Anatomy Flashcards
What are the 3 components of the brainstem?
Midbrain
Pons
Medulla oblongata
What are neurons made up of?
Neuronal body
Soma
Dendrites
Axon
What is the role of dendrites?
To bring information towards the cell body.
What is the role of the soma?
To carry information away from the cell body in the form of an action potential.
What are glial cells?
Act as support cells of the nervous system.
What are the 4 types of glial cell?
Astrocytes
Oligodendrocytes
Microglia
Ependymal cells
What cells produce the myelin sheath of the CNS?
Oligodendrocytes
What cells produce the myelin sheath of the PNS?
Schwann cells
What are the gaps in the myelin sheath which APs jump between called?
Nodes of Ranvier
What is found in grey matter?
Neuronal cell bodies
What is found in white matter?
Axons
Acts as a communicating region.
In the CNS, where is grey matter found?
Grey matter is found towards the outside (white matter is towards the inside).
In the spinal cord, where is grey matter found?
Grey matter is found centralling in the shape of an ‘H’ (surrounded by white matter).
Swaps position from that seen in the CNS.
How do you differentiate between the anterior and posterior horns of grey matter in the spinal cord?
The posterior horns isolate the posterior column of white matter to the rest of the white matter.
What is the thalamus?
An area of grey matter deep within the brain. It has an internal capsule.
What is the corpus pallosum?
A ‘highway’ of white matter connecting both hemispheres of the brain.
Found immediately superior to the lateral ventricles.
What is the interthalamic adhesion?
A point of contact between the thalamus and the hypothalamus.
What are the lobes of the brain called?
Frontal lobe Parietal lobe Occipital lobe Temporal lobe Insular lobe
What are the 2 blood supplies of the brain called?
Internal carotid system (anterior)
Vertebro-basilar system (posterior)
Where do the 2 blood supplies of the brain meet?
The circle of Willis (forms the basilar artery).
What happens at the jugular foramen?
The dural venous sinuses drain into the internal jugular vein.
A collection of nerve cell bodies WITHIN the CNS is called?
Nucleus
A collection of nerve cell bodies WITHIN the PNS is called?
Ganglion
What is the benefit of many dendrites?
The increased surface area, allows maximum coverage of nerves.
What form of neurons are most common?
Multipolar neurons
What do multipolar neurons provide?
Motor function
What do unipolar neurons provide?
Sensory function
Are multipolar neurons afferent?
No, they are efferent, as they supply motor innervation to the body wall.
Are unipolar neurons afferent?
Yes, as they carry sensory impulses towards the brain.
What are the 6 nerve modalities?
Somatic motor Somatic sensory Sympathetic Parasympathetic Visceral afferent Special sensory
Can tracts have more than one modality?
No, only nerves can have multiple modalities.
Are spinal nerves part of the CNS or PNS?
They are a PNS structure.
What foraminae do spinal nerves pass through?
Intervertebral foraminae
How many pairs of spinal nerves exist?
31 pairs
What is the route taken by sensory axons to reach the CNS?
Spinal nerve > Posterior root > Posterior rootlets > Posterior horn of the spinal cord
What is the route taken by motor axons to reach the effector organs?
Anterior horn of the spinal cord > Anterior rootlets > Anterior root > Spinal nerve
Spinal nerves and their subsequent rami are of which modality?
Mixed modality
What modality is the posterior root?
Sensory only.
What modality is the anterior root?
Motor only.
Do the dermatomes and myotomes of a spinal nerve always lie directly deep to each other?
No
Which dermatome segment is the nipple at?
T4
Which dermatome segment is the umbilicus at?
T10
Name the 12 cranial nerves
Olfactory (CNI) Optic (CNII) Oculomotor (CNIII) Trochlear (CNIV) Trigeminal (CNV) Abducens (CNVI) Facial (CNVII) Vestibulocochlear (CNVIII) Glossopharyngeal (CNIX) Vagus (CNX) Spinal accessory (CNXI) Hypoglossal (CNXII)
Which part of the brain controls the ANS?
Hypothalamus
Which part of the ANS is described as thoracolumbar outflow?
Sympathetic
Which part of the ANS is described as craniosacral outflow?
Parasympathetic
What is the role of the spinal cord?
To allow the brain to communicate with the areas of the body outwith the range of the cranial nerves.
What is the only part of the nervous system outwith the skull that does not interact with the spinal cord?
Vagus nerve
Where are the 2 enlargements of the spinal cord seen?
Cervical region
Lumbar region
At what point does the spinal cord usually end?
Vertebral level L1/L2
The area below this is where the spinal taps are carried out.
Where are the motor roots found?
To the anterior.
Where are the motor roots found?
To the anterior.
Are the spinal meninges continuous with the cranial meninges?
Yes
Where is the primary somatosensory cortex located?
The postcentral gyrus of the parietal lobe.
How is the arrangement of the PSC described?
Somatotopic
What are the axons carried in the spinothalamic tract responsible for?
Pain, temperature and deep pressure.
Where is the primary motor cortex located?
The precentral gyrus of the frontal lobe.
What lies between the PMC and the PSC?
The central sulcus.
Is the corticospinal tract ascending or descending?
Descending
Is the spinothalamic tract ascending or descending?
Ascending
Is the DCML ascending or descending?
Ascending
Where does decussation occur in the corticospinal tract?
Directly after the medulla.
A spinal cord lesion that displays the crossover of motor and sensory fibres results in a condition called what?
Brown-Sequard syndrome
What is the primary function of the cerebellum?
To co-ordinate movement.
What is a common symptom of a cerebellar lesion?
Postural instability
Limb coordination will remain intact.