Midterm 2: Central Nervous System Slides

Question 1

Where are sensory neurons located?

Answer 1

Partly in CNS and partly in PNS - unipolar

Question 2

Where are interneurons located?

Answer 2

Completely in CNS - multipolar

Question 3

Where are motor neurons located?

Answer 3

Partly in CNS and partly in PNS - multipolar

Question 4

What are the components of the afferent division of the PNS?

Answer 4

Sensory stimuli (from touch, hearing, etc.) and visceral stimuli (from organs)

Question 5

What are the components of the efferent division of the PNS and what does each one involve?

Answer 5

Somatic (voluntary - move skeletal muscle) and autonomic (automatic - goes to organs and controls them, which you can’t do)

Question 6

What are the components of the autonomic division of the efferent division of the PNS?

Answer 6

Sympathetic (e.g., will increase activity for vital systems in emergency and decrease it for nonvital systems) and parasympathetic (“rest and digest”, or housekeeping)

Question 7

What are the cells of the nervous system and what are their functions?

Answer 7

Neurons: excitable cells

Glial cells: support functions of neuron (more abundant than neurons)

Question 8

What are some types of glial cells (5)?

Answer 8

Ependymal cells, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, microglial cells, Schwann cells

Question 9

Ependymal cells function

Answer 9

Produce CSF that bathes/surrounds brain

Question 10

Astrocyte function

Answer 10

Link neuron to adjacent blood vessels, maintain chemical consistency, ensure neurons get adequate nutrients (most abundant glia)

Question 11

Microglial cell function

Answer 11

Similar to immune cells; “cleaning crew” of cells

Question 12

What determines brain sophistication and learning?

Answer 12

Amount of synapses and communication/connections

Question 13

Structure and function of ventricles - name all four ventricles

Answer 13

Have ependymal cells in their lining, so they produce and circulate CSF - left lateral ventricle, right lateral ventricle, third ventricle, fourth ventricle

Question 14

Function of interventricular foramen

Answer 14

Connect lateral ventricles with third

Question 15

Function of cerebral aqueduct

Answer 15

Connects third and fourth ventricles

Question 16

Function of central canal

Answer 16

CSF exits through here to spinal cord

Question 17

What produces the CSF?

Answer 17

Group of cells and blood vessels collectively known as the choroid plexus (ependymal cells and blood vessels)

Question 18

Functions of CSF (3)

Answer 18

Bathes the brain; acts as shock absorber; transports nutrients, chemical messengers, and waste products

Question 19

What are the 4 lobes of the brain?

Answer 19

Frontal, Parietal, Temporal, Occipital

Question 20

What are the areas of the frontal lobe and their functions?

Answer 20

Premotor cortex: Planning movement
Primary motor cortex: Initiates motor movements
Prefrontal association cortex: Complex thinking/tasks and cognitive functions
Broca’s area: speech initiation/production

Question 21

What are the areas of the parietal lobe and their functions?

Answer 21

Somatosensory cortex: conscious awareness of general somatic senses, precisely localize stimulus received
Wernicke’s: overlaps in temporal lobe, speech comprehension

Question 22

What is spatial discrimination?

Answer 22

You know exactly where sensation information is coming from (very precisely) without looking

Question 23

Areas/functions of temporal lobe

Answer 23

Hearing, vision (visual association area for facial recognition), olfaction

Question 24

Area/function of occipital lobe

Answer 24

Visual cortex (responsible for vision)

Question 25

What are the major components of the brain (not lobes)

Answer 25

Cerebrum, cerebellum, thalamus, hypothalamus, brain stem

Question 26

Functions of the thalamus

Answer 26

Relay station for all synaptic input (except smell), crude awareness of sensation, motor control

Question 27

Functions of hypothalamus

Answer 27

``` Regulatory center: homeostasis such as temperature control, thirst, urine output, food intake Endocrine role (controls hormones) Regulation of sleep-wake cycle (internal clock) Formation of memory, information recall ```

Question 28

Functions of cerebellum

Answer 28

"Small brain" - maintenance of balance, coordination and planning of skilled voluntary muscle activity

Question 29

What does ipsilateral mean and what component does it involve?

Answer 29

Means same side, so right side of cerebellum control right side of body

Question 30

Functions of the brain stem

Answer 30

Gateway to the brain, origin of majority of peripheral cranial nerves; control centers for digestive, respiratory, and cardiovascular centers (vital centers); equilibrium and posture; integration of inputs from spinal cord

Question 31

What causes brain damage?

Answer 31

Trauma (blow to head), stroke, seizure

Question 32

What happens in a stroke, and what's another name for it?

Answer 32

Cerebral vascular accident; blood vessels supplying brain rupture or clot, brain cannot get nutrients (since blood can't be delivered) causing serious damage

Question 33

What happens during a seizure

Answer 33

Not well understood why they happen, but brain fires uncontrollably causing compulsive shock

Question 34

What are the language areas of the brain and where can they be found?

Answer 34

Wernicke's and Broca's areas; found in left hemisphere only

Question 35

What is Wernicke's aphasia?

Answer 35

Someone can speak bu can't understand what they're saying

Question 36

What is Broca's aphasia?

Answer 36

Someone can't speak but can understand

Question 37

What happens in contralateral neglect syndrome?

Answer 37

After person experiences trauma to one side of the brain, they lose interest and don't care about the other

Question 38

What's different about a split-brain patient?

Answer 38

Corpus callosum has been cut, so two hemispheres can't communicate

Question 39

What does contralateral mean?

Answer 39

E.g., right side of brain controls left side of body (and vice versa)