General structure of the nervous system

Question 1

What is the PNS made up of?

Answer 1

Nerves and ganglia

Question 2

What is the brainstem composed of?

Answer 2

Midbrain, pons and medulla

Question 3

Where is the white matter located in the cortex?

Answer 3

Inner

Question 4

What is white matter composed of in the cortex?

Answer 4

Myelinated axons and glia

Question 5

Where is the grey matter located in the cortex?

Answer 5

Outer

Question 6

What is the grey matter composed of in the cortex?

Answer 6

Neuron cell bodies and glia

Question 7

What cell type is found in both they grey and white matter of the cortex?

Answer 7

Glial cells

Question 8

What technique can be used to visualise only white matter tracts in the brain?

Answer 8

Diffusion weighted MRI

Question 9

What can diffusion weighted MRI be utilised for?

Answer 9

Viewing white matter tracts in the brain

Question 10

Where does the kink/change in direction of the brain occur?

Answer 10

Between midbrain and diencephalon

Question 11

What is the consequence of the kink/change in direction of the brain?

Answer 11

Twist in brain axis

Dorsal shifts from being ‘upwards’ to ‘backwards’

Question 12

What separates the two cerebral hemispheres?

Answer 12

Longitudinal fissure

Question 13

What does the longitudinal fissure separate?

Answer 13

Left and right cerebral hemispheres

Question 14

What are the ridges in the cerebrum called?

Answer 14

Gyri

Question 15

What are gyri?

Answer 15

Ridges in the cerebrum

Question 16

What are the grooves in the cerebrum called?

Answer 16

Sulci

Question 17

What are sulci?

Answer 17

Grooves in the cerebrum

Question 18

What is the surface of the cerebrum?

Answer 18

Cerebral cortex

Question 19

What is the functional significance of the four lobes of the cortex?

Answer 19

Very limited functional significance

They are arbitrary boundaries

Question 20

Why are Brodmann areas significant?

Answer 20

Functional mapping of the brain, with defined boundaries that are functionally significant

Question 21

What are Brodmann areas based on?

Answer 21

Cellular differences

Question 22

How are the left and right cerebral hemispheres joined?

Answer 22

Corpus callosum

Question 23

Describe the structure of the cortex?

Answer 23

1 cm thick
Outer grey matter, inner white matter
Layered structure (6 layers)

Question 24

What types of neurons are found in the cortex?

Answer 24

Pyramidal neurons and interneurons

Question 25

What are the major roles of the cerebellum?

Answer 25

Motor control Comparing what you want to do with what you are doing Refines execution of motor program

Question 26

Where are most of the brain's neurons located?

Answer 26

Cerebellum (half of all neurons)

Question 27

Where are basal ganglia found in the brain?

Answer 27

Diencephalon | Deep within brain, beneath white matter

Question 28

What are the roles of basal ganglia?

Answer 28

Motor control | Selects and initiates voluntary movements

Question 29

What is the consequence of damage to the basal ganglia?

Answer 29

Parkinson's Disease | Huntington's Disease

Question 30

Within which brain structure is the thalamus found?

Answer 30

Diencephalon

Question 31

What is the major role of the thalamus?

Answer 31

Major sensory relay to cortex

Question 32

Describe the structure of the thalamus?

Answer 32

Pair of nuclei | Distributed bilaterally

Question 33

Describe the three ways in which thalamic nuclei project?

Answer 33

1. Relays sensory info to cortex 2. Relays non-sensory info from cortex and basal ganglia to specific areas of cortex 3. Projects globally to cortex

Question 34

What are the major roles of the hypothalamus?

Answer 34

Regulates homeostasis | Controls pituitary

Question 35

Where is the pituitary gland located relative to the hypothalamus?

Answer 35

Located beneath it

Question 36

What are the major functions of the brainstem?

Answer 36

Facial muscle control Control of sensation from face and head Cardiorespiratory control Sleep/wake cycle

Question 37

Which brain structure does the spinal cord connect to?

Answer 37

Medulla

Question 38

Describe the arrangement of grey and white matter in the spinal cord?

Answer 38

Grey matter inner | White matter outer

Question 39

What are the three major regions in the grey matter of the spinal cord?

Answer 39

Dorsal horn Intermediate zone Ventral horn

Question 40

What information do the dorsal and ventral horns deal with?

Answer 40

Dorsal horns deal with incoming sensory information | Ventral horns deal with outgoing motor information

Question 41

What are the divisions of the spinal cord?

Answer 41

Cervical Thoracic Lumbar Sacral

Question 42

How does the spinal cord change along its length?

Answer 42

Changes shape, but maintains overall 'H' shape | Enlarged at lower cervical and lumbar regions

Question 43

Where does the spinal cord terminate?

Answer 43

L1/L2

Question 44

What do the spinal segments correspond with?

Answer 44

Each vertebra has a corresponding spinal segment

Question 45

What do spinal segments give rise to?

Answer 45

Pair of spinal nerves

Question 46

What are spinal nerves formed from?

Answer 46

Dorsal and ventral roots

Question 47

What is the DRG?

Answer 47

Dorsal root ganglia | Contains sensory nerve cell bodies

Question 48

Where are DRG found?

Answer 48

Hidden between vertebrae

Question 49

What is the character of most peripheral nerves?

Answer 49

Mixed (both sensory and motor)

Question 50

What is a dermatome?

Answer 50

Region of the body innervated by a bilateral pair of dorsal root ganglia

Question 51

What are ventricles?

Answer 51

Hollow sections of brain that contain CSF

Question 52

List the ventricles found in the human brain?

Answer 52

2 x lateral ventricles 1 third ventricle 1 fourth ventricle Cerebral aqueduct

Question 53

Where is CSF formed?

Answer 53

Formed by vascular choroid plexus in ventricles

Question 54

Describe the flow of CSF?

Answer 54

Formed in ventricles > flows out at fourth ventricle > bathes brain

Question 55

What is the function of CSF?

Answer 55

Bathes brain and acts as shock absorber

Question 56

List the meninges of the brain?

Answer 56

Dura mater Arachnoid mater Pia mater

Question 57

Describe the morphology of the three layers of meninges?

Answer 57

Dura - thick Arachnoid - fibrous Pia - thin

Question 58

Where does the CSF lie as it bathes the brain?

Answer 58

Sub-arachnoid space

Question 59

What does the sub-arachnoid space contain?

Answer 59

CSF

Question 60

How is CSF resorbed?

Answer 60

Resorbed by major veins in sub-arachnoid space

Question 61

What is the falx?

Answer 61

Extension of meninges that divides cerebral hemispheres

Question 62

What is the tentorium?

Answer 62

Extension of meninges that separates cerebellum and occipital lobe

Question 63

What is the function of the blood brain barrier?

Answer 63

Limits free access of material in the blood to the brain | So, protects ECF of brain

Question 64

What is the blood brain barrier formed by?

Answer 64

Endothelial cells of capillaries with very tight junctions

Question 65

What type of transport is required for substances to access the brain?

Answer 65

Active transport