introduction to neuroanatomy Flashcards
what is superior?
towards top of head
what is inferior?
towards feet
what is inferior?
front of body
what is posterior?
back of body
what does dorsal/ventral mean for animals who move horizontally (ie fish)?
dorsal = top
ventraal = abdominal
define rostral
towards nose
define caudal
towards tail
where do rostral and caudal point to in the spinal cord?
rostral = towards head
caudal = bottom of cord
in the brain where do rostral and caudal point to?
rostral = anterior
caudal = posterior
what is a sagittal section?
slice down middle of brain divides brain into 2 separate halves
what is the cns protected by?
cranium and vertebral column
what do spinal nerves serving the upper or lower limbs combine to form?
brachial or lumbar plexus
define ganglia
peripherally located nerve bodies
what is the autonomic nervous system divided into?
sympathetic and parasympathetic
what are afferent neurones?
nerve cells that carry information from peripheral receptors to the CNS
also called sensory neurones if the information they carry reaches consciousness
what are efferent neurones?
carry impulses away from the CNS
called motor neurones if they supply nerves to skeletal muscle to cause movement
which regions of the cns are more enriched in nerve cell bodies?
central portion of spinal cord and surface of the cerebral hemisphere
what is grey matter?
outermost layer of the brain
high conc of neuronal cell bodies
central portion of spinal cord and surface of cerebral hemisphere
what is white matter?
found in deeper tissues of brain (subcortical)
contains axons, most covered in myelin sheath, giving the white colour
what does sympathetic NS do?
increases energy
inc heart rate
inc bood pressure
sweat glands produce more sweat
fight or flight
what does the parasympathetic NS do?
conserves energy
increases digestion
inc salivation
dec heart rate
rest and digest
what does the parasympathetic NS do?
conserves energy
increases digestion
inc salivation
dec heart rate
rest and digestd
describe the structure of cerebral hemispheres
cerebral cortex- highly convoluted outer mantle of grey matter
inner core of white matter
how are the 2 cerebral hemispheres separated?
incompletely by a deep cleft- the great longitudinal fissure
where does the great longitudinal fissure lie?
in the corpus callosum
what is the brain divided into?
hindbrain, midbrain, forebrain
what is the hindbrain divided into?
medulla oblongata
pons
cerebellum
what makes up the brainstem?
medulla, pons, midbrain
what does the forebrain consist of?
diencephalon (principally the thalamus and hypothalamus) and cerebral hemisphere
what is CSF produced by?
the choroid plexus
what are basal ganglia?
several large nuclei within the cerebral hemisphere
how many pairs of cranial nerves does the brain possess?
12
how are the 2 cerebral hemispheres linked?
commissural fibres of the corpus callosum
what does the surface of the cerebral hemisphere consist of?
cortical grey matter, folded to form gyri and sulk
what is gyri?
a ridge on the surface of the brain to inc the SA
establish borders within and between the brain’s lobes, dividing them into 2 halves
what are sulci?
groove in the cerebral cortex
what’s the difference between gyri and sulci?
fissures = deep furrowss
sulci = shallow ones
gyri = ridges between sulci
what are the lobes of the brain?
frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital, limbic
what does the frontal lobe contain?
primary motor cortex
what does the parietal lobe contain?
primary somatosensory cortex
what does the temporal lobe contain?
primary auditory cortex
what does the occipital lobe contain?
primary visual cortex
what does the limbic lobe contain?
regions for memory and emotional aspects of behaviour
where does the spinal cord lie?
within the vertebral (spinal) canal of the vertebral column
continuous rostrally with the medulla oblongata of the brain stem
what does the spinal cord receive information from and control?
the trunk and limbs
what do the spinal nerves divide into near the cord?
dorsal (posterior) and ventral (anterior) roots
what do dorsal roots carry?
afferent fibre with celll bodies in dorsal root ganglia
what do ventral roots carry?
efferent fibres
what does the spinal cord consist of?
central core of grey matter, containing nerve cell bodies
outer layer of white matter containing nerve fibres
what is within the white matter?
run ascending and descending nerve fibre tracts
which link the spinal cord with the brain
what are the principle ascending tracts?
dorsal columns, spinothalamic tracts, spinocerebellar tracts
what is the corticospinal tract?
an important descending tract
what is within the grey matter?
dorsal horn- contains sensory neurones
ventral horn- contains motor neurones
lateral horn- contains preganglionic sympathetic neurones
describe the cerebral cortex
thick layer of brain tissue which covers surface of the cerebral hemisphere
folded to inc sa
forms ridges (gyri) and grooves (sulci)
what does the Sylvian fissure do?
separates the temporal lobe from the rest of the cerebral hemisphere
what are the 3 meningeal layers of the brain and spinal cord?
dura mater, arachnoid mater and Pia mater
what incompletely divides the cranial cavity into compartments?
2 sheets of cranial dura mater
falx cerebri
tentorium cerebelli
what does the cranial dura mater contain?
dura venous sinuses which act as channels for the venous damage of the brain
where does cerebrospinal fluid circulate?
in the subarachnoid space beneath the arachnoid mater
what supplies the brain with blood?
the internal carotid and vertebral arteries
how is the spinal cord supplied with blood?
by vessels that arise from the vertebral arteries, reinforced by ridiculer arteries derived from segmental vessels
