CNS functional anatomy Flashcards
what makes up the CNS
brain and spinal cord
what are the roles of the brain stem
relay centre between higher brain and spinal cord
receives and integrates sensory input
balance and posture
which parts make up the brain stem
medulla oblongata
midbrain
what are the roes of the medulla oblongata
involuntary function - vital (breathing/digestion) and non vital (coughing/vomiting)
what are the roles of the cerebellum
fine control of coordinated voluntary movement - receives sensory information and inputs to motor areas
what makes up the diencephalon
thalamus - relay centre
hypothalamus - homeostatic control centre
role of the thalamus
relay centre - sensory input and motor control
role of the hypothalamus
homeostatic control and hormone secretion from pituitary gland - limbic system
what is the limbic system
interconnecting group of structures in the forebrain - basic emotions and behaviour (survival)
what makes up the cerebrum
cerebral cortex and basal nuclei
what is the basal nuclei
Collections of cell bodies within sub cortical region
role of basal nuclei
involved in control of movement generally inhibitory
what is the cerebral cortex
two hemispheres that make up most of the brain - shell of grey matter and white matter highly folded controlling the opposite side of the body
what is grey matter
cell bodies, dendrites, glia
what is white matter
myelinated axonal tracts
what are the four parts of the cerebral cortex and their functions
frontal lobe - motor function and personality
parietal lobe - sensory processing
occipital lobe - visual cortex
temporal lobe - auditory cortex
what is the somatosensory cortex
in the parietal lobe, receives sensory input from the opposite side of the body, area for the body part is proportional to the amount of input from it
define plasticity in the somatosensory cortex
if one area receives extra stimulation or reduced stimulation the size of the devoted area will change accordingly – use-dependent
what is the motor cortex
in the frontal lobe, for voluntary movement, use dependency for cortical space
how does motor control work
Motor cortex send signals to the alpha motor neurons after input from the supplementary motor area, premotor cortex, posterior parietal cortex, basal ganglia, thalamus and cerebellum
which are the cortical areas involved with language
broca’s area - articulation of speech, controls muscles via motor cortex for speaking
Wernicke’s area - involves comprehension and planning/coherence of language - parietal
define aphasia
language deficits resulting from brain damage
what are glial cells
main cell types in CNS - 4 types
astrocytes
microglia
oligodendrocytes
ependymal cells
what are astrocytes
most abundant glial cell, structural support, blood brain barrier and repair and maintenance - neurotransmitter removal from extracellular fluid
what are microglia
immune cells of CNS - scavengers and cytokine release
- resting : homeostasis
- active : ameboid and pro-inflammatory
what are oligodendrocytes
form the myelin sheath around neuronal axons
what are ependymal cells
epithelial cells that line fluid filled cavities of the CNS (ventricles)
