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✅Organisation Of The Nervous System 3 Flashcards

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1
Q

What is a spinal reflex?

A

A rapid, automatic nerve response triggered by specific stimuli

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2
Q

What is a spinal reflex controlled by?

A

Spinal cord alone, not brain

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3
Q

Is a spinal Reflex caused by the brain?

A

No

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4
Q

What is an example of a spinal reflex?

A

a reflex controlled in the spinal cord makes you drop a frying pan you didn’t realize was sizzling hot. Before the information reaches your brain and you become aware of the pain, you’ve already released the pan.

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5
Q

How long is the spinal cord?

A

18 inches

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6
Q

How wide in the spinal cord?

A

1/2 inch

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7
Q

Where does the spinal cord end?

A

Between vertebrae L1 and L2

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8
Q

What is the cord itself not as long as?

A

The vertebral column

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9
Q

What divides the spinal cored into left and right?

A

Grooves

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10
Q

Where is posterior median sulcus?

A

On posterior side

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11
Q

What is the anterior median fissure?

A

Deeper groove on anterior side

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12
Q

What are enlargements of the spinal cored caused by?

A

Amount of grey matter in segment

Involvement with sensory and motor nerves of limbs

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13
Q

What does cervical enlargement do?

A

It supplies nerves to the shoulder and upper limbs

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14
Q

What does lumbar enlargement do?

A

Provides innervation to structures of the pelvis and lower limbs

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15
Q

What are the three key areas of gross anatomy of the distal end of the spinal cord?

A

Conus medullaris
Filum terminale
Cauda equina

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16
Q

What is the conus medullaris?

A

Thin, conical spinal cord below lumbar enlargement

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17
Q

What is the filum terminale?

A

Thin thread of fibrous tissue at end of conus medullaris

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18
Q

What does the filum terminale attach to?

A

Coccygeal ligament

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19
Q

What is cauda equina?

A

Nerve roots extending below conus medullaris

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20
Q

How many spinal cord segments are there?

A

31

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21
Q

What changes with age?

A

The positions of spinal segment and vertebrae

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22
Q

What are cervical nerves named for?

A

Inferior vertebra

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23
Q

What are all other nerves named for?

A

Superior vertebra

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24
Q

What are the two branches of spinal nerves?

