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Phase 2 4. Neurology > Intro to neuroanatomy > Flashcards

Intro to neuroanatomy Flashcards

1
Q

What is the CNS

A

Encompasses the brain at the rostral end, and the spinal cord at the caudal end.

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2
Q

Where is the dorsal surface of the spinal cord?

A

Closer to the spinous processes of the vertebrae

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3
Q

Where is the ventral surface of the spinal cord?

A

Closer to the body of the vertebrae

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4
Q

What are the 5 major regions of the brain?

A
  • Telencephalon
  • Diencephalon
  • Mesencephalon
  • Metencephalon
  • Myelencephalon
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5
Q

What is the telencephalon composed of?

A

The cerebral hemispheres

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6
Q

What are the components of the diencephalon?

A

The epithalamus, thalamus, hypothalamus and subthalamus

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7
Q

What does the mesencephalon consist of?

A

The cerebral peduncles and the tectum

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8
Q

What are the cerebral peduncles?

A

The tegmentum and crus cerebri

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9
Q

What are the tectum?

A

Superior and inferior colliculi

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10
Q

What makes up the metencephalon?

A

Pons and cerebellum

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11
Q

What is the myelencephalon?

A

The medulla oblongata

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12
Q

What is the central canal in the spinal cord?

A

A narrow slit, or lumen in the spinal cord

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13
Q

What are the ventricles?

A

The lumen within the brain

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14
Q

What are the ventricles filled with?

A

CSF

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15
Q

How many cranial nerves are there?

A

12 pairs

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16
Q

Where are the somatic motor neurons found in the spinal cord?

A

In the ventral horn

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17
Q

Where do the axons of the somatic motor neurons leave?

A

Via the ventral rootlets

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18
Q

Where are the axons of the preganglionic sympathetic neurons found?

A

In the lateral horn of the spinal cord

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19
Q

What is located within the dorsal horn of the spinal cord?

A

The central processes of unipolar neurons of dorsal root ganglia

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20
Q

What is the function of the axons within the dorsal root ganglia?

A

To bring sensory information to the CNS

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21
Q

What are interneurons?

A

Cells that connect two types of neurons together

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22
Q

What is the grey matter?

A

The nerve cell bodies of the CNS grouped together into large aggregates

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23
Q

What is white matter?

A

The area consisting of the neuron processes and the neuroglia surrounding them

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24
Q

What is the PNS?

A

A continuation of the CNS that extends to the peripheries

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25
Q

What does the somatic nervous system consist of?

A

The 12 pairs of cranial nerves and their ganglia.

The 31 pairs of spinal nerves and their dorsal root ganglia

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26
Q

What is a dermatome?

A

An area of skin that is innervated by a spinal cord from a certain segment

N.B - overlaps are present so a single dermatome is supplied by more than 1 nerve to prevent total anesthesia

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27
Q

What is the autonomic nervous system?

A

Regulates the activities of smooth muscle, cardiac muscle and glands

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28
Q

What are the components of the autonomic nervous system?

A

The sympathetic, parasympathetic and enteric nervous systems.

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29
Q

How does the ANS differ from other motor neurons?

A

A somatic motoneuron directly innervates a muscle cell. In the ANS, the cell is within the CNS and synapses with a second neuron located in the ganglion of the PNS (Therefore a 2-cell system)

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30
Q

What does the ANS do?

A

Controls homeostasis

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31
Q

What is the sympathetic component?

A

“Fight, flight or freeze”

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32
Q

What is the parasympathetic component?

A

“Rest and digest”

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33
Q

Where are postganglionic cell bodies of the sympathetic neurons found?

A

Near the spinal cord, laterally to the vertebral column. Within the sympatehetic chain ganglia, or in collateral ganglia

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34
Q

Where are postganglionic cell bodies of the parasympathetic neurons found?

A

Located within ganglia that are in the vicinity of the viscera being innervated

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35
Q

Where are the cell bodies of sensory neurons that supply the viscera found?

A

In the dorsal root ganglia of spinal nerves or in the sensory ganglia of cranial nerves, along with the somatic sensory neurons

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36
Q

What are the meninges?

A

A tough protective connective tissue around the central nervous system, surrounds the spinal cord, cerebellum and the brain itself.

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37
Q

How is the spinal cord organised?

A

Segmentally

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38
Q

What are the segments of the spinal cord?

A

The area that gives rise to a pair of spinal nerves

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39
Q

How many segments are in the cervical region?

A

8

40
Q

How many segments are in the thoracic region?

A

12

41
Q

How many segments are in the lumbar region?

A

5

42
Q

How many segments are in the sacral region?

A

5

43
Q

How many segments are in the coccygeal region?

A

1

44
Q

Where do the cervical nerves pass?

A

C1-C7 pass through the intervertebral foramen above their appropriate vertebrae

C8 passes through the intervertebral foramen below its appropriate vertebra

45
Q

What is the upper limit of the spinal cord?

A

The junction with the medulla oblongata

46
Q

Where is the lower limit of the spinal cord in an adult?

A

At the level of L1-L2

47
Q

Where is the lower limit of the spinal cord in a baby?

A

At the level of L3-L4

48
Q

Where does the spinal cord develop from?

