brain anatomy Flashcards

1
Q

what is the nervous system made of

A

brain
spinal cord
nerves
ganglia

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1
Q

cognitive neuroscience

A

cognitive psychology + behaviour neuroscience

understanding the link between the brain and the mind. The ways in which the brain influences how people think, feel and act

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2
Q

role of the human nervous system

A

control the body’s response to stimuli - both external (react to things going on, on the outside) and internal (coming from you. ie/ an impulse)

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3
Q

contralateral

A

the opposite side

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4
Q

Ipsilateral

A

the same side

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5
Q

unilateral

A

the same side

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6
Q

bilateral

A

both sides of the brain

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7
Q

proximal

A

near

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8
Q

distal

A

far

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9
Q

CNS

A

encompasses the brain and spinal cord

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10
Q

PNS

A

comprises neural tissues beyond CNS

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11
Q

brain

A

receives and processes sensory info, initiates responses, stores, memories generates thougts and emotions

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12
Q

spinal cord

A

conducts signals to and from the brain, controls reflex activities

relays most sensory and motor info to and from brain

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13
Q

motor neurons

A

CNS to muscles and glands

send signal from the brain and spinal cord to muscles

involved in innervated muscles

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14
Q

sensory neurons

A

sensory organs to CNS

bring info to the CNS

ie/ touch receptors in fingether

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15
Q

somatic nervous system

A

controls voluntary movements

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16
Q

automatic nervous system

A

controls involuntary responses

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17
Q

sympathetic division

A

fight or flight

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18
Q

parasympathetic division

A

rest and digest

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19
Q

enteric division

A

digetive system

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20
Q

protection of the CNS

A

brain enclosed in skull
spinal column is enclosed within spinal cord
cerebrospinal fluid

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21
Q

cerebrospinal fluid

A

ventricles within the CNS contain CSF
the brain floats in CSF which acts as a cushion
nutrients from the blood reach nerve cells through CSF
maintains brains shape
cushion from damage
similar composition to blood minus blood cells - similar to plasma

functions: delivers nutrients, carries away waste, surround the CNS (cushioning and buyancy)

produced mainly in choroid plexus of lateral ventricles

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22
Q

subdivisions of the CNS

A

spinal cord
medulla
cerebellum
pons
midbrain
diencephalon
cerebral cortex

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23
Q

diencephalon

A

hypothalamus and thalamus

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24
Q

dorsal section of the spinal cord

A

receives sensory info

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25
Q

ventral section of spinal cord

A

conveys motor commands to muscles

receives input from brain and other regions of the spinal cord

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26
Q

medulla

A

directly superior to the spinal cord
contains many of the cell bodies of the 12 cranial nerves

where most of the motor fibers cross of to the other side of the body (contralateral)

controls vital reflexes such as respiration and heart rate

hours part of the reticular activating system

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27
Q

12 cranial nerves

A

olfactory
optic
oculomotor
trochlear
trigeminal
abducens
facial
vesitibulocochlear
glossopharyngeal
vagus
spinal accessory
hypoglossal

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28
Q

cerebellum

A

regulates muscle tone and guides motor activity activity

damages results in disrupted balance, equilibrium, and inability to produce precise movement (motor control)

involved in motor learning

learning movements in a fluid way. ie/ golf swing - instead of doing it step by step

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29
Q

pons

A

acts as a connective bridge from the rest of the brain to the cerebellum

also a bridge between most of the cranial nerves and the brain

controls some types of eye movements and vestibular functions

info from the ears converge, is compared, helps with localization of sound

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30
Q

the midbrain

A

superior to the pons

contains the nuclei of the cells that form some of the cranial nerves

plays a role in orienting a person to certain sensory stimuli: inferior colliculus (auditory), superior colliculus (visual)

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31
Q

hypothalamus

A

controls behaviours that help the body satisfy its needs, allowing it to maintain homeostasis. (eating, drinking, temperature, circadian rythms)

does the via relationship to the hormonal system

links the nervous system to the endocrine system through the pituitary gland

secretes hormones and produces factors that regulate activity of additional brain regions that secrete hormones

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32
Q

thalamus

A

relay center for almost all sensory info coming into the cortex and almost all motor info leaving it

patterns of connections, both to and from the thalamus, are very specific allowing info to be reorganized as it travels from sensory regions to the brain or vice versa

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33
Q

cerebral cortex

A

primary role in functions such as object recognition, spatial processing and attention

divided into two physically separated halves, each called a cerebral hemisphere

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34
Q

primary motor cortex

A

the final exit point for neurons responsible for fine motor control of the body’s muscles

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35
Q

motor control and motor homunculus

A

motor control is contralateral

the map is inverted: dorsal cortex controls the bottom half or the body; ventral cortex controls the top half of the body

the map is distorted such that more cortex is devoted to those regions of the brain for which we have the finest motor control

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36
Q

primary sensory cortices

A

the first region in the cortex to receive info about a particular sensory modality

each primary cortex is specialized for initial processing, then relays on to other cortical areas

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37
Q

somatosensory cortex

A

receives info about tactile stimulation, proprioception, pressure and pain sensatios

info sent via two main routes.

