Neuroanatomy Flashcards
(201 cards)
What makes up the CNS
The brain and the spinal cord
What makes up the PNS
The peripheral nerves
12 pairs of cranial nerves and 31 pairs of spinal nerves and their branches
Where does the CNS become the PNS
As the spinal nerve roots leave the spinal cord
How does the nervous system develop
Begins as the neural tube
Brain is hollow and fluid filled
Early on 3 swellings form
The bottom 2 will further divide to give 5 ‘vesicles in the neural tube
Each section will become a specific section of the brain
Name the 5 major embryonic divisions of the brain
Telencephalon Diencephalon Mesencephalon Metencephalon Myelencephalon
What does the telencephalon go on to form
the cerebral hemispheres
This expands massively in human development
What does the diencephalon go on to form
The thalamus and the hypothalamus
What does the mesencephalon go on to form
The midbrain
What does the metencephalon go on to form
The pons and the cerebellum
What does the myelencephalon go on to form
The medulla oblongata
What sections make up the brainstem
The midbrain
Pons
Medulla
What are the functions of the neurons
They receive information, integrate it and then transmit it in the form of the electrical impulses
Can pass to it onto other neurons or effector cells
Describe the structure of neurons
They have a cell body that contains the nucleus and cellular apparatus
They have numerous dendrites to receive info
One axon will transmit info - can be extremely long
Does the brain contain connective tissues
Nope
A small amount comes in with the blood vessels but doesn’t count
What are the main types of glial cells
Astrocytes
Oligodendrocytes
Microglia
Ependymal cells
What are the functions of astrocytes
Roles in supporting the brain, maintaining the BBB and homeostasis
What is the structure of an astrocyte
Star shaped cells
Multiple processes
What is the function of the oligodendrocytes
Produce myelin in the CNS
They reach out to nearby axons with multiple branches and wrap layers of cell membrane around it
What is the function of the myelin sheath
Increases rate of signal transmission
Allows signals to jump along the axon from node to node (node is an unmyelinated area)
What is the function of microglia
Immune cells - immune monitoring and antigen presentation
Similar to macrophages but they stay in the CNS
What is the function of the ependymal cells
Ciliated cuboidal/columnar epithelium that lines the ventricles.
They produce the CSF
What is the difference between the gyri and sulci
Gyri are the bits that stick out and the sulci are the indentations
What are the deepest sulci called
Fissures
There are around finger depth
What are the two types of brain tissue
Grey matter and white matter