Exam I | Systems Overview: Nervous System Flashcards

1
Q

Distinguish between afferent and efferent.

A

afferent is sensory function, efferent is motor function

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2
Q

Somatic nervous system (4 points)

A
  • voluntary
  • innervates skeletal muscle
  • carries sensory information originating in the skin to CNS
  • acts in concert with ANS that regulates cardio-pulmonary function, response to stress, etc.
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3
Q

What are glial cells?

A
  • nurturing cells that support, insulate, and facilitate neurons
  • differ regionally in the brain
  • more abundant than neurons
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4
Q

What glial cells myelinate in the CNS? PNS?

A

oligodendrocytes; Schwann cells

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5
Q

How many nerve pairs are in the cervical, sacral, and coccygeal regions?

A

8, 5, and 1, respectively

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6
Q

What do you call the termination of the spinal cord? Where does the spina cord end?

A

medullary cone, between L1 and L2

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7
Q

Describe the relationship between the lumbar column and the lumbar region of the cord.

A

the lumbar column is inferior to the lumbar region of the cord.

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8
Q

Describe the relationship between the sacrum and the sacral region of the cord.

A

the sacrum is inferior to the sacral region of the cord

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9
Q

What is the cauda equina?

A

made up of lumbar, sacral, and coccygeal spinal nerve pairs

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10
Q

Compare and contrast nuclei with ganglia.

A
  • both are local aggregations of neurons of similar function
  • but nuclei are found in CNS and ganglia are found in PNS (sensory and autonomic)
  • exception is basal ganglia
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11
Q

What is the difference between white and gray matter?

A
  • gray matter has somas, white matter has axons

- in brain, gray matter is in cortex and white matter is in inner brain; the reverse is true in the spinal cord

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12
Q

What is a tract in the CNS?

A

a pathway (aggregation of nerve fibers) interconnecting 2 or more nuclei

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13
Q

What are the meninges composed of?

A

dura mater, arachnoid mater, pia mater

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14
Q

What does “gracile” mean?

A

thin, slender

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15
Q

What does ‘cuneate” mean?

A

wedge-shaped

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16
Q

What does fasciculus mean?

A

small bundle

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17
Q

What does ipsilateral mean?

A

same side

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18
Q

what does contralateral mean?

A

opposite side

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19
Q

What are 2 components of the dorsal lemniscus?

A

gracile fasciculus (medial) and cuneate fasciculus (lateral)

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20
Q

How can syphilis affect the spinal cord over time?

A
  • after 20 years of infection, it can cause progressive deterioration of the dorsal side, or tabes dorsalis.
  • inflammation of dorsal roots and spinal ganglia
  • necrosis of dorsal columns
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21
Q

What fibers does the peripheral nervous system include?

A
  • autonomic
  • sensory
  • motor
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22
Q

what does the nuerolemma do?

A
  • in myelinated axons, produces myelin that surrounds a single axon
  • in a Remak bundle, a single neurolemma surrounds multiple axons (or dendrites). Does not produce myelin in this case
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23
Q

what is another name for Schwann cells?

A

neurolemmocytes

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24
Q

What is the epinerueum?

A
  • contains fatty tissue, blood supply, and lymphatic vessels

- envelops multiple fascicles to encase entire nerve

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25
Q

What is the perineurium?

A

dense connective tissue that encapsulates fascicles

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26
Q

What is a fascicle?

A

a bundle of axons, encapsulated by the perineurium

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27
Q

what is the endoneurium?

A

connective tissue that wraps around myelin in the PNS

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28
Q

What is myelin composed of?

A

water and collagen

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29
Q

What must a local anesthetic molecule do to reach its site of action?

A
  • site of action is the nerve axon

- must traverse 4-5 layers of connective tissue or lipid membranous barriers, or both

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30
Q

How is the PNS divided?

A
  • primarily into motor and sensory nerves
  • motor nerves can be somatic or autonomic
  • autonomic nerves can be sympathetic or parasympathetic
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31
Q

What nerves are considered part of the PNS?

A
  • cranial nerves

- spinal nerve pairs

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32
Q

From where do the cranial nerves originate? What is the exception?

A
  • brainstem, exit skull via cranial foramina

- cranial nerve XI arises from superior cord

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33
Q

How many pairs of spinal nerves are there?

A

31

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34
Q

What are two other names for DRG?

A

posterior root ganglion or spinal ganglion

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35
Q

what is another name for nerve?

A

root

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36
Q

Describe the pathway of a motor neuron.

A
  • soma is in ventral horn

- travels from there to ventral rootlets to ventral root to spinal root (nerve) to skeletal muscle

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37
Q

Describe the pathway of a sensory neuron.

A
  • soma is in spinal ganglion (DRG)
  • sensory neuron is unipolar
  • travels from skin to spinal root to DRG to dorsal root to dorsal rootlets to dorsal horn
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38
Q

How does the somatic reflex response work?

A
  • sensory neuron is connected to motor neuron by interneuron

- AP occurs in between sensory neuron and interneuron, and between interneuron and motor neuron

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39
Q

Reflexes can fall under what two categories?

