1. Overview of Nervous system Flashcards
what are the planes of the body
sagittal
coronal
transverse
describe each plane of the body
sagittal- sliced along middle of face (nose)
coronal- sliced in half (front and back of the body)
transverse- sliced in half looking upwards (cut in half at the waist)
what is the anatomical terminology for:
- above
- below
- front
- back
above= superior below= inferior front= ventral/ anterior back= dorsal/ posterior
what does medial mean
close to
what does lateral mean
away from/ next to
what are the three main functions of the nervous system
- sensory function- detect changes
- integrative function- analyse and respond
- motor function- initiates motor movement
what are the ridges and grooves in the cerebrum called
ridges= gyrus grooves= sulcus
what does the cerebrum contain
the cerebral cortex and subcortical regions
where is the cerebellum located
in the posterior region of the brain
what is the function of the cerebellum
responsible for balance and coordination
what are the three components of the brainstem
midbrain
pons
medulla oblongata
what is the function of the brainstem
communicates with the PNS to control involuntary processes such as breathing and heart rate
the cerebrum is separated into two hemispheres that are connected by what?
the corpus callous
name the four lobes of the cerebral cortex
frontal lobe, parietal lobe, temporal lobe, occipital lobe
describe the location of each 4 lobes
frontal lobe= front
parietal lobe= behind frontal lobe
occipital lobe= above cerebellum, posterior region of brain
temporal lobe= under frontal and parietal lobe
function of frontal lobe
- higher cognitive function
- decision making, problem solving
function of parietal lobe
- integrates information from visual pathway
- coordinates motor movement
- interpret sensory information
function of temporal lobe
- interpreting speech and hearing
- object recognition and emotion processing
function of occipital cortex
- process primary visual information
name important subcortical region structures, what system do these form
hypothalamus, amygdala, hippocampus, thalamus, basal ganglia
limbic system
what are some responsibilities of the limbic system
memory, emotions, motor movement, sensory info processing
what does the midbrain connect
the brainstem and subcortical regions
name the three regions of the midbrain
colliculi
tegmentum
cerebral peduncle
what is the colliculi responsible for
directs eye movement towards objects of interest
what is the tegmentum responsible for
coordination of movement, alertness/ sleep
what is the cerebral peduncle responsible for
control of ocular movement
the spinal cord is divided into 5 sections, what are they named
cervical thoracic lumbar sacral coccygeal
what is each section of the spinal cord responsible for innervating: cervical thoracic lumbar sacral coccygeal
cervical= neck thoracic=chest lumbar= lower back sacral= hip coccygeal= tail
what are afferent pathways
carry sensory information from the periphery to the brain
what are efferent pathways
carry signals from the brain to nerve tracts to control motor output
true or false:
reflex arcs involve brain response to a stimuli
false- spinal cord react to reflex arc stimuli
briefly describe reflex arcs
when the knee is hit, sensory afferents send information to the dorsal column of spinal cord
interneurons send information to leg muscles via efferent nerves
muscle contraction= jerk of the knee
efferent nerves in the knee jerk reflex arc originate from where
the ventral horn
what are the two main cell groups in the CNS
neurons and glia
which cell type of the CNS is more abundant
glial cells (10^12) (neurons = 10^11)
what are the three types of neurons all with different structures
Bipolar neurons
unipolar neurons
multipolar neurons
describe the structure of the bipolar neurons
1 main dendrite, 1 main axon
describe the structure of unipolar neurons
one process emerges from the cell body, cell body is in the middle of the axon
describe the structure of multipolar neurons
many dendrites and one axon
what are microglia
Immune cells that survey the CNS and respond to signs of infection or damage
how do surveillant and activated microglia differ
surveillant= smaller, multiple processes activated= larger, rounded cell body, short processes
what are astrocytes
Small star shaped cells provide support for the development and maintenance of the nervous system and cerebral blood vessels
true or false:
astrocytes are different across different brain regions
true
what are oligodendrocytes
Cells that produce myelin, this substance increases speed of transmission
what are oligodendrocytes called in the PNS
Schwann cells
what is the velocity of an unmyelinated axon and myelinated axon
0.5-10 m/s
compared to 150 m/s of a myelinated neutron
what is the difference between white matter and grey matter
white matter axon bundles are myelinated, grey matter axons are not
what are ependymal cells
Form the epithelial lining of brain ventricles
what forms the neurovascular unit
endothelial cells, astrocytes, pericytes, smooth muscle cells and neurons
endothelial cells in the brain contain tight junctions, why is this an advantage
allows the brain to form a barrier between the blood and the brain called the blood-brain-barrier
define the process known as neuromuscular coupling
neurons which innervate blood vessels allow the brain to direct blood flow to certain areas which are more active
where is cerebrospinal fluid contained to
ventricles and subarachnoid spaces
what is the function of CSF
provides buoyancy for the brain and cushion it against injury as well as waste removal.
what produces CSF
the choroid plexus