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38
Q

what are the two main routes of the somatosensory cortex

A

dorsal regions of the spinal cord: pain, temperature, and crude tactile information

fine touch and proprioception info enter the spinal column and synapse at the medulla, where it crosses over

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39
Q

somatosensory homunculus

A

like the motor cortex, the map is distorted so that more brain tissue is devoted to bodily regions for which we have the most tactile receptors

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40
Q

primary visual cortex

A

when looking straight ahead, the info to the right of fixation (the right visual field) projects to the left half of the retinas of both eyes, and vice versa

destruction of the visual cortex results in an inability to perceive light-dark contrast

41
Q

auditory cortex

A

processes pressure waves in the air

info received at the right ear projects to both left and right hemispheres and vice versa

the primary auditory cortex is tonotropic
- located in the superior portion of the posterior temporal lobe in an area called Heschl’s gyrus

42
Q

olfactory bulb

A

a thin strand of neural tissue located directly below the frontal lobe

43
Q

olfactory cortex

A

olfactory bulb

info is projected in two ways
- to the limbic system
- via the medial dorsal thalamus to orbitofrontal regions

the only sensory system where info is solely conveyed ipsilaterally

44
Q

gustatory cortex

A

taste comes from taste bud receptors in the tongue and epiglottis

two major branches of info sent to the brain: the limbic system, the primary sensory cortex

located in the anterior portion of the insula

45
Q

three distinct regions of the frontal lobe

A

primary motor region, premotor region and prefrontal cortex

46
Q

frontal lobe

A

what makes people, people - it is what makes us who we are ie/ personality

associated with behaviour, emotional functioning, judgement, and decision making

damaged often associated with a change in personality

47
Q

parietal lobe

A

integrating info from sensory modalities (these can be stores in memory)

about an individuals internal state with with info from the external sensory world

damage can cause alexia, agraphia and or apraxia

48
Q

temporal lobe

A

memory
auditory processing
emotion
visual item recognition - damage can cause agnosia (modality specific)

49
Q

subcortical

A

below the cerebral cortex

50
Q

major subcortical systems

A

basal ganglia
limbic system

51
Q

basal ganglia

A

important for motor control

consists of the caudate nucleus, putamen, globus pallidus, and nucleus accumbens

52
Q

limbic system

A

a circuit including the amygdala, hypothalamus, cingulate cortex, anterior thalamus, mammillary body and hippocampus

each structure has its own distinct function

integrates and processes emotional info between various parts of the nervous system

53
Q

two pathways of the olfactory system

A
  1. through olfactory tubercle, then thalamus and then to the orbitofrontal cortex. provides our conscious perception of smell
  2. go directly to the olfactory cortex and limbic system (bypassing the thalamus). helps discriminate odours, results in the connection between smell, memory and emotion
54
Q

neurons

A

carry info from one place to another

a combination of electrical and chemical signals

55
Q

glia

A

function as support cells

method od support varies based on glial cell subtype

56
Q

dentritic tree/ dentrites

A

receives input from other cells

57
Q

cell body/ soma

A

made up of the same structures common to all other eukaryotic cells

smooth and rough ER, golgi apparatus, mitochondria

makes proteins and enzymes to that allow cell function

58
Q

axons

A

carries info to other cells

varies in length

59
Q

glia in the CNS

A

astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, ependymal cells, radial and microglia

60
Q

interneurons

A

associate sensory and motor activity in the CNS

in between

mostly located in the brain

61
Q

astrocytes

A

maintenance and modifications of the chemical environment between neurons (specifically synapses)

influence communication between neurons by controlling neurotransmitter levels

maintenance of water and ion homeostasis

participation in the environment

contribution to the blood brain barrier

62
Q

oligodendrocytes

A

generate and maintain myelin

63
Q

ependymal cells

A

involved in creating CSF

form a membrane lining parts of the spinal cord and ventricles of the brain

64
Q

radial glia

A

can generate neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes (progenitor cell)

guide neurons into place during development

contribute to neuroplasticity

65
Q

microglia

A

remove dead neurons, serve some nutritive needs of neurons and provide structural support - we start with a lot, have extra need to get rid of some as brain develops (only need so many connections)

serve some nutrition needs

protect against injury and disease

66
Q

what are the PNS glia

A

satellite cells
schwann cells

67
Q

satellite cells

A

regulates the chemical environment around the neurons
delivers nutrition to the neuron and absorbs toxins

68
Q

schwann cells

A

myelinates neurons, PNS version of oligodendrites but they sit directly on the axon

one section of myelin

69
Q

resting potential of neurons

A

-70 mV

70
Q

steps of an action potential

A
  1. sodium channels open, NA+ rushes in , depolarization
  2. potassium channels open, K+ starts to leave cell
  3. sodium channels close
  4. potassium channels close
71
Q

