Intro to Neuro Flashcards
What does the science of Neuroscience focus on?
The structure and function of the nervous system including:
- Molecular Biology
- Cellular Biology
- Neural Development
- Physiology
- Anatomy
- Behavioral Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
What is neurology?
A branch of medicine concerned with disorders and diseases of the nervous system
What is the focus of molecular neuroscience?
- Studies the role of individual molecules in the nervous system
- Investigates the chemistry and physics involved in neural function
- Involves the study of ionic exchanges required for action potentials
What is the focus of cellular neuroscience?
Studies the cells of the nervous system and how they function
What is the focus of systems neuroscience?
- Studies the processes within neural circuits of the CNS
- Seeks to understand how neural circuits function to produce Sensation, Movement, Behavior, Emotion, and Memories
- Helps in the understanding of neurological, psychological and behavioral disorders
What is the focus of behavioral neuroscience?
Studies the biological bases of behavior
Examines how the brain affects behavior
What is the focus of cognitive neuroscience?
Studies how the brain creates and controls:
- Learning
- Problem-solving
- Thought
- Language
- Memory
What is the overall function of the nervous system?
The master controlling and communicating system of the body
How do nervous system cells communicate?
Electrical and chemical signals
What are the characteristics of nervous system signals?
Signals are rapid, specific and usually cause an almost immediate response
What is included in the CNS?
Brain
Spinal Cord
What is the general function of the CNS?
Acts as the Integration and Command Center
What is included in the PNS?
Consists of all neural tissue outside of the CNS, including the Cranial Nerves, Spinal Nerves, Peripheral Nerves
What are the cranial nerves?
Nerves connected to the brain/brain stem
What are the spinal nerves?
Nerves attached to the spinal cord
What are the peripheral nerves?
Consist of bundles of axons that connect spinal nerves to peripheral structures
What are the divisions of the PNS?
Sensory (Afferent) Division
Motor (Efferent) Division
What is the general function of the Sensory (Afferent) Division?
Conducts impulses from receptors in the PNS to the CNS
What are the 2 Functional Subdivisions of the Sensory (Afferent) Division of the PNS?
Somatic Sensory Nerve Fibers
Visceral Sensory Nerve Fibers
What is the function of Somatic Sensory Nerve Fibers?
Conduct impulses from:
- Skin
- Skeletal Muscles
- Joints
What is the function of Visceral Sensory Nerve Fibers?
Conduct impulses from Visceral Organs
What is the general function of the Motor (Efferent) Division?
Conducts impulses from CNS to effectors in the PNS
What are the 2 main parts of the Motor (Efferent) Division?
Somatic Nervous System
Autonomic Nervous System
What is the function of the Somatic Nervous System?
Somatic Motor (voluntary)
Conducts impulses from the CNS to Skeletal Muscles
What is the function of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)?
Visceral Motor (involuntary)
Conducts impulses from the CNS to Cardiac Muscles, Smooth Muscles, Glands
What are the 2 Functional Subdivisions of the ANS?
Sympathetic Division
Parasympathetic Division
What is the function of the Sympathetic Division and what physiological changes does it induce?
Mobilizes body systems during activity (fight or flight)
Concerned with Elevation of metabolic rate and Increased alertness
What is the function of the Parasympathetic Division and what physiological changes does it induce?
“Rest and digest”
Conserves energy
Lowers the metabolic rate
promotes house keeping functions during rest
What are neurons?
Specialized cells that generate and transmit electrical signals
What are nerves?
Consist of bundles of peripheral axons with associated Blood Vessels and Connective Tissue
Where in the nervous system are nerves found?
Lie outside of the CNS
What kind of fibers do spinal nerves contain?
Contain the fibers of:
- Sensory Neurons
- Motor Neurons
Where are neuron cell bodies located?
A Nerve does not contain the neuron cell body
Cell Bodies are located in:
- Ganglia
- Gray Matter
- Nuclei
What are the cell body groups of the PNS called?
Ganglia
What are the cell body groups of the CNS called?
Nuclei
What are Neuroglia (Glial Cells) ?
Cells that support, protect and insulate neurons
What does a nervous system tract consist of?
Bundles of axons in the CNS
Has a common Origin and Destination
What kind of information do the axons of a tract carry?
Carry the same type of information (sensory or motor) in same direction
Where do nervous system tracts travel?
within the white matter
How are nervous system tracts named?
according to its Origin and Destination
What are nervous system tracts also know as?
Fascicle orFasciculus
Peduncle
Capsule
Lemniscus
What are the 2 parts of the spinal tracts and what do they do?
