Anatomy And Histology

Question 1

What is the order of the sublayers in the meninges from brain to skull

Answer 1

Pia, arachnoid and dura

Question 2

What part of the brain is the most rostral

Answer 2

Frontal lobe (rostral means closer to the nose and eyes)

Question 3

What part of the brain is most caudal

Answer 3

Occipital lobe (caudal means the back of the head)

Question 4

What orientation is dorsal on the brain and in the spine

Answer 4

Dorsal is the top of the brain (ventral is the bottom)
Dorsal is the back of your spine (the bit closest to your back) ventral is the front

Question 5

What is a sulcus and what is a gyrus

Answer 5

A sulcus is a dip in the folds of the brain and a gyrus is a peak in the folds of the brain

Question 6

Where is the parietal lobe of the brain and what is it responsible for

Answer 6

The parietal is at the dorsal (top) of the brain directly behind the frontal lobe and is responsible for motor control, balance and other physical controls

Question 7

What 3 things make up the hind brain

Answer 7

Medulla
Cerebellum
Pons

Question 8

How many ventricles are there in the brain and what do they allow to happen

Answer 8

4. Left and right lateral ventricles, third and fourth ventricles
   They allow cerebrospinal fluid to enter the brain itself

Question 9

What are the 3 stages of neurulation in embryos

Answer 9

1. Formation of the neural plate
2. Formation of the neural folds and neural groove
3. Closing of neural folds to form the neural tube

Question 10

What does the neural tube become later in the development of the brain

Answer 10

Caudal section of the brain and the rostral section of the spinal cord

Question 11

What type of cells eventually give rise to the peripheral nervous system

Answer 11

Neural crest cells

Question 12

What does the lumen of the neural tube eventually form

Answer 12

The ventricles in the brain

Question 13

What proteins are produced by the dorsal and ventral regions of the brain in its development

Answer 13

Dorsal = bone morphogenic protein
Ventral = sonic the hedgehog protein

Question 14

How are nerve cells pruned after there formation

Answer 14

Competition for nerve growth factor and other brain derived neurotropic factors that are released from postsynaptic neurone (without enough of these molecules the cells die)

Question 15

Give 3 features of inotropic receptors

Answer 15

1. Usually made of 3/5 subunits
2. Allows ions to directly move into the cell
3. Very rapid response due to immediate depolarisation

Question 16

Give 3 features of metabotropic receptors

Answer 16

1. Indirectly associated with ions (secondary messenger model)
2. Usually made up of 7 transmembrane domains
3. Can be excitatory or inhibitory

Question 17

What are the 4 primary classes of neurotransmitter

Answer 17

1. Non-essential amino acids
2. Amines
3. Purines
4. Neuropeptides

Question 18

What is the most common excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain

Answer 18

Glutamate
It can have inotropic or metabotropic receptors

Question 19

What is the most common neurotransmitter in the spinal cord and brain stem

Answer 19

Glycine and this usually triggers inotropic receptors

Question 20

What are the 2 main types of acetylcholine receptors

Answer 20

Nicotine
Muscarinic

Question 21

What 4 main roles does dopamine have and what are the names of their pathways

Answer 21

1. Mesolimbic pathway = rewards
2. Mesocortical pathway = executive functions (things you choose to do)
3. Nigrostriatal pathway = movement
4. Tuberoinfundibular pathway = secretion of milk post birth of child