functional anatomy of the cns

Question 1

central nervous system

Answer 1

part of the nervous system that consists of the brain + spinal cord

Question 2

peripheral nervous system

Answer 2

1) part of the nervous system that is outside the central nervous system
2) made up of the somatic nervous system + autonomic nervous system

Question 3

What 3 distinct parts does the brain consist of?

Answer 3

1) brainstem
2) cerebrum
3) cerebellum

Question 4

brainstem

Answer 4

stalk-like part of the brain consisting of the medulla oblongata, midbrain, and pons, which joins the brain to the spinal cord

Question 5

cerebrum

Answer 5

largest portion of the brain, which is divided into two hemispheres

Question 6

cerebellum

Answer 6

portion of the brain between the cerebrum + brainstem

Question 7

What is the cerebellum important for?

Answer 7

learning + coordinating complex movements

Question 8

sulcus

Answer 8

shallow furrow on the surface of the brain

Question 9

lobe

Answer 9

a subdivision of the cerebral cortex

Question 10

gyrus

Answer 10

ridge on the surface of a cerebral hemisphere caused by the infolding of the cerebral cortex

Question 11

spinal cord

Answer 11

tube-shaped structure that runs from the base of the brain down through a series of bony rings (vertebrae)

Question 12

Which way does information flow in the CNS?

Answer 12

both ways

Question 13

afferent

Answer 13

neuron that conveys sensory information to the central nervous system

Question 14

efferent

Answer 14

neuron that conveys information from the CNS to an organ of response

Question 15

ventral

Answer 15

front/lower side of something (bottom of the brain)

Question 16

dorsal

Answer 16

back/upper side of something (top of the brain)

Question 17

What does the somatic nervous system control?

Answer 17

the skeletal muscles of the body

Question 18

What does the autonomic nervous system do?

Answer 18

supplies nerves to the cardiac muscle of the heart, smooth muscle + glands

Question 19

What are the 3 divisions of the autonomic nervous system?

Answer 19

1) sympathetic nervous system
2) parasympathetic nervous system
3) enteric nervous system

Question 20

What is the enteric nervous system involved with?

Answer 20

control of the digestive tract + associated structures

Question 21

What are the 2 types of basic cell types found in the mammalian nervous system?

Answer 21

1) neurons

2) glia

Question 22

soma

Answer 22

cell body

Question 23

Where is the nucleus found in neurons?

Answer 23

soma

Question 24

dendrite

Answer 24

a projection that conducts the electrochemical stimulation received from other neural cells to the cell body of a neuron

Question 25

axon

Answer 25

a projection that extends from the cell body of a neuron to the terminal endings + transmits the neural signal

Question 26

Which neurons in the human peripheral nervous system have the longest axons?

Answer 26

sciatic nerves

Question 27

What is at the end of an axon?

Answer 27

synaptic terminal

Question 28

neurotransmitter

Answer 28

a chemical that is released by a neuron + travels across the synapse to bind to receptors on the postsynaptic terminal of another neuron to charge the electrical activity of the target cell

Question 29

tract

Answer 29

bundle of neurons

Question 30

What is grey matter mostly made up of?

Answer 30

1) somata 2) dendrites 3) terminals

Question 31

What is white matter mostly made up of?

Answer 31

axons

Question 32

Why is white matter a lighter colour?

Answer 32

many of the axons of the CNS are wrapped in a pale-coloured lipid substance called myelin

Question 33

myelin

Answer 33

a white fatty material that insulates the neurons + permits the rapid transmission of electrical signals along the neuron

Question 34

What are the major types of glia found in the human brain?

Answer 34

1) oligodendrocytes 2) astrocytes 3) microglia

Question 35

histology

Answer 35

the study of body tissue at microscopic level

Question 36

oligodendrocyte

Answer 36

type of glial cell that produces myelin

Question 37

astrocyte

Answer 37

star-shaped glial cell of the CNS that limits the exchange of substances between the blood + brain

Question 38

microglia

Answer 38

very small cells found throughout the brain that are mostly inactive

Question 39

What is the frontal lobe associated with?

Answer 39

1) thought | 2) reasoning

Question 40

What is the parietal lobe associated with?

Answer 40

1) sensory perception | 2) spatial relations

Question 41

What is the occipital lobe associated with?

Answer 41

vision

Question 42

What is the temporal lobe associated with?

Answer 42

1) memory 2) emotion 3) hearing

Question 43

What is the brainstem associated with?

Answer 43

1) body temperature 2) heart rate 3) breathing

Question 44

What is the cerebellum associated with?

Answer 44

1) balance | 2) coordination

Question 45

phospholipid bilayer

Answer 45

sack that contains liquid known as cytosol/cytoplasm which contains a wide range of signalling molecules

Question 46

synapse

Answer 46

the junction between two neurons where neurons communicate by chemical means

Question 47

synaptic plasticity

Answer 47

alteration in the strength of a synapse (the likelihood of the postsynaptic neuron being activated by presynaptic activity)