A

Ventral root

Dorsal root

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25
What does the ventral root contain?
Axons of sensory neurons
26
What does the dorsal root contain?
Axons of sensory neurons
27
What does the dorsal root ganglia contain?
Cell bodies of sensory neurons
28
Describe the spinal nerve
Distal to each dorsal root ganglion, the sensory and motor roots are bound together into a single spinal nerve
29
What do mixed nerves do?
Carry booth afferent (sensory) and efferent (motor) fibres
30
What do specialised membranes isolate?
Spinal cord from surroundings
31
What are 3 functions of the spinal meninges?
Protecting spinal cord agains bumps and shocks to the skin of the back Carrying blood supply Continuous with cranial meninges, which surround the brain
32
What is meningitis
Viral or bacterial infection of meninges
33
What are the three meninges layers?
Dura mater Arachnoid mater Pia mater
34
What is the dura mater?
Outer layer of spinal cord
35
What is arachnoid mater?
Middle meningeal layer
36
What is pia mater?
Inner meningeal layer
37
What is the texture of the dura mater?
It is tough and fibrous
38
What does the dura mater layer form?
The outermost covering of the spinal cord
39
What does the dura mater contain?
Dense collagen fibres that are oriented along the longitudinal axis of the cord
40
Further describe the arachnoid mater
The inner surface of the dura mater and the outer surface of the arachnoid mater are covered by simple squamous epithelia. The arachnoid mater includes this epithelium, called the arachnoid membrane.
41
What is the texture of the pia mater?
A mesh of collagen and elastic fibres
42
What is the pia mater bound to?
Underlying neural tissue
43
Where is the subdural space in the arachnoid mater?
Between arachnoid mater and pia mater
44
Where is the subarachnoid space in the arachnoid mater?
Between arachnoid mater and pia mater
45
What does the subarachnoid space contain?
Collagen/ elastin fiber network ( arachnoid trabeculae)
46
What is the subarachnoid space filled with?
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
47
What doesCSF act as?
A shock absorber
48
What does CSF carry?
Dissolved gases, nutrients, and wastes
49
Is white matter superficial?
Yes
50
What does white matter contain?
Myelinated and unmyelinated axons
51
What does grey matter surround?
The central canal of spinal cord
52
What does gray matter contain?
Neuron cell bodies, neuroglia, unmyelinated axons
53
What are gray horns?
Gray matter projections
54
What are the three gray horns
Posterior Anterior Lateral
55
What do posterior gray horns contain?
Somatic and visceral sensory nuclei
56
What do anterior gray horns contain?
Somatic motor nuclei
57
What are lateral gray horns in?
Thoracic and lumbar segments; contain visceral motor nuclei
58
What are commissures?
Axons that cross from one side of cord to the other before reaching gray matter
59
What do the cell bodies of neurons form?
Functional groups called nuclei
60
Describe sensory nuclei?
Dorsal (posterior) | Connect to peripheral receptors
61
Describe motor nuclei
Ventral (anterior) | Connect to peripheral effectors
62
What do Sensory or motor nucleus location within the gray matter determine?
What body part it controls
63
On each side of the spinal cord, in medial to lateral sequence, are somatic motor nuclei that control...?
1. muscles that position the pectoral girdle, 2. muscles that move the arm, 3. muscles that move the forearm and hand, and 4. muscles that move the hand and fingers.
64
What can we predict because the spinal cord is sop highly organised?
which muscles will be affected by damage to a specific area of gray matter.
65
The white matter on each side of the spinal cord can be divided into three regions called columns, what are they?
Posterior Anterior White
66
Where do posterior white columns lie?
Between posterior gray horns and posterior median sulcus
67
Where do anterior white columns lie?
Between anterior grey horns and anterior median fissure
68
What is anterior white commissure?
Area where axons cross from one side of spinal cord to the other
69
Where are lateral white columns located?
On each side of spinal cord between anterior and posterior columns
70
What does each column contain?
Tracts (fasciculi) whose axons share functional and structural characteristics
71
What is a tract? (Fasciculus)
a bundle of axons in the CNS that is somewhat uniform with respect to diameter, myelination, and conduction speed.
72
What do all axons within a tract do?
relay the same type of information (sensory or motor) in the same direction.
73
What do ascending tracts carry?
Information to brain
74
What do descending tracts carry?
Motor commands to spinal cord
75
What is the central canal surrounded by?
Gray matter
76
What does the central canal contain?
``` Senroray nuclei (dorsal) Motor nuclei (ventral) ```
77
What is grey matter covered by?
A thick layer of white matter
78
What does white matter consist of?
Ascending and descending axons
79
How is white matter organised?
Columns
80
Summary: What does white matter contain?
Axon bundles with specific functions
81
Name the components of the central nervous system and of the peripheral nervous system.
The central nervous system is made up of the brain and spinal cord, while cranial nerves and spinal nerves constitute the peripheral nervous system.
82
Define spinal reflex
A spinal reflex is a rapid, automatic response triggered by specific stimuli. Spinal reflexes are controlled in the spinal cord
83
Identify the three spinal meninges.
The three spinal meninges are the dura mater, arachnoid mater, and pia mater.
84
Damage to which root of a spinal nerve would interfere with motor function?
Damage to the ventral root of a spinal nerve, which is composed of both visceral and somatic motor fibres, would interfere with motor function.
85
Differentiate between sensory nuclei and motor nuclei.
Sensory nuclei receive and relay sensory information from peripheral receptors. Motor nuclei issue motor commands to peripheral effectors.
86
A disease that damages myelin sheaths would affect which portion of the spinal cord?
A disease that damages myelin sheaths would affect the columns in the white matter of the spinal cord, because the columns are composed of bundles of myelinated axons.

Anatomy (20 decks)

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