Intro to Neuro Flashcards
What are the main three subdivisions of the brain?
- Cerebrum
- Cerebellum
- Brainstem
What are the terms for axons in the CNS?
Tract, lemniscus, peduncle
_______ matter is myelinated and shows up blue/purple in images.
White.
Gray matter is unmyelinated and shoes up grey
Which plane cuts seperates the brain into left and right lobes?
Sagittal plane
Which plane seperates the brain into anterior and posterior?
Coronal plane
The Cell bodies and dendrites are composed of _______ matter while the axons are made of ______ matter.
Grey; white
Glutamate, GABA, and Acetylcholine are examples of ______________.
small molecule neurotransmitters
Dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin are examples of __________.
Monoamines
ACTH and substance P are examples of _________.
Neuropeptides
The ridges of the brain are called ______ and the grooves are called _______.
Gyri; sulci
What are the five lobes of the cerebral hemisphere?
- Frontal
- Parietal
- Occipital
- Temporal
- Limbic
What are the major parts of the frontal lobe?
- Superior, middle, and inferior frontal gyri.
- Precentral gyrus and sulcus.
- Orbital gyri
- Gyrus rectus
What is the overall major function of the frontal lobe?
MOTOR
What is the function of the precentral gyrus?
Primary motor cortex, origin of decending motor pathway, initiates voluntary movements
Where are the supplemental motor areas?
Part of precentral, nearby portions of superior and middle frontal gyri
Where is Broca’s area and what is its function?
Inferior frontal gyrus on only one hemisphere (normally left)
Production of spoken and written language
Where is the prefrontal cortex and what is its function?
The rest of the frontal lobe
Does executive functions such as personality, foresight, insight, etc.
What are the major parts of the parietal lobe?
Lateral surface: postcentral gyrus, superior parietal lobule, inferior parietal lobule
Medial surface: precuneus, paracentral lobule
What is the major overall function of the parietal lobe?
SENSORY
What is the function of the postcentral gyrus?
Primary Somatosensory cortex: initial procession of tactile and proprioceptive information
Which area of the parietal lobe is part of Wernike’s area involved with language comprehension?
Inferior parietal lobule of one hemisphere (typically left)
What is the function of the rest of the parietal lobe?
Complex aspects of spatial orientation and directing attention
What are the major parts of the temporal lobe?
Lateral surface: superior, middle, and inferior temporal gyri
Inferior surface: occipitotemporal (fusiform) gyrus
Where is the primary auditory cortex?
Superior surface of temporal lobe, part of superior temporal gyrus
What is in the posterior aspect of one hemisphere of the temporal lobe (normally left)?
Wernike’s area: language comprehension
T/F: Much of the temporal lobe is used for higher order visual processing?
True
What is the function of the medial temporal lobe (as well as part of limbic lobe)?
learning and memory
What are the main structures of the occipital lobe?
Lateral surface: lateral occipital gyri (variable configuration of gyri)
Medial surface: cuneus and lingual gyrus
What is the major function of the occipital lobe?
VISION
Where is the primary visual cortex?
In the banks of calcarine sulcus and a bit of surrounding cortex
The ____________ cortex comprises the majority of the occipital lobe and is involved in higher order visual processing.
Visual association
What does the limbic lobe consist of?
Cingulate and parahippocampal gyri
What function does the limbic lobe serve?
Important in emotional responses, drive-related behaviors, and memory
Where is the insula and what is its function?
Buried deep in lateral sulcus.
Overlies site where telencephalon and diencephalon fuse during development
What are the four divisions of the diencephalon?
- Thalamus
- Hypothalamus
- Epithalamus
- Subthalamus
What are the functions of the thalamus?
- Important in most CNS functions
- All sensory info except olfaction goes through thalamus to get to cerebral cortex
- Involved in motor system neural circuits
- Limbic system projections to cortex go through thalamus
What seperates the thalamus and the hypothalamus?
Hypothalamic sulcus in wall of third ventricle
What part of the hypothalamus is visible on the inferior surface of the brain?
Mammillary bodies
What connects hypothalamus with pituitary?
