ANATOMY AND EVOLUTION OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM Flashcards
A directional term meaning toward the head of a four-legged animal.
rostral / anterior
A directional term meaning toward the tail of a four-legged animal.
caudal / posterior
A directional term meaning toward the belly of a four-legged animal.
inferior / ventral
A directional term meaning toward the back of a four legged animal.
superior / dorsal
An imaginary line that runs the length of the spinal cord to the front of the brain.
neuraxis
An imaginary line dividing the body into two equal halves.
midline
A directional term that means closer to center; usually applied to limbs; opposite of distal.
proximal
A directional term meaning farther away from another structure, usually in reference to limbs.
distal
The layers of membranes that cover the central nervous system and the peripheral nerves.
meninges
3 layers of meninges
dura mater
arachnoid layer
pia mater
The outermost of the three layers of meninges, found in both the central and peripheral nervous systems.
dura mater
The middle layer of the meninges covering the central nervous system.
arachnoid layer
The innermost of the layers of meninges, found in both the central and peripheral nervous systems.
pia mater
All three of these layers of meninges cover the ____
brain and spinal cord
Viruses and bacteria can invade the layers of the meninges, causing ____
Meningitis
is secreted within hollow spaces in the brain known as ventricles.
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
hollow spaces in the brain
ventricles
Because of its weight and composition, CSF essentially _____ the brain within the skull.
floats
The fluid acts like a ____ to soften the blow to your brain.
cushion
literally means water on the brain.
Hydrocephalus
One of the two major blood vessels that travel up the sides of the neck to supply the brain.
Carotid artery
One of the important blood vessels that enter the brain from the back of the skull.
Vertebral artery
Significant brain damage occurs less than ____ after the stopping of a person’s heart.
three minutes
A long cylinder of nervous tissue extending from the medulla to the first lumbar vertebra.
spinal cord
The bones of the spinal column that protect and enclose the spinal cord.
vertebral column
is made up of nerve fibers known as axons, the parts of neurons that carry signals to other neurons. The tissue looks white due to a fatty material known as myelin, which covers most human axons.
White matter
consists of areas primarily made up of cell bodies . The tissue appears gray because the cell bodies absorb some of the chemicals used to preserve the tissue, which stains them gray.
Gray matter
The knee jerk, or _____, that your doctor checks by tapping your knee, is an example of one type of spinal reflex.
patellar reflex
If you touch something hot or step on something sharp, your spinal cord produces a ______
withdrawal reflex
three neurons are involved in withdrawal reflex
a sensory neuron, a motor neuron, and an interneuron between them.
The most caudal division of the brain, including the medulla, pons, and cerebellum.
hindbrain
The most caudal part of the hindbrain.
The Myelencephalon (Medulla)
means “bridge” in Latin, and one of the roles of the ____ is to form connections between the medulla and higher brain centers as well as with the cerebellum.
pons
actually means “little brain” in Latin. Contains more nerve cells (neurons) than the rest of the brain combined. Emphasizes its role in coordinating voluntary movements, maintaining muscle tone, and regulating balance.
Cerebellum
2 parts of metencepaholon
pons and cerebellum
the division of the brain lying between the hindbrain and forebrain.
Midbrain or Mesencephalon
Gray matter surrounding the cerebral aqueduct of the midbrain that is believed to play a role in the sensation of pain.
periaqueductal gray
The small channel running along the midline of the midbrain that connects the third and fourth ventricles.
cerebral aqueduct
motor control
Red nucleus and Substantia nigra
vision
Superior colliculi
Audition
Inferior colliculi
contains the most advanced and most recently evolved structures of the brain.