Action potentials

A

electrical signals are sent from the cell body down the axon

axon terminals make contact with dendrites of another neuron, but leave a tiny space called the synaptic cleft

action potentials cause the presynaptic neuron to release neurotransmitters into the cleft, which bind to (activate) receptors on the postsynaptic neurons

72
Q

spatial summation

A

if three EPSPs arrive at three different parts of the dendrite, that may be enough to push the postsynaptic cell to threshold, triggering an action potential

any IPSPs that might arrive will counteract EPSP

73
Q

temporal summation

A

even a single synapse may push the post synaptic cell to threshold if many APs arrive in quick succession, providing overlapping EPSPs

signals from the sam source

74
Q

myelin

A

provides an insulating, fatty sheath to the axon of neurons

the larger the myelin sheath the greater the speed with which the electrical signal is propagated down the axon

control of timing is essential not only for motor skills and sensory processing but also for higher integrative functions, including cognition

variations in myelin (including internode length) allow for control of the timing of neural inputs, slowing or speeding AP propagation of some axons relative to other axons

75
Q

node of ranvier

A

gaps between myelinated sections of an axon

76
Q

unmyelinated

A

gates all along axon, signal has to travel the whole length, step by step

77
Q

myelinated

A

signal can siip/slide down axon to the next node

78
Q

gray matter

A

cell bodies and their dendrites

more outside

40 percent of the brain

serves to process info

fully develops once a person reaches their 20s

79
Q

white matter

A

axons and their myelin sheaths

made up of bundles that cnnect various gray matter areas

highways in between

60 percent of the brain

allows communication between grey matter areas and other parts of the body

develops throughout 20s and peaks in middle age

involved in neuroplasticity

80
Q

white matter tracts

A

connect parts of the brain by shuttling info between distinct brain regions

corpus callosum - most notable tract

81
Q

superior longitudinal fasciculus

A

from: frontal
to: parietal/temporal

82
Q

occipitofrontal fasciculus

A

from: occipital
to: frontal

83
Q

uncinate fasciculus

A

from: frontal
to: anterior temporal

84
Q

arcuate fasciculus

A

from: posterior temporal
to: frontal

85
Q

cingulum

A

from: frontal
to: entorhinal cortex

86
Q

inferior longitudinal fasciculus

A

from: occipital
to: temporal

87
Q

vertical occipital fasciculus

A

from:occipital
to: parietal

88
Q

steps of neural transmission

A
  1. AP reaches axon terminal
  2. calcium ion channels open allowing for calcium ions in
  3. calcium causes synaptic vesicles to release from microtubules
  4. synaptic vesicles fuse with axon membrane at release sites
  5. vesicles open, releasing neurotransmitters into synaptic cleft
  6. neurotransmitter binds with receptor
  7. vesicle material is recycles
  8. vesicles either return to neuron cell body via retrograde transport or are refilled at axon terminal
89
Q

Excitatory postsynaptic potential

A

make the cell’s electric charge more positive

90
Q

glutamate

A

has an excitatory effect

15-20 percent of synapses in CNS

too much can cause excitotoxicity which can lead to cell death

90
Q

inhibitory postsynaptic potentials

A

make the cell’s electrical charge more negative

91
Q

GABA

A

gamma aminobutyric acid

has an inhibitory effect

limits AP’s from firing

40 percent of all receptors in CNS

substances that reduce CNS activity bind to GABA receptors

92
Q

cholinergic system

A

neurotransmitter acetylcholine

exicitatory effect on neuronal and mental functiong

plays a role in alertness and paying attention

93
Q

serotonergic system

A

serotonin

influences variety of behaviours

many antidepressant medications are serotonin specific reuptake inhibitors

94
Q

noradrenergic system

A

noradrenaline or noepinephrine

influences arousal and attention, also linked to both shorter-term and longer-term aspects or memory processing

95
Q

dopaminergic system

A

dopamine

nigrostriatal
mesolimbic
mesocortical

96
Q

nigrostriatal

A

important in motor control

97
Q

mesolimbic

A

linked to reward-related control

98
Q

mesocortical

A

influences a variety of mentail functions, including executive function, goal oriented behaviour and working memory

99
Q

how do astrocytes regulate the environment of the synaptic cleft

A

they control the formation, maturation, and plasticity of synapses through a variety of secretory and contact-mediated signals

regulate extracellular concentrations of ions neurotransmitter and other molecules through uptake and recycling

when neurons fire APs they release potassium ions into extracellular space

they have high concentration of potassium channels which act as spatial buffers

they uptake potassium at sites of neuronal activity (mainly synapses) and release it at distant contacts with blood vessels

100
Q

what is the point of having nodes

A

reboosts signal, since once it reaches its max it slows down

sometimes we want the signal to be slower