- Carry information up or down the spinal cord, to or from the brain
- Ascending Tracts: Carry sensory info to the brain
- Descending Tracts: Carry motor info from the brain
What are the functions of tracts within the brain?
Carry information from one place to another within the brain
What do the differences in cellular components of neural tissue do?
Produce differences in the appearance of such tissue
What does white matter consist of and what causes them to be white?
Regions of CNS that primarily contain:
- Myelinated Axons
- Areas that are highly myelinated appear white due to the high lipid content of myelin
What does gray matter consist of?
regions of CNS that contain:
- Neuronal Cell Bodies
- Dendrites
- Unmyelinated Axons
- Axon Terminals
- Neuroglia
What is the appearance of the cerebral cortex?
Consists of gray matter on the surface of the brain
Where is cerebral white matter located?
Lies deep to the gray matter of the cerebral cortex
What is the function of Axons in White Matter?
Convey information among different parts of the nervous system
Where is information in the brain integrated?
Information is integrated in gray matter
Where does the spinal cord begin and end?
Begins at the foramen magnum
Ends as conus medullaris (cone-shaped structure) at L1 – L2 vertebra
Where is the width of the spinal cord the greatest and why?
width is greater in the cervical and lumbar regions
Due to spinal nerves that emerge to supply the upper and lower limbs
What are the dimensions of the adult spinal cord?
About 18” long
Maximum width .55”
What does the cauda equina consist of and where is it located?
The collection of spinal nerve roots from L2 to 1st coccygeal nerve inferior to the conus medullaris
Is the spinal cord part of the PNS or the CNS?
CNS
Are the spinal nerves part of the PNS or the CNS?
PNS
What protects the spinal cord?
Bone
Meninges: Dura Mater, Arachnoid Mater (extends to the level of S2), Pia Mater
CSF
Cushion of fat in the epidural space
What does the Filum Terminale consist of and where is it located?
A fine connective tissue filament closely united with the pia mater
Extends from the conus medullaris
Descends through the vertebral canal and sacral canal
Where does Arachnoid mater end?
S2
What happens to filum terminale at S2?
pierces the arachnoid mater and becomes invested with dura mater
filum terminale is now called the Coccygeal Ligament
What does the Coccygeal Ligament Consists of?
Fibrous Connective Tissue
Pia mater
Dura mater
Where does Coccygeal Ligament end?
Continues inferiorly to anchor at Coccyx 1
What is the function of Filum Terminale?
Provides longitudinal support to the spinal cord
Into what area are lumbar puncture needles injected?
subarachnoid space around lower lumbar region
How many segments can the spinal cord be divided into?
can be divided into 31 segments based on the origins of the spinal nerves
Each segment is identified by a letter and number
What does a spinal cord segment consist of?
the spinal cord area where the rootlets connect to the spinal cord
What is the route of an axon?
Axons traveling through the rootlets, roots and spinal nerves connect a Spinal Cord Segment with a specific part of the body
Example: where do C6 and C7 Dermatomes convey sensory signals to?
C6 and C7 Spinal Cord Segments
What are the roots of the spinal nerves?
Bundles of axons that connect each spinal nerve to a segment of the spinal cord by small bundles of axons called rootlets
With what is each spinal segment is associated?
a pair of Dorsal Roots and Ventral Roots
What are dorsal roots?
Contain axons of sensory neurons that conduct sensory impulses from the PNS into the CNS (spinal cord)
What is each dorsal root associated with?
Dorsal Root Ganglion
What are Dorsal Root Ganglion and where are they located?
An enlarged area of the dorsal root that contains cell bodies of sensory neurons
Lies between the pedicles of adjacent vertebrae
What are dorsal rootlets
Small bundles of axons that arise from a single dorsal root (sensory)
Enter the spinal cord
What are the ventral rootlets?
Small bundles of axons that arise from the spinal cord
Merge to form a single ventral root (motor)
What are the ventral roots?
Contain axons of motor neurons that conduct motor impulses from CNS to the periphery (skeletal muscles and glands) to control somatic and visceral effectors
Why are there no Ventral Root Ganglia?
Because the cell bodies of somatic motor neurons are located in the ventral gray horn of the spinal cord
What is the Spinal Nerve Root?
The union of the ventral and dorsal roots within the intervertebral foramen
How is a spinal root classified?
Since it’s formed by the merging of a dorsal root (sensory) and ventral root (motor) it is classified as a mixed nerve
How does the Spinal Nerve Root exit the vertebral column?
via openings (intervertebral foramina) between adjacent vertebrae
Are all spinal cord segments are aligned with their corresponding vertebrae?
not all
How many pairs of spinal nerves are there?
