DSA - Brain and SC

Question 1

Three divisions of the brain?

Answer 1

Forebrain (cerebral hemispheres and diencephalon)
Cerebellum
Brainstem

Question 2

~ how many neurons in the nervous system?

Answer 2

100 billion!!!!!

Question 3

What does the gray matter consist of?

Answer 3

Mainly neuronal cell bodies and dendrites (where the signal starts)
(Outside of brain)

Question 4

What does white matter consist of?

Answer 4

Areas where there are collection of axons
(Inside of brain)
Myelinated axons (mainly)

Question 5

Where are the two enlargements of the spinal cord?

Answer 5

Cervical enlargement - upper limb

Lumbosacral enlargement - lower limb

Question 6

What is the tapering inferior end of the spinal cord called?

Answer 6

Conus medullaris

Question 7

What’re the groups of axons projecting out of the conus medullaris called?

Answer 7

Cauda equina

Question 8

What’s the thin strand of pia mater called that anchors the conus medullaris to the coccyx?

Answer 8

Filum terminale

Question 9

In the posterior horn what is the term for the thing that looks pale because it deals mostly with finely myelinated sensory fibers that carry pain and temperature?

Answer 9

Substantia gelatinosa

Question 10

What is the name of the white matter located between the substantia gelatinosa and the surface of the cord?

Answer 10

Lissauer’s tract

• contains the fibers with which the substantia gelatinosa deal

Question 11

What kind of neurons are in the anterior horn?

What do they supply?

Answer 11

large motor neurons that supply skeletal muscle

* lower motor neurons

Question 12

What horn do the preganglionic sympathetics come from?

Answer 12

Intermediolateral cell column (lateral horn)

Question 13

The sacral parasympathetics do not have a lateral horn… what do they have instead?

Answer 13

Sacral parasympathetic nucleus

Question 14

What is Clark’s nucleus?

Answer 14

Collection of large cells on medial surface of the base of posterior horn T1-L2

Question 15

Name as many “lamina” and what level they come from as you can.

Answer 15

Picture

Question 16

What is the bundle of axon fibers that receives sensory information from the arms called?

Answer 16

Fasciculus cuneatus

Question 17

What is the bundle of axon fibers that carries sensory information from the middle thoracic and lower limbs called?

Answer 17

Fasciculus gracilis

Question 18

In what part of the spinal cord do sensory neurons (coming in the DRG) terminate?

Answer 18

In the spinal gray matter

Question 19

Describe: gyrus, sulcus, and fissures.

What are the purpose of these structures?

Answer 19

Gyrus is just the shallow ridges of cortical tissues

Sulcus is the groove between gyri

Fissures are deeper sulcus

The purpose is to increase the total cortical area and number of cortical neurons

Question 20

What are the four prominent sulci that divide each cerebral hemisphere in what 5 lobes?

Answer 20

4 sulci = Central sulcus, lateral sulcus, parietooccipital sulcus, cingulate sulcus

5 lobes = frontal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe, temporal lobe, limbic lobe

Question 21

What connects the two cerebral hemispheres?

Answer 21

Corpus Callosum

Contains somewhere around 250 million axons

Question 22

In what lobe is the primary motor complex?

Answer 22

The frontal lobe

Question 23

What spot in the brain is known to be important in motor aspects of written and spoken language?

Answer 23

Broca’s area (in frontal lobe)

Question 24

What is the term for the area that occupies much of the frontal lobe, and is involved with executive functions, i.e. personality, decision making, insight, and foresight?

Answer 24

Prefrontal cortex

Question 25

What lobe contains somatosensory areas?

Answer 25

Parietal lobe

Question 26

What lobe contains auditory areas?

Answer 26

Temporal lobe

Question 27

What is the area that is important in comprehension of language?

Answer 27

Wernicke’s area (in the temporal lobe)

Question 28

Besides auditory signals what does the temporal lobe do?

Answer 28

Inferior surface does higher-order processing of visual information.

Most medial part is involved in learning & memory.

Question 29

What lobe does visual information?

Answer 29

Occipital lobe

Question 30

What is the purpose of the limbic lobe, and what are the two important structures in the limbic lobe?

Answer 30

It is important in emotional response, drive-related behavior, and memory

The hippocampus and amygdala are parts of the limbic lobe

Question 31

What are the four divisions of the diencephalon?

And what do they do?

Answer 31

Thalamus - Relays information to cerebral cortex. All sensory information stops in the thalamus (besides olfactory). Many motor pathways, and limbic pathways all traverse the thalamus.
Hypothalamus - Controls autonomic nervous system (regulates visceral responses, termp. And some limbic functions)
Epithalamus
Subthalamus