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The Central Nervous System Flashcards

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1
Q

What are the basic parts of the brain?

A
  • Brain Stem
  • Cerebellum
  • Diencephalon
  • Cerebral hemispheres
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2
Q

How is the Brain generally organized?

A

Gray-white-gray matter

  • White matter sandwich
  • due to groups of neurons migrating externally
  • outer layer is gray at the spinal cord
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3
Q

What are the ventricles of the brain?

A

expansions of the brain’s central cavity filled with CSF

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4
Q

What are the ventricles lined by?

A

ependymal cells

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5
Q

What are the ventricles continuous with?

A

each other as well as the central canal of the spinal cord

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6
Q

Where are the lateral ventricles located?

A

in central hemispheres

-they are the ones that look like horseshoes

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7
Q

Where is the third ventricle?

A

in the diencephalon

-connected with the lateral ventricles by the interventricular foramen

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8
Q

What is the cerebral aqueduct?

A

a tube-like central cavity connecting the third and fourth ventricles

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9
Q

Fourth ventricle?

A

in the brainstem

  • connects to central canal of spinal cord
  • has those lateral and medial apertures
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10
Q

What are the apertures of the fourth ventricle?

A

they are openings connecting the 4th ventricle with the subarachnoid space so CSF can fill it and surround the CNS with CSF.

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11
Q

What does the brain stem consist of?

A
  • medulla oblongata
  • pons
  • midbrain
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12
Q

What are the general functions of the brainstem?

A

serves as a passage for all fiber tracts running between the cerebrum and spinal cord

  • 10 of 12 cranial nerves attached to it
  • produces automatic behaviors necessary for survival
  • Integrates auditory and visual reflexes
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13
Q

Medulla oblongata?

A
  • continuous w/ spinal cord
  • choroid plexus lies in roof of 4th ventricle
  • Core contains visceral centers that control autonomic functions (lots of them)
  • also has nuclei for cranial nerves 8, 9, 10, and 12
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14
Q

What is the pons?

A

bridge b/w the midbrain and the medulla oblongata

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15
Q

What does the pons contain?

A

nuclei for cranial nerves 5,6, and 7

  • motor tracts passing through the cerebrum
  • pontine nuclei which connect portions of the cerebral cortex and cerebellum
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16
Q

Where is the midbrain?

A

b/w the diencephalon and the pons

-central cavity is the cerebral aqueduct

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17
Q

What does the midbrain contain?

A
  • central cavity with a choroid plexus
  • cerebral peduncles that carry corticospinal tracts to the spinal cord
  • superior cerebellar peduncles connect it to the cerebellum
  • Substantia nigra: neurons here contain melanin. Controls voluntary movement.
  • Nuclei for cranial nerves 3 and 4
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18
Q

What is the cause of Parkinson’s disease?

A

degeneration of the substantia nigra in the midbrain

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19
Q

Where is the cerebellum located?

A

dorsal to the pons and medulla

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20
Q

What is the function of the cerebellum?

A

to smooth and coordinate body movements and help maintain equilibrium

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21
Q

What does the cerebellum consist of?

A

2 hemispheres that have a folded surface called folia

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22
Q

What are the folia of the cerebellum separated by?

A

fissures

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23
Q

Which part of the brain has higher cognitive functions for learning new motor skills?

A

the cerebellum

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24
Q

How does the cerebellum coordinate body movements?

A

it sends instructions back to the cerebrum to continuously adjust and fine-tune motor commands to resolve any differences between current position and intended movements

