Lecture 1 - introduction to neuroscience

Question 1

What is neuroscience?

Answer 1

study of the nervous system

Question 2

What different levels can neuroscience be studied on?

Answer 2

• molecular (neurones)
• cellular (2 main cells of the nervous system - neurones & glial cells)
• systems (2 systems - motor system (how to move) & sensory system (how the body takes in information from the environment)
• behavioural - why we do things
• cognitive - higher brain processing
• neuroanatomy
• genetics

Question 3

What does the motor system do?

Answer 3

how to move

Question 4

What does the sensory system do?

Answer 4

how the body takes in information from the environment

Question 5

What are the divisions of the nervous system?

Answer 5

central nervous system - brain & spinal cord

peripheral nervous system - somatic & autonomic

Question 6

What is in the somatic nervous system?

Answer 6

voluntary control over skin, joints, muscles

Question 7

What is in the autonomic nervous system?

Answer 7

internal organs, blood vessels, glands

Question 8

What is the sagitta plane?

Answer 8

cut down the midline

Question 9

What is the coronal plane?

Answer 9

cut to separate anterior from posterior

Question 10

What do the cerebral hemispheres do?

Answer 10

connected by tissue but there is a level of separation

Question 11

What does the cerebral cortex do?

Answer 11

lots of neuronal cell bodies that mediate different processes depending on where in the cerebral cortex it is

Question 12

Why does the cerebral cortex have lots of fold?

Answer 12

as we have lots of higher processing neurones - they can’t just increase the size of the brain

Question 13

What does the basal nuclei do?

Answer 13

clumps of neuronal cell bodies found at the base of the cerebral hemispheres

Question 14

What does the hypothalamus do?

Answer 14

bodily regulation (master regulator of the autonomic nervous system

Question 15

What is in the forebrain?

Answer 15

• cerebral hemispheres
• thalamus & hypothalamus

Question 16

What is in the hindbrain?

Answer 16

• pons
• cerebellum
• medulla

Question 17

What is in the brain stem?

Answer 17

• medulla
• pons
• midbrain

Question 18

What is the ventricular system?

Answer 18

Fluid-filled cavity

Question 19

Where are the 4 ventricles in the ventricular system located?

Answer 19

• each cerebral hemisphere has a lateral ventricle
• they meet at the front and form the 3rd ventricle around hypothalamus
• then goes down into the 4th ventricle around the pons area
• goes down spinal cord

Question 20

What is the purpose of the ventricular system?

Answer 20

filled with cerebrospinal fluid - makes the brain light and prevents the brain from hitting the skull

• provides physical protection
• maintains appropriate levels of ions
• removes waste products

Question 21

What are the 4 subdivisions of the spinal cord?

Answer 21

• cervical
• thoracic
• lumbar
• sacral

Question 22

What are the 2 enlargements in the spinal cord?

Answer 22

• cervical enlargement
• lumbosacral enlargement

Question 23

What is grey matter?

Answer 23

mainly contains neuronal cells & glia cells (also some axons)

Question 24

What is white matter?

Answer 24

mainly contains axons

Question 25

What type of matter does the spinal cord have more of?

Answer 25

spinal cord has much more white matter than grey matter

Question 26

What are the 2 spinal cord functional divisions?

Answer 26

Sensory areas - dorsal (back)
Motor areas - ventral (front)

Question 27

Is dorsal afferent or efferent?

Answer 27

Dorsal = afferent

Question 28

Is ventral afferent or efferent?

Answer 28

Ventral = efferent

Question 29

Where is grey matter found?

Answer 29

• forebrain
• spinal cord
• cerebral cortex & nuclei

Question 30

Where is white matter found?

Answer 30

• forebrain
• spinal cord