CNS Flashcards
Name the two parts of the central nervous system.
The brain & Spinal cord
Name the four major regions of the brain.
Cerebrum, Diencephalon, Brain stem, Cerebellum
Explain the function of the corpus callosum.
The corpus callosum provides the major pathway for communication between the two cerebral hemispheres of the cerebral cortex.
Name the lobes of the cerebrum and describe the function of each lobe.
Temporal lobe- Processes sensory information specifically smell and hearing. The Wernicke’s area is responsible for the comprehension of speech.
Occipital lobe - Processes sensory information specifically vision.
Parietal lobe - Tactile senses like touch, pressure, tickle, pain, itch as well as things like body position and sense of movement.
Frontal lobe:
Primary motor area - Voluntary skeletal movements
Broca’s area - Where speech production occurs
Prefrontal cortex - executive function
Insular lobe - Plays into sensation like taste. Desires, emotions, addiction and psychiatric disorders like PTSD OCD and schizophrenia
Explain the function of the prefrontal cortex: use lobotomies and the story of Phineas Gage to help support your answer.
It gives us the power to differentiate among conflicting thoughts, good and bad, same and different, etc. After Phineas Gages accident, he went from hard working to irritable and lazy.
Name the parts of the diencephalon and briefly describe their functions.
Thalamus - Relays information between the cerebral cortex and the periphery, spinal cord, or brainstem.
Hypothalamus - Regulating homeostasis, balancing thirst, hunger, and body temperature. Also pair bonding (mother-infant, romantic-sexual)
Pineal gland - Secretes melatonin which helps to regulate our sleep/wake cycle.
Pituitary gland - Secretes a variety of hormones.
Explain the function of the cerebellum.
Responsible for coordinating your voluntary bodily movements. The cerebellum monitors sensory feedback about the muscles, joints, bodily movements, and balance, to ensure that the walking proceeds successfully.
Name the parts of the brainstem and the overall functions of this part of the brain.
The midbrain, Pons, Medulla oblongata. They all together help regulate breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, consciousness, reflexes.
Describe the shape and size of the spinal cord, and explain the cauda equina.
17-18 in long, The cauda equina (horses tail) is a bundle of nerves that provides sensation from, and motor commands to, your lower limbs and pelvic organs.
Explain the appearance of a spinal cord cross section, and how its shape relates to information entering, the role of interneurons, and commands exiting.
The spinal cord cross section the outside is white matter and the inside is gray matter, and is arranged into a “H” shape. Sensory information enters on the dorsal side and motor commands exit on the ventral side.
Describe CSF: what is its full name? Why do we have it? What do patients receiving spinal taps and pregnant women receiving anesthesia need to know about CSF?
Cerebrospinal fluid. It filters out only the best stuff from the blood., transports nutrients and waste. Lumbar punctures for meningitis greatly lowers the risk of damaging CNS tissue. For epidural anesthesia it provides pain relief by blocking nerve impulses from reaching your CNS.
List the five ways that the organs of the CNS are protected and supported. Pay special attention to the membranes that cover the CNS organs.
Bones
Glial cells - Supports neurons through immune protection, myelination, and regulating the local environment.
The Blood-Brain barrier - Creates a physical and chemical barrier for your CNS
The Meninges - a series of membranes composed of connective tissues which protects the brain
Dura Mater - Encloses the entire CNS and major blood vessels.
Arachnoid Mater - Middle layer of the meninges, Cerebrospinal fluid circulates within its spider like strands.
Pia Matter - Fibrous membrane covering the brain.
