Final Flashcards
Ventral
Bottom of the brain
Dorsal
Top of the brain
Anterior
Front of the brain
Posterior
Back of the brain
Lateral
Sides of the brain
Medial
Middle of the brain
Horizontal plane
From front to back on the horizontal
Sagittal plane
From front to back along the vertical plane
Coronal plane
From side to side on the vertical
What are the three meninges?
Dura mater, arachnoid membrane, pia mater
Dura mater
Thick sheet of cells found just inside the skull, between the skull and the Brain. Cannot be torn, has to be cut (skin of the orange)
Arachnoid membrane
Looks like spider webs, easily torn, has nerves and blood vessels. (White pith of an orange)
Pia mater
Covers all the little grooves, last protection layer for the brain matter. (Membrane that covers individual segments of the orange)
Meningitis
Inflammation of the meninges
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
Fluid found within the ventricles, travels around the brain and spine via pressure, how toxins are removed from the brain
Ischemic stroke
A blood clot in the brain, accounts for 87% of all stroke cases
Transient ischemic attack (TIA)
Often known as a mini stroke, it is caused by a temporary clot or it’s found in a very small blood vessel
Hemorrhagic stroke
A bleed in the brain, most associated with cocaine use, generally fatal
Central nervous system
Brain and spine
Peripheral nervous system
Somatic and autonomic systems, all parts of the nervous system that do not include the brain or spine
Somatic system
Sensory info in, movement controls out
Autonomic system
Consists of sympathetic system: releases noepinephrine to lead an expenditure of energy, increases. Respiration, increases. Heart rate, increases blood pressure. And parasympathetic system opposite of sympathetic
Three major divisions of the brain
Hindbrain, midbrain, forebrain
Hindbrain
Oldest part of the brain that develops first in utero and is the most conserved/ changed the least over the course of evolution
Midbrain
The small area of brain between the forebrain and high brain that is a little bit different between species; dopamine pathways start here; very basic sensory processing (Dopamine important in addiction and movement)
Forebrain
The largest part of the brain that is all wrinkled and stuff and is the most different between species
Three major regions of the hindbrain
The medulla, pons, and the cerebellum
Medulla
Controls vital reflexes such as breathing, heart rate, salivation and sneezing; area you reach first when coming up the spinal cord; if damaged, highly likely to be fatal or at least greatly impact quality of life
Pons
Area right above the medulla; deals with arousal and readiness; basic level of consciousness
Cerebellum
Wrinkly bit at the back that looks like its own separate brain, mini version of the main brain; helps regulate movement, balance, and coordination; helps with shifting attention between auditory and visual stimuli
Details of the forebrain
Consists of two cerebral hemispheres, connected by the corpus callosum; consists of a subcortical region and an outer portion known as the cerebral cortex
Thalamus
Relay station from the sensory organs to the cortex except for sent
Hypothalamus
Controls the pituitary gland which releases hormones to control all the other glands in the body; deals with behaviors such as eating, drinking, sexual behavior, etc
Basal ganglia
Comprised of four different nuclei within the brain all working together to assist with the planning of movement, looks like an alien face, found in the inner areas of the brain. Keeps movement, fluid and smooth. Requires dopamine. Death to neurons here = Parkinson’s
Three regions of the limbic system
Amygdala, hippocampus, cingulate cortex/gyrus; limbic system is a collection of several different areas that all work together to contribute to your emotional state
Amygdala
Heavily involved in emotional violence; are you happy, sad, feeling positive, negative fear, etc
Hippocampus
Critical for memory consolidation, important for formation of memory, goes hand in hand with amygdala, events become heavily consolidated as important memory/core memory when triggered or activated by the amygdala
Cingulate cortex/gyrus
Focus and attention/attention switching, emotional component of pain, altered in those with ADHD
Cerebral cortex
Comprised of gray matter (where we find all the somas and dendrites and receiving and processing of information), and white matter (axons that are myelinated).
Sulci
Crevices in the brain
Gyri
Raised areas in the brain
Four lobes of the cerebral cortex
Occipital (back, eyes), parietal (top, has primary somatosensory cortex), temporal (side, temple area), frontal (front, has primary motor cortex); free teachers peace out!
Vision
Sensory receptors located in the retina, use rods for low light and movement, cones for color and detail
Retina
Thin membrane that is all along the back and sides of the eyeball
Pathway for vision
Axons go from the retina through the thalamus then are rooted to the primary visual cortex in the occipital lobe
Audition
Hearing, sensory receptors are located in the cochlea and transduce sound waves
Cochlea
Snail shell looking thing found in the inner ear used for hearing
Hair cells
Tiny Celia that act as sensory receptors for hearing, they react to sound waves
Path for audition
Hearing signals go from the cochlea, through the thalamus, and to the temporal lobe
Somatosensory system
Includes touch, pressure, temperature, pain/body position. (Where is your body in space? Close your eyes and sense where your knees are)
Free nerve endings
Sensory receptors for pain located in the skin
Somatosensory path to the brain
Receptors receive information, send it through the thalamus, to the primary somatosensory cortex located in the parietal lobe
Gustation
Sense of taste, sensory receptors are located in the taste buds where each one has a whole lot of sensory receptors
Gustatory cells
Sensory receptors for taste found in taste buds
Gustation path in the brain
From the taste buds, through the thalamus, on to the insular cortex where the amygdala decides whether you like the taste or not
Olfaction
Sense of smell, sensory receptors are located in the olfactory bulb inside the nasal cavity, they transduce chemicals in the nose
Olfactory cells
Sensory receptors for smell, located on the olfactory bulb
Olfaction pathway to the brain
Olfactory cells send information down. Axons to the primary olfactory cortex. (Scent is the only sense that does not go through the thalamus)
Frontal lobe
Contains prefrontal cortex and primary motor cortex
Prefrontal cortex
Does all the calculations on what force is needed for specific movement such as picking up a cup, then tells the primary motor cortex what to do
Primary motor cortex
Area of the brain that sends messages to specific muscle groups of the body to complete a movement
Motor neurons
Release acetylcholine into the neuromuscular junction which opens sodium ion channels and leads to muscle contraction. Death to motor neurons = ALS
