Gross Brain, Brainstem, & Spinal Cord Flashcards
What are the components of the brain?
Cerebrum/forebrain, cerebellum, and brainstem
What is gray matter made up of?
Cell bodies and dendrites
What is white matter made up of?
Axons, can be myelinated or not
What are the four prominent sulci?
Central, lateral, parietooccipital, cingulate
What is the corpus callosum?
Huge set of fiber tracts that connects the R and L sides of the brain
What does the frontal lobe control?
Execution, planning, and anticipation of motor function
What makes up the frontal lobe?
Precentral gyrus, and superior, middle, & inferior frontal gyri
Where is the primary motor cortex located?
Precentral gyrus
What are the premotor and supplementary motor areas for?
Planning and initiating voluntary movements
Where is Broca’s area located?
Opercular & triangular parts of inferior frontal gyrus (in one hemisphere)
What is Broca’s area important for?
Motor aspects of written and spoken language
What is the prefrontal cortex?
Involved with executive functions (personality, decision making, insight, foresight)
What does the parietal lobe control?
Sensory function
What makes up the parietal lobe?
Postcentral gyrus, and superior & inferior parietal lobules
Where is the primary somatosensory cortex located?
Postcentral gyrus
What does the primary somatosensory cortex do?
Controls processing of sensory (touch & proprioception) and perception
What is the inferior parietal lobe involved in?
Language comprehending
What does the parietal cortex do other than sensory function and language comprehension?
Spatial orientation & directing attention
What is the homonculus?
A map on the primary motor or somatosensory cortex, shows distribution/density of motor/sensory neurons devoted to a particular area of the body
What does the temporal lobe control?
Auditory processing
What makes up the temporal lobe?
Superior, middle, inferior temporal gyri
Where is the primary auditory cortex located?
The superior surface of the temporal lobe
What is Wernicke’s area?
Important in language comprehension
Where is Wernicke’s area located?
Superior temporal gyrus, also includes portions of supramargincal & angular gyri
What is the inferior surface of the temporal lobe involved in?
Higher-order processing of visual information. Learning & memory
What is the limbic system?
A group of cortical areas involved in cognitive function (such as emotional responses, drive-related behavior, & memory)
What makes up the limbic structures?
Uncus, parahippocampal gyrus, amygdala, hippocampus
What is the insula?
Area of cerebral cortex involved in taste function?
Where is the insula?
Deep in the lateral sulcus between the frontal, parietal, and temporal lobes
What makes up the occipital lobe?
Cuneus and lingual gyrus
What does the occipical lobe do?
Vision
Where is the primary visual cortex located?
In the cuneus and lingual gyrus
What does the remainder of the occipital lobe do?
Visual association cortex
What makes up the diencephalon?
Thalamus, hypothalamus, epithalamus, subthalamus
What does the diencephalon do?
Regulates autonomic functions and controls the pituitary gland
What is the thalamus for?
Sensory except olfaction
What is the pineal gland associated with?
The epithalamus
What is the hypothalamus for?
Homeostasis
Where are the basal nuclei located?
Group of nuclei that lie deep to the surrounding brain cortex, divided into caudate & lenticular nucleus (putamen & globus pallidus)
What are the basal nuclei involved in?
Associated with movement control and moderation of movement
What is the internal capsule?
Thick sheet of fibers that separates lenticular nuclei from the thalamus and caudate
White matter tract divided into 5 limbs that each contain specific fiber groups. Has its own vasculature and is therefore prone to vascular insult
What is central white matter?
Long tracts that connect parts of the brain so they can talk to each other
What are arcuate fibers?
Link individual gyri to each other that are close
What are longitudinal/association fasciculi?
Connects cortical areas within the same hemisphere (ex: frontal to occipital)
What are projection tracts?
Connects brain with areas outside the brain (ex: brain to skeletal muscle)
What is the corpus callosum?
Large fiber tract that connects R and L hemispheres, is a type of commissural tract
What is the anterior commisure?
Connects temporal lobe to temporal lobe
What are the 5 limbs of the internal capsule?
Anterior, genu, posterior, sublenticular, retrolenticular
What does the cerebellum do?
Fine motor movements and balance/postural control
What are the cerebellar peduncles?
Three white matter tracts that relay information from the cerebellum to the cortex or spinal cord (superior, middle, and inferior)
What is the substantia gelatinosa?
A region of gray matter that caps the posterior horn
What is Lissauer’s tract?
White matter located between the substantia gelatinosa and surface of the spinal cord (posterior horn)
What is Clark’s nucleus?
Also known as the posterior thoracic nucleus, located T1-L2. Plays role in postural/sensory processing and sends feedback from the cerebellum to the spinal cord
What does the anterior horn do?
Cell bodies of motor neurons that supply skeletal muscle control from the CNS
What is the intermediate gray matter?
Derived from intermediolateral cell column (embro), spans T1-L3 to make up lateral horn
What are the ascending tracts?
Posterior column, spinocerebellar tracts, anterolateral system (ALS)
What does the posterior column do?
Conveys ipsilateral proprioceptive, tactile, & vibratory info from the body
What does the spinocerebellar tract do?
Relays info to cerebellum, thalamus, & motor cortex to influence efficiency of motor activity
What does the anterolateral system do?
Relays pain, temp, and touch from body
What are the descending tracts?
Corticospinal tract, vestibulospinal tract, rubrospinal fibers
What does the corticospinal tract do?
Controls voluntary, fine movements of muscles
What does the vestibulospinal tract do?
Influences motor neurons innervating primarily axial and neck musculature
What do the rubrospinal fibers do?
Excite flexor motor neurons and inhibit extensor motor neurons
