CNS anatomy Flashcards
What is the CNS briefly? What does it include? And what is its main role?
The CNS is the central nervous system-composed of the brain-the brain stem and the spine
Its main role is information processing-intaking from PNS afferent division and acting through PSN efferent division (autonomic and somatic)
How is the spinal cord organised? How many nerves are found coming out? where do they exit/enter?
Spinal cord sits within the spine-coming down from the brain-goes from C1 to L1/2 (shorter than vertebral column)-after that only nerves coming out/down
All the nerves come out under their named cervical (eg: T12 comes out under C12), except for C1
31 spinal nerves for average 33 vertebrae
From how the spinal cord is organised, where would a lumbar punction be done to take fluid?
Would be done after the spinal cord ends-between L2/3 or L3/4-lower in children because spinal cord takes more space
Describe the anatomy of the spinal cord? (in relation to horns, roots, ganglia, efferent and afferent
Spinal cord is made of a center of grey matter (cell bodies) and white matter (axons going up/down)
Spinal cord has 4 horns on each side (2xDorsal hrn, 2x ventral horn)
Ventral horn in connected to ventral root (motor, efferent)-connects to mixed nerve with dorsal root
Dorsal horn connected to dorsal root (afferent, sensory)-has a ganglia with cell bodies)-connects to ventral root to make mixed nerve
What are the functions of the spinal cord?
Spinal cord is the connector between PNS/ANS and the brain (efferent and afferent go up and down from brain to periphery) eg: intakes the snesory signals and carries motor signals-also role is sympathetic coordinate reflexes (direct)
What are the 3 parts of the brain usually descibred?
Cerebrum (main brain)cerebral hemisphere and diecenphalon), brain stem (midbrain, pons, medulla) and cerebellum
Describe the rough anatomy of the brain stem, its functions and main features.
Brain stem is between spinal cord and cerebral hemisphere-all sensory and motor fibres pass by it and can activate stuff
Midbrain proxiam to brain-then pons and then medulla
Contain nuclei of 10/13 cranial nerves (III-XII)
Main roles-regulates vital functions like breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, swallowing (ANS)
Many defensive reflexes (cough, gag sneeze)
What is the diencephalon composed of? What are its main functions?
Diencephalon is part of cerebrum-made of thalamus and hypothalamus (thalamus is 2 lobes either side of brain stem), hypo is smaller lobe center connected to pit gland
Hypothalamus role-intrgation of singals and hormonal, ANS and other functions
Thalamus-integration centre for special senses-and projction to cortex-involved in emotional status, appropriate motor response, consciousness
What are the 2 parts that make up the cerebral hemispheres?
2 hemispheres (cortex) and basal ganlia-on top of brain stem and diecenphalon
Describe the 3 different parts of the basal ganglia, and their function
3 parts-caudate, putamen and globus pallidus-form 2 ganglia on either side
2x Putamen is lateral to the ganglia (on the outside)
2x Caudate is on top, connected by striate (drosal/superior to caudate)
Together they make Corpus striatum
Globus pallidus sits medial to the caudate-on the other side
together they form lentiform nucleus
Function-control movement-fine tuning, inhbiting innapropriate movement
Describe the organisation of the cerebral cortex, naming schemes for features
Cerberal cortex-frontal lobe , then parietal , then occipital
On either side-temporal lobes
The flods make gyrus (outgrowth) and suclus (foldings)
hemispheres are speratated by longitudinal fissure
Frontal and partietal seprates by central fissure
Describe the main functions of the cortical functional areas
Frontal cortex-has prefrontal cortex (sense of relation with world-mood personality), brocha area (left-speech), motor association area (plan a program for muscle contraction for an action (like dancing), primary motor cortex (contralateral-for movement)
Parietital cortex-primary somethetic cortex-sense
Somesthetic associatin area-interpresents sensory intepreation and coordinate very large
Ociipital-primary visual cortex and visual association area
Temporal-Wernicke area (left)-recognise language, primary gustatory (taste), aditory cortex (hear)
Describe the anatomy, function and main features of the cerebellum
attached posterially to brainstem
Outsdie grey cortex with parallel folds, deeper-white matter (nuclei)
Two hemispheres in lobes-central vermis (dip)
Connected to balance, spinal cord for posture and muscle tone, motor cortex and thalamus-helps you learn and commit to memory (specially movement)
How are different parts of the brain connected? What are the 3 main fibers in the cerebrum?
White matter in brain describes the axons (opposite of spine)
between hemispheres, commisural fibers (corpus collosum)
Within hemispheres -association fibers
to spine and rest of body-projection fibers
Look up image of cranium bones
But remember roughtly-frontal (frontl), sphenoid, temporal, occipital
Ethmpid between frontal
Temproral on the side
Describe the organisation of the meninges
Under skin, bone-dura mater (two layers, exterior periosteal, interior meningeal)
Then arachnoid mater, then pia mater-these continue all around the cortex (not following bone but even within folds)
This is where blood vessels (capilaries and veins sit)
cortex sperated by subarachnoid space (vessels)
Describe the anatomy of the CSF ventricular system?
Large latral ventricules (2x) like horns sourround basal ganglia and diecephalon-connected to3rd ventricule-sit right between hypothalamus (little hole to allow connection) 1x
connected by aqueduct to 4th venticule (loacted near pons of brainstem)-then goes into spine and brain from there