How does it all work? Flashcards
Describe the spinal cord
- Extends from the foramen magnum to the first or second lumbar vertebrae
- Can be divided into cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral and coccygeal (coxy-geal) regions
- 31 pairs of spinal nerves
What are the Meninges?
-Meninges: the connective tissue covering the spinal cord and brain.
What are the functions of the meninges?
- Protects the central nervous system and its blood vessels
- Contains the cerebrospinal fluid
- Forms partitions in the skull
What is the Dura Mater
- Periosteal dura
- Dural venous sinus
- Venous blood
- Dural folds
- Meningeal dura
- Subdural space
- Serous fluid
What is the Arachnoid Mater
Subarachnoid space
-Cerebrospinal fluid and blood vessels
What is the Pia Mater?
-Has many small blood vessels
In the spinal cord where do the sensory & motor neurons travel?
- Sensory neurons travel through the dorsal roots
- Motor (somatic and autonomic) neurons travel though the ventral roots
- Spinal nerves contain sensory neurons and motor (somatic and autonomic)
What are the cell bodies of the motor neurons in?
-Cell bodies of motor neurons are in horns of grey matter
=Somatic motor neuron cell bodies in anterior (ventral) horn (motor horn)
=Autonomic motor neuron cell bodies in lateral horn
What do the Endoneurium, Perineurium & Epineurium surround?
-Endoneurium
o Surrounds each axon and its associated Schwann cells
-Perineurium
o Surrounds a group of axons or a nerve fascicle
-Epineurium
o Surrounds a group of fascicles
What are the parts of the brain?
-Forebrain o Cerebrum o Diencephalon -Midbrain -Hindbrain o Pons o Medulla oblongata o Cerebellum
What is the function of the Medulla Oblongata and the centres?
-Autonomic reflex centre maintaining body homeostasis
-Cardiovascular centre
o Regulates heart rate, force of heart contraction and blood vessel diameter
-Respiratory centre
o Regulates rate and depth of breathing
-Other reflexes
o Swallowing, vomiting, hiccupping, coughing and sneezing
What is the function of the pons, what does it contain?
-Pons = bridge
-Contains conduction tracts:
o Longitudinal tracts from the spinal cord to higher brain centres
o Transverse tracts form the cerebrum (motor cortex) and cerebellum
-Sleep centre
o Rapid eye movement
-Respiratory centre
What is the function of the mid brain?
- Receives visual, auditory and tactile sensory input generating reflex movements of the head, eyes and body
- Controlling movement of the eye
What is the function of the Cerebellum?
- Cerebellum = little brain
- Controls locomotion, in association with the cerebrum
- Controls fine motor control
- Controls posture and balance
What are the parts of the Diencephalon?
- Thalamus
- Subthalamus
- Epithalamus
- Hypothalamus
What is the function of the Thalamus?
-Sensory relay centre or “gateway”
o Anything you hear, see, feel by touch, but NOT smell
-Regulates mood, memory and strong emotions e.g. fear and rage
What are the functions of the Hypothalamus?
- Maintains homeostasis via the endocrine system
- Regulates heart rate
- Regulates digestive activities (food intake, water balance and thirst)
- Controls muscles in swallowing
- Controls body temperature
- Regulates the sex drive and sexual pleasure
- Regulates mood, motivation and emotions
- Regulates the sleep-wake cycle
Name and describe the parts of the Cerebrum
- Gyri – elevated tissue or folds
- Sulci – grooves
- Fissures – deep grooves
- Longitudinal fissure – separates left and right hemisphere
- Lateral fissure – separates temporal lobe from rest of the cerebrum
- Central sulcus – separates frontal lobe from parietal lobe
What are the lobes of the Cerebrum?
- Frontal
- Parietal
- Occipital
- Temporal
- Insula