Anatomy of the Nervous System

Question 1

What’s the difference btwn the CNS and PNS?

Answer 1

CNS = brain and spinal cord
PNS = all other nervous tissue

Question 2

What are the two types of cells found in the nervous tissue?

Answer 2

neurons and glia

Question 3

What are the main functions of neurons and glia?

Answer 3

Neurons compute and communicate info from NS, glia are supportive cells

Question 4

Describe the structures of a neuron

Answer 4

cell body, dendrites, axons, synapses, myelin, nodes of Ranvier

Question 5

Give an example of a type of neuron that’s classified by its structure, function, or other characteristic

Answer 5

Unipolar, bipolar, multipolar, sensory (afferent), motor (efferent), interneurons

Question 6

What’s an example of a glial cell and its function

Answer 6

Oligodendrocytes & Schwann (myelination, insulation)

Question 7

What are the anatomical planes?

Answer 7

Frontal/coronal (front-back)
Transverse/horizontal (up-down)
Sagittal (left-right)

Question 8

Superior / Inferior
Proximal / Distal

Answer 8

Above / below
Near / far

Question 9

Medial / Lateral
Anterior / Posterior

Answer 9

towards middle / towards edge
front / back

Question 10

Ventral / Dorsal
Cephalic (Rostral) / Caudal

Answer 10

belly-side / back-side
closer to head / tail

Question 11

What’re the 6 common divisions of the NS?

Question 12

What’re the 4 major regions of the CNS?

Answer 12

cerebrum, brainstem, cerebellum, and spinal cord

Question 13

What structures protect the brain and spinal cord?

Answer 13

bones, meninges

Question 14

Describe the components of the ventricular system in the brain and spinal cord

Answer 14

4 fluid-filled ventricles lined with glial cells that produce CSF

Question 15

How does the neural tube form?

Answer 15

neural plate -> neural groove -> neural fold -> neural tube

Question 16

Describe growth & differentiation of anterior neural tube into primary and secondary vesicles

Answer 16

@ 3-4 weeks, neural tube forms into 3 primary vesicles. 5 weeks they differentiate further into 5 secondary vesicles.

Question 17

What’re the mechanisms of postnatal brain development?

Answer 17

Plasticity, pruning, increase in size

Question 18

Describe development of posterior neural tube into adult spinal cord

Answer 18

posterior neural tube separates from the ectoderm & the cell walls differentiate into neurons and glia

Question 19

Identify at least 4 stages of neuron development

Answer 19

neuron production, migration, differentiation, synaptogenesis, myelination, pruning

Question 20

gray matter vs white matter

Answer 20

gray = neuronal cell bodies
white = myelinated axons

Question 21

What’re the structures that compromise the CNS?

Question 22

What’re the 3 main parts of the brain?

Question 23

What’re the lobes of the cerebrum and their locations?

Question 24

Identify the components of the diencephalon and describe their functions

Question 25

Identify regions of the brain stem and describe their functions

Question 26

Identify major structures of the limbic system and describe their functions

Question 27

Describe structure/ function of cerebellum