The Anatomy of the Central Nervous System Flashcards
(43 cards)
What are the three main layers of meninges surrounding the central nervous system?
Dura matter, pia matter, and the arachnoid matter.
What is the first layer of the Central Nervous System?
The dura matter which is thick and leathery. Between the skull and the dura, there is the epidural space which is full of fat to absorb shock from sudden blows to the head
What is the second layer of the Central Nervous System?
The arachnoid membrane, which features long stringy components that look like spider webs. Between the dura and arachnoid layers, there is a very thin space called the subdural space
What is the third layer of the Central Nervous System?
Below the arachnoid space is the subarachnoid space which is filled with cerebrospinal fluid, which cushions and protects the brain.
What is the innermost layer of the Central Nervous System?
The last layer is the pia mater, which is a thin layer that protects the brain matter from the cerebrospinal fluid in the subarachnoid space.
What are the four lobes of the brain?
Frontal Lobe, Parietal Lobe, Temporal Lobe, Occipital Lobe
What does the Frontal Lobe do?
The frontal lobe is located in the front of the brain (hence its name). Its responsible thinking, decision making, problem solving, reasoning, motor control, emotion, and language.
What does the Parietal Lobe do?
Located just behind the frontal lobe, it is the region of the brain that processes the sense of touch, as well as temperature, pain, and body position. Also important for understanding where a person’s body is within a certain environment (like a classroom).
What does the Temporal Lobe do?
2nd largest lobe. They sit behind the ears. They process auditory, speech, music, memory, and object recognition
What does the Occipital Lobe do?
Located at the back of the cerebrum and works to process and analyze visual information coming in from the eyes.
What is the limbic system?
The limbic system is the part of the brain involved in our behavioural and emotional responses.
What is the amygdala?
This is a small part of your brain. It’s a major processing center for your emotions. The primary job is to regulate emotions, such as fear, motivation, and aggression.
What is the hippocampus?
It has a major role in learning and long term memory.
What is the thalamus?
A relay station of all incoming motor (movement) and sensory information — hearing, taste, sight and touch (but not smell) — from your body to your brain.
What is the hypothalamus?
Its main function is to keep your body in a stable state called homeostasis.
What is homeostasis?
A self-regulating process by which an organism can maintain internal stability while adjusting to changing external conditions.
What is the pituitary gland?
This is known for releasing important growth hormones.
What is the pineal gland?
The pineal gland produces melatonin, a serotonin-derived hormone which modulates sleep patterns in both circadian and seasonal cycles.
What is the basal ganglia?
The “basal ganglia” refers to a group of subcortical nuclei responsible primarily for motor control, as well as other roles such as motor learning, executive functions and behaviors, and emotions.
Where and what is the brainstem?
The brainstem is located at the very bottom of the brain and is the stalk that connects the rest of your brain to the spinal cord.
What are the three subdivisions of the brainstem?
There are three subdivisions of the brainstem: the midbrain, the pons, and the medulla.
Where is and what does the midbrain do?
The topmost part. Helps control eye movements and the pupillary light reflex, integrate visual information from the eyes with auditory information from the inner ear.
Where is and what does the pons do?
Middle portion. The pons contains nuclei for coordinating facial movements, chewing muscles, hearing, and balance.
Where is and what does the medulla do?
The bottom-most part. The medulla contains nuclei dedicated to relaying touch sensations from the face, swallowing food, and vomiting, as well as regulating blood pressure, heart rate, breathing, and other functions.
