2 - Nervous System Organization

Question 1

Directional terms

Answer 1

rostral, caudal
dorsal, ventral
anterior, posterior
lateral, medial

Question 2

3 axes

Answer 2

axial
sagittal
coronal

Question 3

bilateral
ipsilateral
contralateral
proximal
distal

Answer 3

both sides
same side
opposite sides
near
far

Question 4

efferent neurons

Answer 4

bring signals away from the brain (i.e. motor neurons)

Question 5

afferent neurons

Answer 5

bring signal towards the brain (i.e. sensory neurons)

Question 6

Meninges between skull & brain

Answer 6

Dura mater
Arachnoid membrane
Subarachnoid space w/ CSF
Pia mater

Question 7

Somatic vs. Autonomic Nervous Systems

Answer 7

Somatic - voluntary

Autonomic - involuntary; regulates internal organs & glands; includes the Sympathetic & Parasympathetic systems

Question 8

Sympathetic Nervous System
vs.
Parasympathetic Nervous System

Answer 8

• arouses the body for action
• “fight or flight”
  vs.
• calms the body down
• “rest & digest”

Question 9

3 Principles of Neuropsychology

Answer 9

1) All human-defined capacities can be broken down into a sum of many basic behavioral functions
2) The more low level a function is, the more centrally located it is in the nervous system.
3) Every brain region plays a role in behavioral function, & damage to that region results in an impact to that role.

Question 10

Glial cells

Answer 10

provide support, nutrition, & insulation to neurons

Question 11

ependymal cells

Answer 11

glial cells that line the brain’s ventricle & make cerebral spinal fluid

Question 12

astrocytes

Answer 12

glial cells that provide structural support & nutrition to neurons

Question 13

microglial cells

Answer 13

glial cells that fight infection & remove debris

Question 14

oligodendroglial cells

Answer 14

glial cells that insulate neurons in the CNS via myelin sheath

Question 15

Schwann cells

Answer 15

glial cells that insulate sensory neurons in the PNS via myelin sheath

Question 16

gray matter
vs.
white matter
& placement in brain vs. spinal cord

Answer 16

gray matter - layers of neuronal cell bodies

white matter - consists of axons extending from neuronal cell bodies

brain - gray matter, white matter, subcortical gray matter

spinal cord - white matter, gray matter

Question 17

ventricles

Answer 17

• 4 prominent hollow regions in center of the brain
• 1st & 2nd are lateral ventricles that underlie the cerebral cortex
• 3rd & 4th extend into the brain stem & spinal cord
• CSF is produced by ependymal cells, then flows from lateral ventricles out through the 4th ventricle

Question 18

cranial nerves

Answer 18

• 12 pairs of cranial nerves convey sensory motor signals to & from the brain
• can have afferent or efferent functions

Question 19

fibers in the posterior spinal cord

Answer 19

afferent fibers enter the posterior spinal cord to bring information from the sensory receptors

Question 20

fibers in the anterior spinal cord

Answer 20

efferent fibers exit the anterior spinal cord to bring information to the muscles (motor neurons)

Question 21

Bell-Magendie Law

Answer 21

principle that posterior roots in the spinal cord are sensory & anterior roots are motor

Question 22

3 main regions of brainstem

Answer 22

diencephalon
midbrain
hindbrain

Question 23

hindbrain

Answer 23

reticular formation

pons

medulla - regulates vital functions

Question 24

midbrain

Answer 24

tectum - receives sensory info from eyes & ears

tegmentum - related to motor function

Question 25

diencephalon

Answer 25

hypothalamus - motivated behavior

epithalamus - secretes melatonin

thalamus - hub connecting many brain regions

Question 26

basal ganglia contents & impairments

Answer 26

Contents: caudate nucleus, putamen, globulus pallidus

Impairments: Huntington’s Disease, Tourette’s, Parkinson’s (all cause involuntary motor movement)

Question 27

limbic system role & contents

Answer 27

Role: self-regulatory behavior like emotion, memory, spatial behavior, & social behavior

Contents:
amygdala - emotion
hippocampus - memory & spatial navigation

Question 28

forebrain contents

Answer 28

neocortex, basal ganglia, limbic system, olfactory bulb, lateral ventricles