Intro To Nervous System Flashcards
The CNS is made up of these 3 (or 4) parts:
Brain (Cerebrum and Cerebellum)
Brainstem
Spinal cord
Gray matter is made up of:
Multiple neuron cell bodies
White matter is made up of:
Group of neuronal processes (fibers)
Axon or dendrites
What is a nucleus?
Group of similar neuron cell bodies (gray matter)
What is laminate?
“Layer” or “band” of gray matter
What are bodies?
Collection of neuron cell bodies (gray matter)
What is the cortex?
Gray matter found on outer surface of brain and cerebellum
What is a tract or fasciculus?
Group of fibers/axons (white matter)
What is lemniscus?
“Ribbon” or “band” of axons (white matter)
What is funiculus?
“Column” or “cord” of axons (white matter)
List the names of white matter from smallest fibers to largest group of fibers:
- tract or fasciculus (bundle of axons)
- lemniscus (group of fibers)
- funiculus (column or cord, can contain many tracts)
White matter can go in these directions:
Ascending, descending
What is the function of the brainstem?
Connects spinal cord to cerebrum and cerebellum
Brainstem is also called
“Bulb” or “bulbar”
Brainstem is made up of 3 divisions
Midbrain
Pons
Medulla oblongata
In the medulla oblongata, gray matter is located in:
The inferior olivary nuclei “olives”
Describe the inferior olivary nuclei:
Paired L & R, grey matter
Forms bulging landmarks on ventrolateral surface “olives”
The medulla oblongata has these cranial nerve nuclei:
CN 12 - hypoglossal CN 11 - cranial root of spinal accessory CN 10 - vagus CN 9 - glossopharyngeal CN 8 - part of vestibulocochlear complex CN 5 - part of Trigeminal complex
White matter in the medulla oblongata is located in:
“Pyramids” on ventral surface and Inferior Cerebellar peduncles (ICPs) on dorsal surface
Where are “pyramids”?
Paired L+R on the ventral surface of medulla oblongata medial to “olives” (which is gray matter)
Which direction of fibers does “pyramids” in the medulla oblongata contain?
Descending fibers ie. corticospinal axons
What is the inferior cerebellar peduncles (ICPs)?
Paris L+R white matter on the dorsal surface of the medulla oblongata. “Stalks” of axons going to and from cerebellum.
What is the function of the ICP?
Helps attach cerebellum to medulla
The posterior pons contains:
White and gray matter
White matter in the dorsal pons includes:
Middle cerebellar peduncles (MCPs)
What are middle cerebellar peduncles (MCPs)?
Paired L+R, stalks of axons mainly going to cerebellum, help attach cerebellum to pons
Grey matter in dorsal pons includes cranial nerve nuclei:
CN 8 - part of vestibulocochlear complex
CN 7 - facial
CN 6 - abducens
CN 5 - part of trigeminal complex
The ventral (anterior) pons is also called
Basal or basilar pons
The ventral (anterior) pons contains
Gray and white matter
Includes pontine nuclei
Decussate
When something crosses midline
The midbrain is also called
Mesencephalon
The midbrain (mesencephalon) includes what structure that divides the mesencephalon into ventral and dorsal portions
Cerebral aqueduct (of Sylvius)
Ventral midbrain comprised of ___ and contains cranial nerve nuclei (aka gray matter):
Blank: 2 cerebral peduncles
CN 3 - oculomotor
CN 4 - trochlear
CN 5 - part of trigeminal
Red nucleus (motor) Substantia nigra (motor)
What is the substantia nigra?
Serotonergic nuclei
substantia nigra is important in
Motor control
Think: Parkinson’s disease
The dorsal midbrain (aka mesencephalon) is called
“Tectum”
The tectum (dorsal midbrain) contains:
2 paired nuclei: superior and inferior colliculi
And superior cerebellar peduncles (SCPs)
What does the superior colliculi do?
Reflexes
What does the inferior colliculi do?
Auditory
Describe the superior cerebellar peduncles (SCPs)
Paired L+R white matter of the dorsal midbrain “tectum” that connects the cerebellum and cerebrum to itself, the midbrain
The cerebellum contains
Gray and white matter
The gray matter of the cerebellum is located
Mostly on outer surface = cortex
The cortex of cerebellum is arranged in leaf-like folds called
folia
The white matter of the cerebellum is located here
In the core, called medullary center
The ICP (inferior cerebellar peduncle) connects the ____ to the _____
Cerebellum to the medulla
The MCP (middle cerebellar peduncle) connects the ____ to the _____
Cerebellum to the pons
The SCP (superior cerebellar peduncle) connects the ____ to the _____
Cerebellum to the midbrain and cerebrum
What does the cerebellum function to do?
Receive sensory input from cerebral cortex, sensory systems and other CNS areas
Influence skeletal muscle activity: posture, equilibrium, coordination + control of movement
The cerebellum is mainly ____ control of motor activity
Unconscious (though there is some research proving otherwise)
The cerebrum has 2 major distinctions or cerebral hemispheres called:
Diencephalon and telencephalon
Diencephalon means
“Between” “brain”
Telencephalon means
“End” “brain”
The diencephalon is separated into R + L by:
III ventricle
The diencephalon forms the majority of _____ matter and some ______ matter
Gray; white
The diencephalon is divided into 4 parts
Thalamus
Hypothalamus
Epithalamus
Subthalamus