Gross Anatomy Of Brain And Spinal Cord 2

Question 1

Label the diagram left to right

What structure is located near the most right hand side one?

Answer 1

Genu

Corpus callosum

Body

Central sulcus

Parietooccipital sulcus

Splenium

Calcarine sulcus - location of visual cortex

Question 2

Label the diagram 1-6

Answer 2

Anterior limb of internal capsule

Genu of internal capsule

Posterior limb of internal capsule

Splenium of corpus callosum

Thalamus

Head of caudate nucleus

Question 3

What is the function of the internal capsule and what structures surround it?

Answer 3

Nerve fibres - corona radiata run from the cortex into the cerebrum via here.

Surrounded by the lentiform nucleus, caudate nucleus and the thalamus

Question 4

Where is the location of the hypothalamus

Its function?

Answer 4

Inferior and anterior to the thalamus

Maintains homeostasis by monitoring internal environment such as blood glucose and body temp

Controls release of hormones from pituitary gland

Question 5

Where is the pituitary gland and what’s its function?

Answer 5

Connected to hypothalamus via the pituitary stalk

Regulates hormone release through releasing or inhibiting hormones

Hormones include:

Growth hormone
Thyroid stimulating hormone
Follicle stimulating hormone

Question 6

What is acromegaly and what causes it?

Answer 6

Overproduction of growth hormone by the pituitary gland

• normally due to pituitary tumour, due to slow release this can arise over years

Symptoms include:

• growth of hands and feet, lips nose and tongue, deeper voice, increase in size of jaw

Question 7

What are the brain ventricles, and their function? What cells are in there?

Answer 7

Fluid filled cavities that provide protection.

Produce and circulate CSF (through choroidal epithelial cells located in each ventricle)

Question 8

What are the names of the ventricles and what joins each one? How does CSF leave the ventricles?

Answer 8

Lateral ventricles joined to third ventricle via the interventricular foramen

Third ventricle connects to fourth by cerebral aqueduct

CSF leaves 4th V via the lateral and median apertures into the subarachnoid space

Question 9

What components make up the brainstem? What is its function?

Answer 9

Connection between the cerebrum, cerebellum and spinal cord.

Split into midbrain, pons and medulla oblongata.

Question 10

Describe the gross structure of the spinal cord

Answer 10

Begins at foramen magnum and starts with C1-8, T1-12, L-5, S1-5

There is cervical enlargement at C4-T1

And lumbosacral enlargement at T11-S1

Question 11

Describe the structure of a vertebrae of thoracic segment

Answer 11

2x posterior dorsal horn,
2x middle lateral horn,
2x anterior ventral horns

Sensory afferent information enters dorsal horn

Motor efferent leaves ventral horn

Question 12

Describe the structure of a spinal nerve

Answer 12

Small rootlets converge to form a root.

Efferent ventral rootlets and afferent dorsal rootlets converge to form a spinal nerve

Question 13

What are the layers of protection of the spinal cord from inner to outer

Answer 13

Pia mater

Arachinoid mater

Dura mater

Epidural fat

Question 14

What is a myotome and a dermatome?

Answer 14

Myotome = anatomically and functionally related group of skeletal muscle

Dermatome = localised area of skin