Central Nervous System Structures (Brain & Spinal Cord) Flashcards

1
Q

The diameter of the spinal cord _________ as you move inferiorly.

A

decreases.

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2
Q

What are the 7 important anatomical landmarks of the spinal cord?

A
  1. Cervical enlargement.
  2. Lumbosacral enlargement.
  3. Conus medullaris.
  4. Filum terminale.
  5. Cauda equina.
  6. Posterior median sulcus.
  7. Anterior median fissure.
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3
Q

What are the 3 structures on the inferior end of the spinal cord?

A
  1. Conus medullaris.
  2. Filum terminale.
  3. Cauda equina.
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4
Q

The _____ _________ is the cone-shaped end of the spinal cord.

A

conus medullaris.

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5
Q

Describe the filum terminale:

A

Thread-like extension of the pia mater.

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6
Q

What is the caudae equinae?

A

The dorsal & ventral roots of the lowest spinal nerves.

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7
Q

Between which vertebrae would you perform a spinal tap?

A

L3 to L5.

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8
Q

Where do we insert the needle when performing a spinal tap?

A

The subarachnoid space

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9
Q

What are 3 purposes of a spinal tap?

A
  1. Sampling CSF for diagnosis.
  2. Injection of antibiotics, anesthetic, chemotherapy, etc.
  3. Measuring CSF pressure.
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10
Q

What is the function of the meninges?

A

Protection & covering of the brain & spinal cord.

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11
Q

What are the 3 layers of the spinal meninges, from most to least superficial.

A
  1. Dura mater (outermost).
  2. Arachnoid mater.
  3. Pia mater (innermost).
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12
Q

Where is the epidural space?

A

Between the dura mater & vertebral bones.

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13
Q

Where is the subdural space?

A

Between the dura mater & arachnoid mater.

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14
Q

Where is the subarachnoid space?

A

Between the arachnoid mater & pia mater.

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15
Q

Gray matter contains ______ ____ ______ while white matter contains _____.

A

neuron cell bodies (somas); axons.

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16
Q

The anterior gray horn has _____ functions while the posterior gray horn has _______ functions.

A

motor; sensory.

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17
Q

How many pairs of spinal nerves are there?

A

31 pairs.

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18
Q

What 2 branches do spinal nerves form?

A

The dorsal ramus & the ventral ramus.

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19
Q

The dorsal ramus deals with _______ functions while the ventral ramus deals with _____ functions.

A

sensory; motor.

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20
Q

Which spinal nerves have 2 additional branches?

A

All nerves from T1 to L2.

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21
Q

What are the 2 additional branches that only some nerves have?

A

White ramus & gray ramus.

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22
Q

The white ramus & gray ramus are collectively called the:

A

rami communicantes.

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23
Q

Spinal nerves supply specific regions of the skin known as __________.

A

dermatomes.

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24
Q

What is a nerve plexus?

A

A network of intersecting nerves serving the same part of the body.

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25
Q

What are the 4 nerve plexuses & where are they located?

A
  1. Cervical plexus: neck.
  2. Brachial plexus: armpit.
  3. Lumbar plexus: back.
  4. Sacral plexus: tailbone.
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26
Q

Sometimes, the lumbar & sacral plexuses are combined to form the ___________ plexus.

A

lumbosacral plexus.

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27
Q

What are the 5 steps of a reflex arc?

A
  1. Activation of sensory receptor.
  2. Information relayed to CNS.
  3. Info is processed.
  4. Activation of motor neuron.
  5. Response by effector.
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28
Q

What are the 4 ways we can classify reflexes?

A
  1. Development (innate of learned).
  2. Response (somatic or visceral/autonomic).
  3. Complexity (mono or polysynaptic).
  4. Processing site (spinal or cranial).
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29
Q

The _______ reflex is normal in adults, while the ________ reflex is only normal in infants (abnormal in adults).

A

plantar; Babinski reflex.

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30
Q

Folds in the brain are called ____ while grooves are called either _____ or ________.