A

Neuroectoderm

49
Q

Where does the dorsal horn develop from?

A

The alar plate

50
Q

Where does the ventral horn develop from?

A

The basal plate

51
Q

What are the features of the cervical spinal cord?

A

Relatively large dorsal and ventral horns

52
Q

What areas does the cervical spinal cord innervate?

A

The head, neck, upper chest and most of the forearms

53
Q

What are the features of the thoracic spinal cord?

A

Smaller dorsal and ventral horns

54
Q

What areas does the thoracic spinal cord innervate?

A

The trunk and thin strips of the forearm

55
Q

What are the features of the lumbar spinal cord?

A

Large ventral and dorsal horns

56
Q

What areas does the lumbar spinal cord innervate?

A

The legs

57
Q

What are the features of the sacral spinal cord?

A

Equal dorsal and ventral horns that are relatively smaller in size.

58
Q

What areas does the sacral spinal cord innervate?

A

The genitalia

59
Q

What are the different layers of the meninges?

A
  • The dura mater
  • The arachnoid mater
  • The pia mater
60
Q

What are the features of the dura mater?

A

Outer layer
Thick, inelastic membrane
Fuses with the endosteum cranium at the foramen magnum

61
Q

What is the function of the dura mater?

A

Provides maximum mechanical protection to the spinal cord, which is otherwise surrounded by bone

62
Q

What does the dura mater give rise to?

A

The epidural space that separates the spinal cord from the vertebrae

63
Q

What are the features of the arachnoid mater?

A

The middle layer
A thin, fibrous membrane
Contains trabeculae that bridge the subarachnoid space and adhere to the pia mater

64
Q

What is contained within the subarachnoid space?

A

CSF

65
Q

What is CSF?

A

Filtrate of blood

66
Q

Where is the CSF made?

A

In the choroid plexus, within the ventricular system in the brain

67
Q

How much CSF is produced each day?

A

~500ml

68
Q

What is the purpose of CSF?

A

To provide mechanical and immunological protection to the brain and spinal cord

69
Q

What happens to CSF?

A

It circulates around the cranium and spinal cord and is reabsorbed into the venous system of the head

70
Q

What are the features of the pia mater?

A

The innermost layer
Unicellular membrane
Separated from the cord by small areas of gaps called the subpial space
Forms 21 denticulate ligaments laterally

71
Q

What vessels are found within the extradural space?

A

Vertebral/Batson venous plexus (Batson veins)

72
Q

What are the key features of Batson veins?

A

They don’t have any valves

73
Q

Describe the circulation of the Batson veins

A

They drain out via the subarachnoid space and into the venous system at appropriate spinal levels.

74
Q

Describe the arterial supply of the spinal cord

A
  • The aorta sits anteriorly
  • There are segmental arteries at the various intercostal levels and these will branch off to supply the spinal cord
  • There is one anterior spinal artery and two posterior spinal arteries
  • artery of adamkiewicz
75
Q

Which artery supplies the lower 1/3 of the spinal cord?

A

Artery of adamkiewicz

76
Q

Where does the medulla oblongata exit?

A

The foramen magnum

77
Q

What is continuous with the medulla oblongata?

A

The C1 level of the spinal cord

78
Q

What forms the boundaries of the foramen magnum?

A

The occipital bone

79
Q

What is the lowest point of the spinal cord called?

A

Conus medullaris

80
Q

What is the filum terminale?

A

A thin filament that tethers the cord to stop movement

81
Q

What is the cauda equina?

A

a whole series of spinal nerves that project down to leave at the appropriate spinal level. This is likened to a horses tail

82
Q

What is the longest nerve in the human body?

A

The sciatic nerve

83
Q

What are the processes of neurons called?

A

Dendrites

84
Q

What is the single process of a neuron called?

A

Axon

85
Q

What do dendrites do?

A

Conduct information towards the cell body

86
Q

What is the area between cells called?

A

Synapse

87
Q

What are released from the axon terminals?

A

Neurotransmitters

88
Q

What junctions can form between neurons?

A

Gap junctions

89
Q

What are neuroglia?

A

Several categories of non-neuronal cells.

  • microglia
  • macroglia
  • ependymal cells
90
Q

What are microglia?

A

Macrophages

91
Q

Where are ependymal cells found?

A

In the epithelium surrounding the central canal of the spinal cord and ventricles surrounding the brain.
Also participates in the formation of the choroid plexus.

92
Q

What are macroglia?

A

Term given to protoplasmic astrocytes, fibrous astrocytes and oligodendroglia

93
Q

What are protoplasmic astrocytes?

A

Support neurons in the grey matter forming a subpial barrier and envelop capillaries

94
Q

What are fibrous astrocytes?

A

Located in the white matter and function in a similar way to protoplasmic astrocytes

95
Q

What are oligodendroglia?

A

They form myelin sheaths around axons and also surround dendrites and cell bodies of neurons in the CNS

96
Q

What are Schwann cells?

A

Myelin secreting cells located in the PNS that envelop unmyelinated axons

97
Q

What are the three visible regions of the brain?

A

Cerebrum
Cerebellum
Brainstem

Phase 2 4. Neurology (29 decks)

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