cortex (involved in cognition and movement)

Question 19

function of the hypothalamus

Answer 19

somatic growth, eating, drinking

essential component of neuroendocrine system
==
motivation and arousal

Question 20

3 organs in the brainstem (from rostral to caudal)

Answer 20

midbrain –> pons –> medulla

Question 21

function of midbrain

Answer 21

connects cerebellum, basal ganglia, and cerebral cortex

involved in hearing and control of eye mvmts

Question 22

function of pons

Answer 22

sleep, respiration, taste

Question 23

function of the pontine nucleus (in pons)

Answer 23

relay info about sensation and mvmt from cerebral cortex to cerebellum

Question 24

function of medulla

Answer 24

BP and respiration regulation

early pathways of taste, hearing, balance, control of head, neck, and limb muscles

Question 25

where is the decessation of sensory afferents and motor efferents

Answer 25

medulla

Question 26

function of the cerebellum

Answer 26

maintaining posture and balance == coordinating head, eye, and arm mvmts

Question 27

what type of motor learning does the cerebellum do

Answer 27

error based - works with many parts of the brain to learn from mistakes to adapt mvmt

Question 28

what does the cerebellum receive

Answer 28

copies of motor commands form cerebral cortex (works together with PMC and motor cortex) == somatosensory info from the spinal cord

Question 29

what is the order of brainstem structures from rostral to caudal

Answer 29

rostral = diencephalon midbrain pons caudal = medulla

Question 30

what defines a nerve fibre

Answer 30

axon of a sensory neuron and its myelin sheath

Question 31

what is a fascicle

Answer 31

bundle of individual nerve fibres

Question 32

what does the endoneurium surround

Answer 32

nerve fibres

Question 33

what does the perineurium surround

Answer 33

fascicles

Question 34

what does the epineurium surround

Answer 34

nerves

Question 35

what is included in a nerve

Answer 35

collection of all strucutres including connective tissues and blood vessels