Infundibular stalk
What is the major function of the hypothalamus?
Major visceral control center and has limbic functions
What shape is often reoccurring in structures of the brain?
C-shape due to development
What are the three divisions of the brainstem?
- Midbrain
- Pons
- Medulla
What is the major function of the brainstem?
Convey information to and from the cerebrum
Which two nerves do not connect to brainstem?
CNI (Olfactory): terminate in olfactory bulb
CNII (Optic): ends in thalamus after forming optic chiasm
*part of CNS, not PNS
What cranial nerves emerge from the midbrain?
CNIII (oculomotor): interpenduncular fossa
CNIV (trochlear): only CN to emerge from dorsal aspect of brainstem
What cranial nerves emerge from the pons?
CNV (trigeminal)
CNVI (abducens)
CNVII (facial)
CVIII (vestibulocochlear): emerges from cerebellopontine angle
What cranial nerves emerge from the medulla?
CNIX (glossophayngeal)
CNX (vagus)
CN XI (accessory): emerges from upper cervical spinal cord, ascends into skull and reverses back into neck
CNXII (hypoglossal)
What is the role of the choroid plexus?
Makes cerebrospinal fluids
What is the role of CSF?
Suspends brain, regulates extracellular fluid composition and distribution of certain chemical messengers in the CNS
What are the parts of the lateral ventricle from anterior to posterior?
Anterior horn, body, atrium, posterior horn, (circles around to form) inferior horn
What connects the third and fourth ventricle?
Cerebral aqueduct
CSF is reabsorbed into the venous system through _______ ______.
Arachnoid villi
What might cause a swelling in the lateral and third ventricles?
Blockage of aqueduct would not allow CSF to flow out of third ventricle so it would swell everything upstream
What is the purpose of the brain being suspended in the meninges?
Allow the brain to turn with the head
What are the three meningeal layers?
- Dura mater: outermost and toughest
- Arachnoid mater
- Pia mater: innermost layer attached to CNS
What is another name for the arachnoid and pia layers?
Leptomeninges
Where in the meninges is the CNF located?
Subarachnoid space: between arachnoid and pia mater
What can result from an increase in intracranial pressure?
A herniation of the brain where brain matter pushes through rural reflections (falx cerebri or tentorium cerebelli)
What is the difference between an epidural hemorrhage and a subdural hemorrhage?
Epidural: tear of meningeal arteries to blood between skull and dura
Subdural: tear of bridging veins to blood in inner most dural layer
Where does the superficial venous system typically drain? Deep venous system?
Superficial = superior Sagittal sinus
Deep = straight sinus
What Is the function of the circle of willis?
Anastomoses the ACA, MCA, and PCA to allow for varied blood flow pathways in case of blockage
Give a rough idea of the path of the ACA
Runs from circle of willis and enters the longitudinal fissure, then arches posteriorly and follows corpus callosum
Where does the ACA supply blood?
Medial parts of frontal and parietal lobes
What connects the left and right ACAs?
Acomm (anterior communicating artery)
What is the general path of the MCA and what does it supply?
Runs laterally into the lateral sulcus and divides into many branches
Supplies most of lateral cerebral hemispheres
What supplies the basal ganglia, thalamus, and internal capsule?
Perforating arteries
Where does the basilar artery bifurcate? Into what arteries?
At the midbrain into 2 posterior cerebral arteries (PCAs)
Which artery supplies anterior portions of the inferior surface of cerebellum and caudal pons?
AICA
What supplies the superior cerebellum, caudal midbrain, and rostral pons?
SCA
What supplies the inferior cerebellum and lateral medulla?
PICA
What does the posterior cerebral artery supply?
Medial and inferior surface of temporal and occipital lobes
What is the function of the blood brain barrier?
Isolates CNS from the blood, provides optimal conditions for neuronal function, controls movement of materials from body extracellular fluid to brain extracellular fluid
What is the structure of the blood brain barrier?
Tight junctions between capillary epithelial cells, capillary basal lamina, and astrocyte foot processes all help with the function of the BBB
What substances can go through the BBB?
Lipid-soluble substances