The Forebrain
two divisions of The Forebrain
Diencephalon, Telencephalon
thalamus and hypothalamus
Diencephalon
bulk of the symmetrical left and right cerebral hemispheres
Telencephalon
A structure in the diencephalon that processes sensory information, contributes to states of arousal, and participates in learning and memory.
thalamus
A structure found in the diencephalon that participates in the regulation of hunger, thirst, sexual behavior, and aggression.
hypothalamus
A gland located just above the roof of the mouth that is connected to the hypothalamus and serves as a major source of hormones.
pituitary gland
A collection of nuclei within the cerebral hemispheres that participate in the control of movement.
basal ganglia
The limbic system
Hippocampus
Amygdala
Hypothalamus
Anterior cingulate cortex
Posterior cingulate cortex
septal area
olfactory bulbs
parahippocampal gyrus
mammillary bodies
fornix
declarative memory formation
hippocampus
fear, aggression, memory
amygdala
aggression; regulation of hunger, thirst, sex, temperature, circadian rhytms, hormones
hypothalamus
decision making, error detection, emotion, anticipation of reward, pain, and empathy
anterior cingulate cortex
eye movements, spatial orientation, and memory
posterior cingulate cortex
reward
septal area
olfaction (smell)
olfactory bulbs
memory
parahippocampal gyrus
part of the hypothalamus; memory
mammillary bodies
connects the hippocampus to mammillary bodies and other parts of the brain
fornix
led a previously unremarkable life, killed several family members and then climbed a clock tower at the University ofTexas, Austin in 1966.
Charles Whitman
He methodically opened fire on the people below, killing 15 and injuring 31. He was killed by police and was later found to have _____
a tumor pressing on his amygdala.
The outer covering of the cerebral hemispheres is known as the ___, from the Latin word for “bark.”
cortex
Like the bark of a tree, the cerebral cortex is a thin layer of ____ that varies from _____ in thickness in different parts of the brain.
gray matter, 1.5 mm to 4 mm
hills of the cortex
Gyrus / Gyri
valleys of the cortex
Sulcus/Sulci
Possibly the most dramatic case of frontal lobe damage is that of the unfortunate ____, a railroad worker in the middle 1800s.
Phineas Gage
The role of the ______ is to carry sensory information from the body to the spinal cord and brain and bring back to the body commands for appropriate responses.
peripheral nervous system
The peripheral nervous system contains three structural divisions:
the cranial nerves, the spinal nerves, and the autonomic nervous system.
Somatic nervous system
cranial nerves and spinal nerves
Twelve pairs of nerves that exit the brain as part of the peripheral nervous system.
cranial nerves
12 cranial nerves
olfactory
optic
occulomotor
trochlear
trigeminal
abducens
facial
auditory
glossopharyngeal
vagus
spinal accesory
hypoglossal
Each spinal nerve is also known as a _______, because it contains a sensory, or _____, nerve (a means toward the CNS in this case, as in access) and a motor, or ______, nerve (e means away from the CNS, as in exit).
mixed nerve, afferent, efferent
Your heart, lungs, digestive system, and other organs are commanded by the ______
Autonomic Nervous System
You might think of this system as the ____, or “_____,” nervous system. It manages many vital functions without conscious effort or awareness.
automatic, cruise control
A set of techniques that enable people to control typically unconscious or involuntary functions such as blood pressure.
biofeedback
The division of the autonomic nervous system that coordinates arousal. Fight-or-flight
Sympathetic
The division of the autonomic nervous system responsible for rest and energy storage. The job of the parasympathetic nervous system is to provide rest, repair, and energy storage.
Parasympthetic
The brain structure that plays the greatest role in managing the autonomic nervous system is the _____.
hypothalamus
Single-cell organisms appeared about _____ years ago, and animals with very simple nerve nets first developed about years ago.
3.5 billion, 700 million
More complex animals, with the first rudimentary brains, appeared about _____ years ago, and the first human brain probably appeared about ______ years ago.
250 million, 7 million
The process by which favorable traits would become more common and unfavorable traits would become less common in subsequent generations due to differences among organisms in their ability to reproduce successfully.
Natural selection
Animals with spinal columns and real brains are referred to as vertebrates, or _______
chordates
