AP 2 Module 2: Problem Set Flashcards
List the four parts of the human brain.
The Brain
The human brain is made up of the cerebral hemispheres, diencephalon, brain stem, and cerebellum.
Describe the number, location and function of the brain ventricles.
The Brain
There are four ventricles in the interior of the brain, chambers filled with cerebrospinal fluid which is produced there.
Label the ventricles.
The Brain
See figure in module.
Describe the brain meninges and the layers.
The Brain
The meninges are three layers of connective tissue membranes that cover and protect central nervous system organs and enclose cerebrospinal fluid. The leathery dura mater is the double-layered outer meninx. The middle arachnoid meninx is a loose layer separated from the dura mater by the subdural space. Beneath the arachnoid meninx is the subarachnoid space which contains blood vessels and is filled with cerebrospinal fluid. The inner pia mater meninx is a thin connective tissue tightly attached to the brain.
What is the function of the choroid plexus?
The Brain
The choroid plexus produces cerebrospinal fluid.
What is the blood-brain barrier and how is it maintained?
The Brain
The blood-brain barrier is a diffusion barrier which prevents most particles from entering the central nervous system tissue, keeping the brain and spinal cord separate from general blood circulation. The blood-brain barrier is formed by the relatively impermeable brain capillaries, due to the glial cells astrocytes. Maintenance of the blood-brain-barrier is important to provide a stable chemical environment for the nervous system. A stable internal environment is important to protect neurons from chemical variations which could cause uncontrollable firing of neurons.
Describe the cerebrum.
The Brain
The cerebrum, the foremost part of the brain, is the largest part of the brain in humans comprising about 83% of total brain mass
What is the median longitudinal fissure?
The Brain
It separates the left and right cerebral hemispheres from one another.
Raised ridges on the cerebrum are called____.
The Brain
Gyri
The ____ separates the cerebrum from the cerebellum.
The Brain
The transverse fissure
The outer portion of the cerebral hemispheres is called the ____and is highly convoluted and gray in color.
The Brain
- cerebral cortex
Describe the functions of the lobes of the cerebrum.
The Brain
- The frontal lobe controls higher level executive functions such as reasoning and decision making. The frontal lobe also controls motor functions and permits control over voluntary muscle actions. The parietal lobe receives sensory information from receptors in the mouth for taste and located in the skin, such as those for touch, pressure, and pain. The occipital lobe interprets visual input. The temporal lobe has sensory areas for hearing and smelling.
What is the difference between a primary area and an association area in the brain?
The Brain
- Primary areas in each lobe receive information for one type of sensory information. Association areas act mainly to integrate more than one type of sensory information for purposeful action.
Label the regions of the cerebral cortex.
The Brain
- See figure in module.
List the three major parts of the brain stem.
The Brain
- The brain stem is made up of the mid-brain, pons, and medulla oblongata.
How is the medulla oblongata involved with the heart and lungs?
The Brain
- The medulla oblongata regulates heartbeat and breathing
How is the pons involved with the eyes and ears?
The Brain
- The pons regulates head movements in response to visual and auditory stimuli.
The superior and inferior colliculi are located on the posterior portion of the _____.
The Brain
- Midbrain
How is the hypothalamus involved with the entire internal environment of the body and the endocrine system in particular?
The Brain
- The hypothalamus maintains homeostasis, the constancy of the internal environment and controls the pituitary gland and serving as a link between the nervous and endocrine systems
All except what sensory impulses are channeled through the thalamus?
The Brain
- ll sensory impulses (except those associated with the sense of smell) are channeled through the thalamus.
What is the function of the pineal body?
The Brain
- The pineal body secretes melatonin to control the wake-sleep cycle
Describe the location and structure of the cerebellum.
The Brain
- The cerebellum, below and at the back of the brain, is convoluted and divided into two hemispheres with deep fissures subdividing it into three lobes.
The major function of the cerebellum is to control what type of body function?
The Brain
- The cerebellum acts to coordinate body movements. The cerebellum is also involved with planning movements, maintaining balance, controlling certain eye movements, maintaining normal muscle tone and maintaining posture.
What portion of the cerebellum coordinates limb movements?
The Brain
- Intermediate lobe, vermis
What is the purpose of the amygdala?
The Brain
- The amygdala is a small portion of the limbic system that is involved in emotions such as rage and anger.
What areas of the brain does the limbic system connect?
The Brain
- The limbic system connects the frontal lobes, the temporal lobes, the thalamus, and the hypothalamus.
Why is the limbic system called our “feeling brain”?
The Brain
- The limbic system is our feeling brain since stimulation of different areas of the limbic system causes rage, pain, pleasure, or sorrow.
Explain why emotional memories tend to be vivid.
The Brain
- The involvement of the limbic system explains why emotionally charged events result in our most vivid memories. The fact that the limbic system communicates with the all the sensory areas accounts for the ability of a sensory stimulus to awaken a complex memory.
True or False: Memories are stored in one specific location in the brain.
The Brain
- False
The putamen, the caudate nucleus, the Globus pallidus (medial and lateral) are all parts of the ______.
The Brain
- The basal ganglia
Describe the spinal cord and its extension.
The Spinal Cord
- The spinal cord extends from the brain stem to the first lumbar vertebra where it officially terminates as the conus medullaris. The extension of the cord beyond L1is a collection of nerve roots called the cauda equina which runs to its end at the coccyx.
What is the function of the spinal cord? How is this accomplished?
The Spinal Cord
- The spinal cord (and its extension) is how all impulses travel between the brain and the rest of the body by way of the set of 31 pairs of spinal nerves.