Lecture 3 Flashcards
Organisation of the CNS (17 cards)
What are the five major regions of the CNS?
- Spinal cord
- Brainstem (medulla, pons, midbrain)
- Cerebellum
- Diencephalon (thalamus, hypothalamus, etc.)
- Cerebrum (cortex, basal ganglia, limbic structures)
What are the three main planes of section in the CNS?
• Coronal: front to back
• Sagittal: left to right
• Horizontal (transverse): top to bottom
What is the difference between grey matter and white matter?
• Grey matter: neuronal soma, dendrites, synapses (integration)
• White matter: myelinated axons (communication pathways)
What are gyri, sulci, and fissures?
• Gyri: ridges
• Sulci: shallow grooves
• Fissures: deep grooves
What are the three parts of the brainstem?
Medulla oblongata, pons, and midbrain
What are the key functions of the medulla oblongata?
• Respiratory reflexes
• Cardiovascular regulation
• Protective reflexes (e.g., vomiting, coughing)
What are the functions of the pons?
• Wakefulness and consciousness
• Vestibular function (balance)
• Facial sensation and movement
What are the functions of the midbrain?
• Superior colliculus: visual reflexes
• Substantia nigra: smooth motor control
• Cerebral peduncles: axonal tracts
What are the functions of the cerebellum?
• Coordination
• Balance and posture
• Motor learning and memory
• Contains ~50% of brain neurons
What are the four parts of the diencephalon and their functions?
• Thalamus: sensory relay to cortex
• Hypothalamus: autonomic and endocrine regulation
• Subthalamus: motor planning
• Epithalamus: circadian rhythm
What are the major lobes of the cerebral cortex?
• Frontal
• Parietal
• Occipital
• Temporal
• Insular
• Limbic
What are the functions of the frontal lobe?
• Motor control (precentral gyrus)
• Speech and language
• Emotion, memory, personality
• Decision-making
What are the functions of the parietal lobe?
• Somatosensory processing (postcentral gyrus)
• Language
• Multisensory integration
What are the functions of the occipital lobe?
• Visual processing
• Retinotopic mapping
What are the functions of the temporal lobe?
• Auditory processing
• Speech and language
• Emotion and memory
• Part of the limbic system
What is the insular cortex responsible for?
• Gustatory (taste) processing
• Emotional integration
• Part of the limbic system
What are the key structures of the limbic system?
• Emotional expression: hypothalamus, cingulate cortex, amygdala, prefrontal cortex
• Emotional memory: hippocampus, amygdala, thalamus, prefrontal cortex