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25
What is the diencephalon primarily composed of?
gray matter
26
What does the diencephalon border?
the 3rd ventricle
27
What are the 3 structures that the diencephalon is composed of?
- thalamus - hypothalamus - epithalamus
28
Which structure makes up most (about 80%) of the diencephalon?
the thalamus
29
What does the thalamus do?
sends axons to regions in the cerebrum | -it amplifies or tones down sensory signals
30
What does the hypothalamus do?
controls a lot of different stuff - ANS - emotional responses - body temp - hunger and thirst ... etc - also involved in formation of memory
31
What is the Epithalamus?
contains the pineal gland that secretes melatonin | -important for regulating the sleep/wake cycle
32
What comprises 80% of the brain mass?
The Cortex | -it is made of gray matter with the folds tripling its size
33
What is the longitudinal fissure?
separates the right and left cerebral hemispheres
34
What is the Transverses cerebral fissure?
it separates the cerebrum from the cerebellum
35
What are Sulci?
grooves on the surface of the cerebral hemispheres
36
What divides the cerebrum into lobes?
Deeper sulci
37
What are the lobes generally named after?
the skull bones overlying them
38
name the different lobes
Frontal, oarietal, occipital, temporal, and insular
39
What separates the frontal and parietal lobes?
the central sulcus
40
What is the central sulcus bordered by?
the precentral gyrus anteriorly and the postcentral gyrus posteriorly
41
What separates the occipital from the parietal lobe?
the Parieto-occipital sulcus
42
What separates the temporal lobe from the parietal and frontal lobes?
the lateral sulcus
43
What are Gyri?
twisted ridges between the sulci
44
What does the left hemisphere control?
language abilities, math, and logic
45
What does the right hemisphere control?
visual-spatial skills, reading, facial expressions, intuition, emotion, and artistic and musical skills
46
Which cortex exhibits contralateral projection?
the somatosensory cortex and the cerebral motor cortex
47
Which part of the cerebral motor cortex is linked to speech production?
Broca's area
48
Which area of the cerebral auditory cortex functions in speech comprehension?
Wernicke's area
49
What does the primary visual cortex do?
receives info from retina where it undergoes a series of processing
50
What does the visual association cortex area do?
surrounds primary visual cortex and analyzes color, form, and movement
51
What are commissures?
composed of bundles of axon fibers allowing communication b/w cerebral hemispheres
52
What is the corpus callosum?
the largest commissure interconnecting the cerebral hemispheres
53
what is the corona radiata?
commissure fibers radiating out between the brain stem and the cerebral cortex
54
What protects the brain?
- skull - meninges - CSF - Blood brain barrier
55
What do the meninges do?
cover and protect the CNS | -it also encloses and protects BVs supplying the CNS and contains the CSF (between the pia and arachnoid maters)
56
What is the strongest of the meninges?
Dura Mater (tough mother)
57
What do the extensions of the dura mater form in the cranial cavity?
- Falx cerebri: fold b/w cerebral hemispheres - Falx cerebelli: fold b/w cerebellar hemispheres - Tentorial membrane: horizontal fold of dura supporting the posterior cerebral hemisphere - Blood sinuses: endothelial-lined dural spaces carrying venous blood from the brain to the internal jugular vein
58
What are the different sinuses in the brain?
- superior and inferior sagittal sinus - straight sinus - transverse sinus - and Sigmoid sinus (looks like an "S")
59
What is the next deepest meninge under the dura mater?
The arachnoid mater | -has projections that bulge through the dura mater into dural sinuses allowing CSF to filter back into the blood
60
What is the Pia mater?
the delicate CT that clings tightly to the surface of the brain and follows its contours - serves as important route for BV's supplying the brain - it's the deepest of the meninges
61
What is CSF formed by?
the choroid plexus found in the CNS ventricles
62
What are some of the functions of the CSF?
- gives buoyancy to the CNS - cushions CNS - helps nourish the CNS
63
Where would one find the CSF?
circulating through hollow cavities of the CNS and within the subarachnoid space
64
What is the Conus Medullaris?
The inferior end of the spinal cord
65
What is the Filum Terminale?
long filament of CT attaching the terminal end of the spinal cord with the coccyx inferiorly
66
What are the Cervical and lumbar enlargements?
where nerves for upper and lower limbs arise | -more neurons are found at these levels
67
What is the Cauda equina?
the collection of spinal nerve roots running inferiorly within the vertebral canal before exiting
68
How are spinal segments named?
by where the spinal nerve emerges from the vertebral canal | -Ex: T1 is the region where the first thoracic spinal nerve emerges
69
What are spinal taps?
using a needle to enter the subarachnoid space inferior to the L1 or L2 levels to sample CSF
70
What is white matter of the spinal cord?
located in the outer region and composed of myelinated and nonmyelinated axons that allow communication b/w the spinal cord and brain -they can be ascending, descending, or commissural fibers
71
What is the gray matter of the spinal cord?
located inside and shaped like the letter "H" or a butterfly | -it consists primarily of neuronal cell bodies and glia

Anatomy (11 decks)

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