A
  • monsynaptic (2 neurons)
  • disynaptic (3 neurons)
  • there’s always one more neuron than there are synapses
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40
Q

What is the basal lamina, and what is another name for it?

A
  • wraps around myelin

- basement membrane

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41
Q

What type of nerve fibers cannot regenerate?

A

CNS fibers

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42
Q

In what cases can you have nerve fiber regeneration?

A

-in the PNS, if only the myelin sheath is damaged

43
Q

What is Wallerian degernation?

A
  • incomplete regeneration
  • structures distal to the injury or transection undergo atrophy (including axon terminals), and for a short distance proximally
44
Q

How does a transected nerve fiber regenerate when the myelin is relatively intact?

A
  • growth cones and filopodia emerge from proximal axons in nerve.
  • Filipodia follow contours of Schwann cell
45
Q

What 3 things can induce nerve damage?

A
  • bone displacement from fractures
  • MVC
  • ischemia
46
Q

What determines whether or not a neuronal axon can regrow?

A
  • the degree to which Schwann cells and neurolemma are damaged
  • if they are relatively intact, there is a good chance of recovery
47
Q

What kind of neurons does the ANS have?

A
  • primarily classified as efferent (motor)

- however has efferent and efferent components

48
Q

What organs do visceral efferent fiibers innervate?

A
  • smooth muscle
  • glands
  • heart
49
Q

What 2 things do visceral afferent fibers contribute to?

A
  • autonomic reflexes

- homeostasis

50
Q

If the cell body is in a ganglion, what kind of nerve is it?

A

peripheral and afferent (sensory)

51
Q

The Vagus nerve provides what kind of innervation to the abdominothoracic cavity?

A

parasympathetic

52
Q

If the cell body is in the ventral horn, what kind of neuron is it and what is the target tissue?

A
  • autonomic motor neuron

- sends autonomic signals to heart or skin (to activate erector pili muscle)

53
Q

Distinguish between somatic sensory and visceral sensory neurons.

A
  • somatic sensory neurons send signals mainly from integumentary sensory receptors (but also from fascia, joints, skeletal muscles, and special senses) sensitive to vibration, pain, touch, and temperature. You are aware of them (with some exceptions)
  • visceral sensory neurons receive AUTONOMIC information about HR, BP, O2 levels from viscera back to the CNS. You’re not aware of these sensations.
  • both responsible for pain
54
Q

Distinguish between somatic motor and visceral motor neurons.

A
  • somatic motor are voluntary and carry info from cord to skeletal muscle
  • visceral motor carry AUTONOMIC info to smooth muscle, glands, and heart
55
Q

Describe the two divisions of the efferent autonomic nervous system.

A
  • sympathetic (thoracolumbar): fright, fight, flight

- parasympathetic (craniosacral): rest and digest

56
Q

Where are the somas of the efferent preganglionic neurons of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems?

A
  • both are found in the spinal cord
  • sympathetic is found in the thoracolumbar region of the cord
  • parasympathetic is in the craniosacral region of the cord (brain stem or sacral spinal cord)
57
Q

Where are the somas of the efferent postganglionic neurons of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems?

A

both have soma in the autonomic ganglion and innervate smooth muscle or glands

58
Q

What separates the pre and postganglionic neurons?

A

ganglion, where synapse occurs

59
Q

How does neuron size of pre and post ganglionic neurons compare in the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems?

A

in parasympathetic, preganglionic neurons tend to be longer and post ganglionic neurons tend to be shorter and in the target tissue

60
Q

Dorsal and ventral roots converge to make the _____.

A

spinal nerve

61
Q

What does the spinal nerve divide into?

A

anterior and posterior rami that carry both afferent and efferent (mixed) fibers

62
Q

What do posterior rami innervate?

A
  • synovial joints of vertebral column
  • deep muscles of back
  • overlying skin
63
Q

What do anterior rami innervate?

A
  • most of anterior and lateral trunk

- both upper and lower limbs

64
Q

What 3 things do somatic afferent fibers conduct?

A
  • exteroception
  • nociception
  • proprioception
65
Q

What sensations are exteroceptive, and where are the receptors?

A
  • pain
  • pressure
  • touch
  • temperature
  • receptors are in skin
66
Q

What sensations are nociceptive?

A

physiological pain

67
Q

What sensations are proprioceptive, and where are the receptors?

A
  • joint and limb position and tension

- receptors are in muscles and tendons

68
Q

Cervical dermatomes include what regions of the body?

A
  • anterior and posterior shoulders
  • clavicular region
  • anterior and posterior neck
  • posterior head
69
Q

What regions of the body makes up the sacral dermatomes?

A
  • posterior lower extremities

- gluteal region

70
Q

What region of the body makes up the lumbar dermatomes?

A

anterior lower extremities

71
Q

What is the difference between a dermatome and a myotome?

A
  • dermatome is region of skin innervated by sensory fibers from a single spinal nerve (dorsal root)
  • myotome is a range of skeletal muscles (not necessarily touching) that is innervated by a single spinal nerve (more often a motor neuron)
72
Q

Why are dermatomes important?

