Central Nervous System Flashcards
dura mater
*outer layer of meninges
*dense connective tissue
*forms internal periosteum of the skull
arachnoid mater
*middle layer of meninges
*spreads across the brain and spinal cord
*does not dip into their grooves
*thin strands extend to pia mater
pia mater
*delicate inner layer
*contains many nerves and blood vessels
*attached to the brain and spinal cord
*follows grooves/depressions
subarachnoid space
*space between the arachnoid mater and pia mater
*contains clear, watery cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
meninges
protective membrane surrounds brain and spinal cord
ventricles
interconnected cavities within two cerebral hemispheres of the brain and the stem
choroid plexus
secreats cerebrospinal fluid
Cerebrospinal fluid
*surrounds brain and spinal cord
*protects from jarring forces
*maintains stable ionic concentration
*provides pathway to the blood and waste
brain
*largest and most complex part of nervous system
*responsible for sensation, perceptions, motor commands, higher mental functions
4 regions of brain
*cerebral hemispheres
*diencephalon
*brain stem
*cerebellum
cerebrum
*the largest part of the mature brain
*consists of two hemispheres
corpus callosum
deep nerve fibers
convolutions (gyri”s)
ridges in the surface of the cerebrum separated by sulcus
sulcus
shallow grooves/folds
longitudinal fissure
separates the two hemispheres
transverse fissure
separates the cerebrum from the cerebellum
insula (island of reil)
*5th lobe of the brain
*lies deep within the brain
lobes of the brain
frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital, insula
cerebral cortex (pt 1)
*thin layer of gray matter
*constitutes the outer portion of the cerebrum
*contains almost 75% of all neuron cell bodies of the nervous system
white matter
*lies under cerebral cortex
*makes up most of the cerebrum
*contains myelinated axons
function of cerebrum
higher brain function, memory, reasoning, intelligence & personality
function of frontal lobe
*concentration, planning, problem solving, judgement of behavior
*right hemisphere controls left side of brain & vice-versa
broca’s area controls need for speech-only left hemisphere.
function of parietal lobe
*sensory, provides sensation of temp, touch, pressure and pain
*responsible for understanding speech, using words to express thoughts
function of temporal lobe
sensory area responsible for hearing
area responsible for remembering visual scenes, music & complex patterns
function of occipital lobe
*sensory responsible for vision
* area combines visual imaging with other sensory experiences
function of insula lobe
thought to serve as a crossroads for translating sensory information
hemisphere Dominance
*dominant hemisphere will control motor cortex
*controls speech, writing, reading, verbal, analytical and computational skills
*non-dominant controls nonverbal tasks, motor tasks, understanding and interpretating musical and visual patterns, emotions & intuitive thought
short-term memory
*closed neuronal circuit
*when impulse flow ceases, memory does also, unless it enters long term memory
long-term memory
*changes structure or function of neurons by enhancing synaptic transmission
*requires enough synapses to encode the memory
*pattern of synapses to remain unchanged
diencephalon
*nerve tissue that connects cerebral hemispheres and brainstem
*surrounds third ventricle and is composed of gray matter
thalamus
*gateway for sensory impulses heading to cerebral cortex
*receives all sensory impulses
*channels impulses to appropriate part of cerebral cortex for interpretation