31 Pairs
Cervical-8 Thoracic-12 Lumbar-5 Sacrum-5 Coccyx-1
After passing through the IVF, where does the spinal nerve go?
divides into branches:
- Dorsal Ramus
- Ventral Ramus
- Meningeal Branch
What does the ventral ramus divided into?
Rami Communicantes (sing. Ramus Communicans):
- Gray Rami Communicantes: All spinal nerves
- White Rami Communicates: Spinal nerves T1 – L2
What is the function of the spinal nerve?
carries visceral motor, somatic motor, and sensory signals to and from the spinal cord
What is the function of Ramus communicans?
carries visceral motor signals from the ANS to organs of the ventral body cavity
What is the function of the anterior and posterior rami?
carry somatic motor signals from the CNS to skeletal muscles, and sensory signals from sensory receptors in the PNS to the spinal cord
What is the route of sensory transmission?
- peripheral process transmits an AP from the sensory receptors to the neuron’s other axon, the central process
- central process transmits an AP form peripheral process to the posterior horn, eventually synapsing on a neuron in the spinal cord or brainstem
What are spinal meninges?
Protective connective tissues that encircle the spinal cord
Continuous with cranial meninges
What are the 3 layer of the spinal meninges?
Dura Mater: outer layer
Arachnoid Mater: middle layer
Pia Mater: inner layer; Lies directly over the nerve tissue of the spinal cord
What is the general appearance of the cross-sectional anatomy of the spinal cord consist of?
Consists of areas of white matter that surround an inner region of gray matter shaped like the letter H
What does the gray matter of the spinal cord consist of?
Neuron Cell Bodies
Unmyelinated Axons
A few Myelinated Axons
Synapses
How can the gray matter of the spinal cord be subdivided?
Ventral (Anterior) Gray Horns
Lateral Gray Horns (T1 – L2)
Dorsal (Posterior) Gray Horns
Gray Commissure
What does the white matter of the spinal cord consist of?
mainly myelinated axons
What is the purpose of the anterior and posterior gray commissure of the spinal cord?
Connects gray matter of right and left sides of the spinal cord where axons cross from one side of the cord to the other
What is the central canal of the spinal cord?
Narrow space that contains CSF that extends the entire length of the spinal cord
What does the Central Canal of the spinal cord continue with superiorly?
with the 4th ventricle in the
medulla oblongata
What is contained within the posterior gray horn?
Axons of somatic and autonomic sensory neurons that enter the spinal cord via dorsal roots
Cell bodies of interneurons
What is contained within the lateral gray horn?
Cell bodies of autonomic motor neurons:
- Cardiac Muscle
- Smooth Muscle
- Glands
Where are the lateral gray horns located?
Only in thoracic and lumbar regions (T1 – L2)
What is contained within the anterior gray horn?
Cell bodies of somatic motor neurons whose axons exit the spinal cord via ventral roots
Terminal knobs of:
- Interneurons synapsing in the Anterior Gray Horn
- Descending 1st Order Motor Neurons (UMNs)
- Axons of Preganglionic Visceral Motor Neurons (whose cell bodies are located in the Lateral Gray Horns) that exit the spinal cord via ventral roots
Where are the anterior and posterior white commissures located?
anterior and posterior to the gray commissures
What is the purpose of the anterior and posterior white commissures?
Connect white matter of right and left sides of the spinal cord where axons cross from one side of the spinal cord to the other
What are the 3 columns (Funiculi) called that are formed by the Anterior and Posterior Gray Horns
dividing white matter?
Dorsal (Posterior) White Columns
Ventral (Anterior) White Columns
Lateral White Columns
What do the tracts (Fascicle orFasciculus) of each column (funiculi) carry?
the tracts (bundle of axons) carry the same type of information (sensory or motor) in the same direction
What are the grooves called that divide the spinal cord into right and left sides?
Ventral (Anterior) Median Fissure
Dorsal (Posterior) Median Sulcus
What do nerves consist of?
Fascicles (bundles of axons)
What are the protective connective tissue coverings of the Spinal Nerves, Peripheral Nerves and Cranial Nerves called?
Epineurium (outer most)
Perineurium
Endoneurium (inner most)
What are the 3 major parts of the brain?
cerebrum
cerebellum
brain stem
What are the parts of the diencephalon within the cerebrum?
Thalamus
Hypothalamus
Epithalamus
Subthalamus
What does the brain stem connect?
spinal cord with the cerebral region
What are the major divisions of the brain stem?
Midbrain (Mesencephalon)
Pons
Medulla Oblongata