Exam 1 - Foundations

Question 1

What is the CNS made up of?

Answer 1

Brain and spinal cord

Question 2

What is the PNS made up of?

Answer 2

Somatic and autonomic systems

Question 3

What is the somatic nervous system made up of?

Answer 3

Cranial and spinal nerves, sensory afferents, motor afferents

Question 4

What is the autonomic nervous system made up of?

Answer 4

PNS (calm) and SNS (fight or flight)

Question 5

What does somatic nervous system do?

Answer 5

Interacts with external environment

Question 6

What does autonomic nervous system do?

Answer 6

Regulates internal environment by innervating smooth muscles

Question 7

Meninges: purpose and layers

Answer 7

Purpose: to protect
Layers: Dura mater (outer), arachnoid (middle), and pia mater (inner)

Question 8

What are ventricles?

Answer 8

Cavities in the brain

Question 9

What is cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)?

Answer 9

cushions brain, exchange nutrients/waste between brain and blood

Question 10

What is choroid plexus?

Answer 10

creates CSF in lateral ventricle

Question 11

What is hydrocephalus?

Answer 11

buildup of CSF, causing compression of neural tissue around ventricles

Question 12

What is the blood brain barrier?

Answer 12

separation of
brain capillaries and CSF

Question 13

What else does the BBB do?

Answer 13

BBB allows passage of water, glucose, essential amino acids, oxygen, CO2, lipid-soluble substances

Question 14

What is the extracellular matrix?

Answer 14

dense network of proteins and glycans

Provides cells w/ points of anchorage, facilitates organization of brain into specific regions

stabilizes synapses

Question 15

Which fissures divide the brain into 4 regions? What are the 4 regions?

Answer 15

Central and lateral fissures

Frontal, temporal, parietal, occipital

Question 16

What comprises structural imaging? How do we differentiate the two?

Answer 16

CT and MRI scans

MRI is more detailed

Question 17

What comprises functional imaging?

Answer 17

PET and fMRI scans

Question 18

What do glial cells do?

Answer 18

They have metabolic support and protection/insulation for neurons

Question 19

What is an axon comprised of?

Answer 19

White (bundles of axons) and grey matter (cell bodies)

Question 20

What are the 3 types of synapses?

Answer 20

Axodendritic, axosomatic, and axoaxonic

Question 21

What do cytoskeletal proteins do?

Answer 21

Maintain structure and provide axonal transport

Question 22

How do we classify neurons?

Answer 22

number of neurites (multipolar, monopolar, bipolar), axons/connections (projection neurons and interneurons), size, and neurotransmitter (cholinergic or dopaminergic neuron)

Question 23

What are the macroglia cells?

Answer 23

schwann cells, oligodendrocytes, astrocytes

Question 24

Schwann cells

Answer 24

in PNS, one cell per neuron, produce myelin

Question 25

Oligodendrocytes

Answer 25

CNS, multiple neurons, produce myelin

Question 26

Astrocytes

Answer 26

intertwine with neurons and provide structural support

Question 27

What do microglia cells do?

Answer 27

act as scavengers that collect at sites of neuron damage to remove dying cells

Primary source of immune response in CNS

Question 28

Where is the dorsal root on the spinal cord, and what does it do?

Answer 28

On top

carry afferent sensory axons

Question 29

Where is the ventral root on the spinal cord, and what does it do?

Answer 29

On side

carry efferent motor axons