Central Nervous System Review Flashcards
What 2 organs make up the CNS?
Brain and Spinal cord
What is the most superficial of the meninges?
What is it composed of?
Dura mater
Of white fibrous connective tissue sheath
What is the function of cerebrospinal fluid?
Assists the brain by providing protection, nourishment, and waste removal
Why is the pia mater important as a mengie?
Nourishes the surface of the CNS
What material fills the subarachnoid space?
Cerebrospinal fluid
What is the function(s) of the spinal cord?
Conductions of nerve impulses up and down its length
Acts as a center for spinal reflexes
The termination of the spinal cord is called…
Cauda Equine
How many pairs of spinal nerves come off the spinal cord?
31
Explain the arrangement of white matter and grey matter in the spinal cord.
Resembles a tree and is called the arbor vitae (tree of life)
Myelinated neurons make up ascending fibers and descending fibers of the spinal cord, what type of nerve impulses do each of them carry?
Sensory Neurons
Anterior horns carry which type of nerve impulses towards the brain?
Anterior roots lead the efferent (motor) nerves
Posterior horns carry which type of nerve impulses away from the CNS?
Posterior roots being afferent (sensory) nerves into the posterior horns
List the 5 parts of a reflex arc and the function of a reflex
I have notes but I’m not sure which ones this is
What are the functions of neuroglial cells. List 2 different types
maintaining neuronal survivability, protecting the nervous system, and producing myelin
1. Astrocytes
2. Microglia
3. Oligodendrocytes
4. Schwann Cells
What is the peripheral nervous system?
Everything outside the CNS
What is the difference between an axon and a dendrite?
Axon- efferent process, carry impulses away from the cell body (branched or singular)
Dendrites- afferent process, carry impulses toward the cell body
List the 3 types of neurons and their number of dendrites and axons and where they are found?
Unipolar- single axon and dendrite (D- receptor, A- leads to spinal cord and brain)
Bipolar- 1 Axon, 1 Dentrie (only found in the ear and eye)
Multipolar- Single Axon, many Dendrites (brain and spinal cord only)
A polarized membrane measures ___ mv
-70mv
A depolarized membrane measures ___ mv
+30mv
What 2 ions trade places when a neuron depolarizes?
Na+ from outside to inside and K+ from inside to outside
Takes about .001 seconds
Which type of neuron has the fastest conduction rate?
Which has the slowest?
Large, myelinated nerves
-130m/sec (saltatory conduction)
Small, unmyelinated
-2-.5m/sec
Explain how a neurotransmitter works?
Chemicals which cause changes in permeability at the receptor site of the postsynaptic membrane
List 3 kinds of excitatory neurotransmitters and where they are located within the nervous system
The presynaptic membrane
1. Acetylcholine
2. Serotonin
3. Dopamine
4. Norepinephrine
Explain why reflexes are important
The reflex is a form of protection, instead of the sensory impulse traveling all the way to the brain and back down to cause the effector to respond, it is done automatically without utilizing the brain
List the 3 main parts of the brain and their functions
Cerebrum
- Center for all voluntary muscle contractions, sensory input, and initiates all higher mental functions
Cerebellum
- Contains centers associated with coordination of voluntary muscles
Brainstem
- Contains pathways by which various parts of the nervous system are interconnected and regulation of various visceral activities.
What is the arrangement of grey matter and white matter in the cerebrum and cerebellum?
Does it differ from the medulla oblongata?
White matter is predominantly found in deeper areas – with gray matter coating the white matter
Explain what the motor, sensory, and associative areas of the lobes of the cerebral cortex function in?
Motor
-Deals with the voluntary muscle contraction
Sensory
-Deals with the monitoring of the various sensory organs of the body
Associative
-Deals with higher mental functions
List the functions of each of the lobes of the cerebral cortex
Frontal Lobe
- only lobe with motor area (controls voluntary skeletal muscles)
- associative area (concentration, judgement, problem solving)
Parietal Lobe
- sensory area (touch, taste, pain, temperature)
- associative area (speech)
Temporal Lobe
- sensory area (hearing)
- associative area (memory, music, complex sensory patterns)
List the functions of the cerebellum
- reflex center for coordination of skeletal muscles
- helps control posture
- controls skeletal muscles to maintain balance
List the 3 parts of the brainstem and each of their function(s)
Medulla Oblongata
- Contains the cardiac center controlling heart rate
- Contains the vasomotor center controlling blood pressure
- Along with the pons, contains the respiratory center, controlling the rate and depth of breathing
Pons
- Contains nerve tracts which transmit impulses from the cerebrum to the cerebellum
Midbrain
- It connects the cerebrum and interbrain with the cerebellum, medulla, and the spinal cord
What are the main functions of the hypothalamus?
Portion of the inter-brain which is very important in terms of maintenance of homeostasis and is the link between the endocrine system and the nervous system
What sense does not send impulses to the thalamus?
The only sense that does not pass through the thalamus is smell
How does the limbic system help insure our survival?
Central role for:
- Memory
- Reproductuin
- Nutrition
- Expression of emotions
What hormone does the pineal gland secrete?
List the functions of the pineal gland
Secretes at least 1 hormone, melatonin
Though to control the circadian rhythms (period of wakefulness)
What are the 2 divisions of the autonomic nervous system and what they control during times of stress and relaxation?
Sympathetic division- most active in times of stress produces “fight or flight” response
Parasympathetic division- most active under ordinary conditions
List 2 diseases of the neuron and what causes them
Cerebral Palsy
- This condition is caused by damage to the motor areas of the brain during fetal development, at birth, or early infancy.
Cerebral Apoplexy
- Tissue death of part of the brain usually the cerebral cortex due to a blood clot or hemorrhage within the brain.
What is cerebral palsy?
What causes it?
- Spastic, shaking movements or tremors as we as a loss of motor control
- This condition is caused by damage to the motor areas of the brain during fetal development, at birth, or early infancy.
What are the 2 causes of cerebral apoplexy?
- Stroke
- Aneurysm
What machine measures the electrical activity of the brain?
List the 5 types of brain waves produced by the brain
The Electroencephalograph
1. Alpha 8-13 cps.
- Awake
2. Beta- 1 14-25 cps.
- Asynchronous REM sleep
3. Beta-2 synchronous
- Tension, cerebral activity
4. Theta- 4-7cps
- Emotional stress in adults, frustration
5. Delta < 3.5f cps.
- Deep sleep, coma, serious organic brain disease
What is the function of the cerebrum?
- Contains the center for all voluntary muscle contractions, sensory input, and initiates all higher mental functions