A

gyri; sulci or fissures.

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31
Q

What separates the left & right cerebral hemispheres?

A

Longitudinal fissure.

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32
Q

What are the names of the 4 cerebral lobes?

A
  1. Frontal lobe.
  2. Parietal lobe.
  3. Occipital lobe.
  4. Temporal lobe.
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33
Q

What separates the frontal & parietal lobes?

A

The central sulcus.

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34
Q

What are the names of the 2 gyri surrounding the central sulcus?

A

The precentral gyrus & postcentral gyrus.

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35
Q

What separates the parietal & occipital lobes?

A

The parieto-occipital sulcus.

36
Q

What are some functions that the left hemisphere is specialized in?

A

Speech, reading, writing, language, math, decision making.

37
Q

What are some functions that the right hemisphere is specialized in?

A

Analysis of sensory info, spatial visualization, recognition of faces & voice inflections.

38
Q

What are the 3 types of white matter fibres in the cerebrum?

A
  1. Association fibres.
  2. Commissural fibres.
  3. Projection fibres.
39
Q

What do the basal ganglia do?

A

They control muscle tone for specific, fine body movements.

40
Q

What are 3 functions of the limbic system?

A
  1. Establish emotional states.
  2. Link conscious functions of cerebral cortex with autonomic functions of the brainstem.
  3. Facilitate memory storage & retrieval.
41
Q

The diencephalon is composed of which 2 structures?

A

Thalamus & hypothalamus.

42
Q

What are ventricles?

A

CSF-filled cavities.

43
Q

CSF is produced by:

A

ependymal cells of the choroid plexus.

44
Q

What are 4 functions of CSF?

A
  1. Protect the brain & spinal cord.
  2. Provide support.
  3. Actively transport nutrients, vitamins & ions to CNS tissue.
  4. Actively transport wastes away from CNS.
45
Q

What is the circulation path of CSF (9 steps)?

A
  1. CSF formed in choroid plexus of lateral vesicles.
  2. Interventricular foramen.
  3. 3rd ventricle.
  4. Aqueduct of midbrain.
  5. 4th ventricle.
  6. Lateral aperture, median aperture & central canal of spinal cord.
  7. Subarachnoid space.
  8. Flows around brain & spinal cord.
  9. Eventually enters circulation via arachnoid granulations.
46
Q

Where are the 4 ventricles located?

A

1&2: in cerebral hemispheres.

3: in diencephalon.
4: between pons & cerebellum.

47
Q

Ventricles 1 & 2 are also known as:

A

lateral hemispheres.

48
Q

Ventricles 1 & 2 are separated by a partition called the:

A

septum pellucidum.

49
Q

What are the 4 protective structures for the brain?

A
  1. Bones of the skull.
  2. Cranial meninges.
  3. CSF.
  4. Blood brain barrier.
50
Q

What is the blood-brain barrier made out of?

A

Astrocytes.

51
Q

When receiving sensory information during a reflex arc, what is the path that somatic sensations will take?

A

From exteroceptors & proprioceptors of the sensors → dorsal ramus → dorsal root ganglion → dorsal root → somatic sensory nuclei.

52
Q

When receiving sensory information during a reflex arc, what is the path that visceral sensations will take?

A

From interoceptors of sensors → dorsal ramus → dorsal root ganglion → dorsal root → visceral sensory nuclei.

53
Q

When sending out motor commands in a reflex arc, what path will somatic motor commands take?

A

Somatic motor nuclei → ventral root → ventral ramus → effectors.

54
Q

When sending out motor commands in a reflex arc, what path will visceral motor commands take?

A

Visceral motor nuclei → ventral root white ramus → sympathetic (autonomic) ganglion → gray ramus → postganglionic fibres → effectors.

55
Q

What are the 2 major arteries supplying blood to the brain?

A

Internal carotid & vertebral arteries.

56
Q

The blood brain barrier is formed by endothelial cells interconnected by _____ junctions.

