Neuroanatomy

Question 1

What does the Peripheral Nervous System do?

Answer 1

Allows us to move, connected to internal organs through motor and sensory connections, and deals with incoming and outgoing info.

Question 2

Main functions of Autonomic NS

Answer 2

Deals with homeostasis and processes that are not within our control (controls internal organs)

Question 3

Main functions of Somatic NS

Answer 3

Voluntary movement (controls voluntary muscles) and communicates with CNS (sends info)

Question 4

What does an efferent nerve do?

Answer 4

Sends information outwards. They are muscle nerves that connect the CNS to the skeletal muscles.

Question 5

What does an afferent nerve do?

Answer 5

Gathers information from the environment through sensory organs and sends it to the CNS.

Question 6

What part of the brain stem contains the pons and medulla?

Answer 6

Hindbrain

Question 7

What do the pons do?

Answer 7

Controls sleep and connects the brain stem to cerebellum

Question 8

What does the medulla do?

Answer 8

Controls breathing and heart rate. As well, connects the brain to the spinal cord.

Question 9

What do the meninges do?

Answer 9

Special membranes that protect the brain and spinal cord.

Question 10

Where does the cerebrospinal fluid circulate? What does it fill?

Answer 10

Around the brain and spinal cord. As well, it fills the ventricles.

Question 11

What does the Blood-Brain barrier do?

Answer 11

Protects toxins/lethal substances from entering the brain. The tight gaps between endothelial cells prevent this.

Question 12

What do the Nodes of Ranvier do?

Answer 12

Strengthen the electrical signal as it jumps from one node to another along the axon.

Question 13

Which axons do oligodendrocytes myelinate?

Answer 13

Axons in the CNS

Question 14

Which axons do Schwann’s cells myelinate?

Answer 14

Axons in the PNS

Question 15

What lies between Schwann’s cells and oligodendrocytes?

Answer 15

Nodes of Ranvier

Question 16

What is white matter?

Answer 16

Areas of the nervous system that are filled with myelinated neural axons. E.g., corpus callosum.

Question 17

What is grey matter?

Answer 17

Areas of the nervous system that are made up of cell bodies and blood vessels. E.g., cerebral cortex

Question 18

What is a tract?

Answer 18

Bundles of axons in the CNS

Question 19

What do tracts do?

Answer 19

Responsible for connecting different nuclei to each other.

Question 20

What is a nerve?

Answer 20

Bundle of axons in the PNS

Question 21

How are neurons organized in the cortex?

Answer 21

in a uniform and grid-like fashion. Resembles the organization of a neighborhood

Question 22

How are neurons organized in the subcortical and brain stem nuclei?

Answer 22

In a irregular way

Question 23

What is the function of the cerebral cortex?

Answer 23

responsible for higher cognitive functions – perception, decision-making and thought

Question 24

What is the “conscious” part of the brain?

Answer 24

Cerebral cortex

Question 25

What is the function of subcortical structures?

Answer 25

responsible for more fundamental processes such as memory, AUTOMATIC functions (e.g. driving), emotions.

Question 26

When does the cerebral cortex become activated?

Answer 26

When the environment changes

Question 27

What does the limbic system focus on?

Answer 27

Emotions and motivation

Question 28

What are the 3 major parts of the limbic system?

Answer 28

Cingulate cortex, amygdala and hippocampus

Question 29

What does the cingulate cortex focus on?

Answer 29

memory and emotional processing

Question 30

What does the amygdala focus on?

Answer 30

Fear, aggression and emotionally charged memories

Question 31

What does the hippocampus focus on?

Answer 31

regulates mood states, formation of long-term memories and sense of self in space

Question 32

What does the basal ganglia do?

Answer 32

Controls automated and habitual responses,(specifically motor responses). It is also important for learning and memory

Question 33

What are 3 major parts of the basal ganglia?

Answer 33

Substantia nigra, caudate nucleus and putamen, and globus pallidus.

Question 34

What does the substantia nigra contain and what is associated with?

Answer 34

Contain dopaminergic neurons. Parkinson's disease occurs when these types of neurons die in the substantia nigra.