A

use in evaluating and localizing source of tactile sensation problems in patients

73
Q

How are myotomes categorized?

A

by joint movement

74
Q

Describe the structure of the para-vertebral sympathetic chain ganglia.

A
  • start in the cervical region: there’s 3 bilaterally (superior, middle, inferior)
  • However, the bridges that connect them to the cord (dorsal and ventral rami) are ONLY present in the thoracolumbar region
  • 3 bilateral pairs of sacral chain ganglia converge at the ganglion impar
75
Q

Name the pre-vertebral sympathetic ganglia from most superior to most inferior.

A
  • celiac ganglion
  • superior mesenteric ganglion
  • inferior mesenteric ganglion
76
Q

Where do the pre-synaptic sympathetic neurons emerge from?

A

the intermediolateral column (IML) of gray matter of cord, between T1 and L4

77
Q

Where are post-synaptic sympathetic neurons located?

A

in the pre-vertebral ganglia and the sympathetic chain

78
Q

What is another name for pre-vertebral ganglia?

A

collateral ganglia

79
Q

In the sympathetic nervous system, above the diaphragm, where do synapses occur?

A

at the paravertebral ganglia (sympathetic chain)

80
Q

In the sympathetic nervous system, below the diaphragm, where do synapses occur?

A

at the pre-vertebral ganglia (collateral ganglia)

81
Q

Where do pre-synaptic nerves merge together prior to synapsing?

A

at the splanchnic nerves in the prevertebral ganglia

82
Q

Where are splanchnic nerves located?

A

in prevertebral ganglia

83
Q

What is the pathway for a pre-ganglionic sympathetic axon from the cord to the sympathetic chain?

A

-IML-> ventral root-> spinal nerve> ventral ramus> sympathetic chain

84
Q

Once the pre-ganglionic axon has reached the sympathetic chain, what are its options?

A
  • may then ascend into chain to target tissue
  • or synapse with post-ganglionic neuron at the same level (at chain ganglia)
  • or pass through chain into splanchnic nerve and then prevertebral ganglion
85
Q

What connects the ventral ramus to the sympathetic chain?

A

gray and white rami communicantes

86
Q

what nerves does the spinal nerve contain?

A
  • autonomic
  • sensory
  • motor
87
Q

What is the anatomical position of the white ramus relative to the gray ramus communicantes?

A

it’s more lateral

88
Q

Describe the pathway of a post-ganglionic sympathetic neuron after it synapses at the chain ganglion

A

gray ramus communicantes-> anterior ramus-> peripheral nerve

89
Q

What is meant by the phrase “sympathetic innervation is structurally divergent”?

A

-there are more postganglionic neurons that preganglionic neurons

90
Q

What sympathetic receptors play a role in regulating vasomotor tone?

A

alpha and beta receptors

91
Q

Functions of the sympathetic nervous system

A
  • regulation of vasomotor tone
  • pilomotion (arrector pili muscles)
  • sweating (sudomotion)
92
Q

Describe the pathway of the postganglionic neuron to the head

A
  • cell body is in superior cervical ganglion
  • leave ganglion via the cephalic arterial branch to form periarterial plexuses of nerves that may accompany carotid arteries
93
Q

What is Horner’s syndrome?

A
  • occurs due to damage of the postganglionic neuron pathway to the head
  • patients can have trouble elevating an eyelid or one pupil may be more dilated than the other
94
Q

What nerve fibers do splanchnic nerves generally refer to?

A
  • autonomic fibers (visceral efferents)

- sensory fibers (visceral afferents)

95
Q

What are the splanchnic nerves of the thoracic cavity?

A
  • greater
  • lesser
  • least
96
Q

Which splanchnic nerves are not sympathetic?

A

pelvic splanchnics; they are parasympathetic (craniosacral)

97
Q

What splanchnic nerves are the largest and most likely to be encountered? What do they innervate?

A
  • thoracic

- primarily the GI tract and lower abdominal cavity

98
Q

neural pathway to adrenal medulla

A
  • preganglionic neuron does not synapse at either the sympathetic chain or at the pre-vertebral ganglia
  • the adrenal medulla IS the postganglionic neuron; it is considered neural tissue (but not the cortex). It’s derived from ectoderm, from which nervous tissue is also derived
99
Q

what are the parasympathetic cranial nerves?

A

III (oculomotor)
VII (facial)
IX (glossopharyngeal)
X

100
Q

What kind of ganglia are in the head? How many are there?

A

4 parasympathetic

101
Q

What kind of ganglia are in the neck? How many are there?

A

3 sympathetic

102
Q

For parasympathetic nervous system, everything above where the transverse colon and descending colon meet is innervated by the _______, and everything below is innervated by the ________.

A

vagus nerve; pelvic splanchnic nerve

103
Q

From what two places do preganglionic parasympathetic neurons originate?

A
  • brain stem (fibers exit with parasympathetic cranial nerves)
  • sacral region of the cord (via anterior roots of spinal nerves and pelvic splanchnic nerves)