A

tight.

57
Q

Why is the blood brain barrier important?

A

It isolates nervous tissue in the CNS from the general circulation & it is highly selective in terms of what compounds it will allow into the brain.

58
Q

Where is the primary motor cortex?

A

Surface of precentral gyrus.

59
Q

What is the function of the primary motor cortex and what cells perform this function?

A

Pyramidal cells (neurons) direct voluntary movements by controlling somatic motor neurons in the brainstem & spinal cord.

60
Q

Where is the primary somatosensory cortex?

A

Surface of the postcentral gyrus.

61
Q

What is the function of the primary somatosensory cortex?

A

Receive general somatic sensory info from special sense receptors.

62
Q

Where is the visual cortex and what does it do?

A

Occipital lobe; receives visual info.

63
Q

Where is the auditory cortex & what does it do?

A

Temporal lobe; receives hearing info.

64
Q

Where is the olfactory cortex & what does it do?

A

Temporal lobe; receives info about smell.

65
Q

Where is the gustatory cortex & what does it do?

A

Anterior portion of insula & adjacent portions of frontal lobe; receives info from taste receptors of tongue & pharynx.

66
Q

What do association areas connect?

A

Sensory & motor regions.

67
Q

What are the 2 functions of association areas?

A

Interpret incoming data or coordinate motor responses.

68
Q

The neurons in the primary motor cortex must be stimulated by _____ neurons from _________ to be useful.

A

other; elsewhere.

69
Q

The diencephalon surrounds the ______ ventricle.

A

3rd.

70
Q

The ________ forms the superior wall of the diencephalon, while the ____________ forms the inferior part of its walls & floor.

A

thalamus; hypothalamus.

71
Q

What is the function of the thalamus?

A

Relaying & processing sensory info.

72
Q

What is the function of the hypothalamus?

A

Centres regulate emotions, autonomic functions & hormone production.

73
Q

What is the infundibulum?

A

Narrow stalk connecting the hypothalamus to the pituitary gland.

74
Q

What are the 3 components of the brainstem from most superior to most inferior?

A

Midbrain, pons, medulla oblongata.

75
Q

What are 3 functions of the midbrain?

A

Processing visual & auditory info, controlling reflexes triggered by these stimuli & maintaining consciousness.

76
Q

What are some functions of the pons?

A

Connecting the cerebellum to the brainstem, somatic & visceral motor control.

77
Q

What are some functions of the medulla oblongata?

A

Connecting the brain to the spinal cord, relaying sensory info to the thalamus, regulating autonomic function.

78
Q

The cerebellar cortex is composed of _____ matter.

A

gray.

79
Q

The cerebellar cortex contains a layer of large, highly branched neuron cell bodies called:

A

Purkinje cells.

80
Q

The cerebral cortex is highly convoluted because of:

A

folia - folds of the cerebellum surface.

81
Q

What structure separates the anterior & posterior lobes of the cerebellum?

A

The primary fissure.

82
Q

What is the vemis?

A

A narrow band of cortex separating cerebellar hemispheres along the midline.

83
Q

What is the flocculonodular lobe?

A

A slender lobe lying between the roof of the 4th ventricle & the cerebellar hemispheres & vermis.

84
Q

Which tract links the cerebellum with the nuclei in the midbrain, diencephalon and cerebellum?

A

Superior cerebellar peduncles.

85
Q

What are the middle cerebellar peduncles attached to?

A

Transverse pontine fibres.

Also connect cerebellar hemispheres with sensory & motor nuclei in pons.

86
Q

Which tract links the cerebellum with nuclei in the medulla oblongata and carries ascending & descending tracts from the spinal cord?

A

The inferior cerebellar peduncles.

87
Q

What are the 2 major functions of the cerebellum?

A
  1. Adjusting postural muscles of the body by altering muscle tone & modifying motor centre activities in the brainstem.
  2. Programming and fine-tuning conscious & subconscious movements.