Lecture 1 - Neuroanatomy 1 Flashcards
1
Q
Central nervous system (CNS)
A
- Brain (protected by skull)
- Spinal cord (protected by vertebral column)
2
Q
Peripheral nervous system (PNS)
A
- Everything else
- Nerves
- Motor pathways – send info to muscles/tissues
- Sensory pathways – bring info from sensory systems to CNS
- Connect organs and systems to CNS
3
Q
The brain
A
- (1) Cerebrum
- (2) Cerebellum
- (3) Brain stem
- Two hemispheres: left and right
4
Q
Contralateral
A
Opposite side
5
Q
Ipsilateral
A
Same side
6
Q
Why does the brain need a constant flow of oxygen?
A
- Receives a constant flow of blood (approx. 20% of blood flow from the heart)
- Brain needs a constant flow of blood (surrounded by blood vessels to maintain oxygen levels)
- Brain needs a constant flow of oxygen – a lack of oxygen to the brain results in unconsciousness and eventually cell death
- Stroke – bleed or blockage in the brain
7
Q
Dorsal
A
Superior
8
Q
Posterior
A
Caudal
9
Q
Inferior
A
Ventral
10
Q
Anterior
A
Rostral
11
Q
Medial
A
Towards the middle
12
Q
Lateral
A
Towards the side
13
Q
Frontal (coronal)
A
Parallel to forehead
14
Q
Sagittal (arrow)
A
Side view
15
Q
Horizontal
A
Parallel to the ground
16
Q
Grey matter
A
- Cell bodies and dendrites
- E.g. cortex, basal ganglia, thalamus
17
Q
White matter
A
- Myelinated axons
- E.g. the corpus callosum
- A pathway that connects left and right side of hemisphere is called a commissure
18
Q
Corpus callosum
A
- ‘Hard body’
- The largest fibre bundle that connects the two hemispheres of the brain
- Around 2 million fibres in corpus callosum
19
Q
Meninges
A
- 3 layers of tissue that protect the brain and spinal cord (CNS)
- Dura mater (‘hard mother’)
- Arachnoid membrane (‘spider-like’)
- Pia mater (‘tender mother’)
20
Q
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
A
- A clear liquid that fills the subarachnoid space
- Functions: shock absorber, buoyancy
- Brain is 1.2-1.4kg, so CSF allows the brain to float to reduce weight
21
Q
Blood-brain barrier
A
- A semipermeable barrier
- Lipid soluble substances can pass through e.g. oxygen and carbon dioxide. Substances with large molecules (e.g. glucose) must be actively transported through walls
- Purpose: maintain stable environment (only safe things go into the brain, and danger kept out), protection from potentially disruptive/damaging chemicals
- Problem – stops a lot of drugs getting in
22
Q
Ventricles
A
- ‘Little bellies’
- Hollow cavities filled with CSF
23
Q
Ventricular system
A
- Lateral ventricles x 2
- Membrane called choroid plexus produces CSF by filtering blood
- Third ventricle
- Cerebral aqueduct
- Fourth ventricle
24
Q
What is the function of the ventricular system?
A
Exchange of materials between blood vessels and brain tissue
25
Cerebral cortex
- Outer surface of cerebrum
- 3mm thick
- Contains around 16 billion neurons
- Folded to allow a bigger surface area (more neurons)
26
Sulci
Clefts/cracks/grooves
27
Fissures
Major grooves
28
Gyrus
Folds/bulges
29
Frontal lobe
- ‘Front’
- The anterior area of the cortex, rostral to parietal love, dorsal to temporal lobe
- Divided from parietal lobe by central sulcus
- Functions: motor and cognition, executive functioning (planning, decision making etc.)
30
Parietal lobe
- ‘Wall’
- Caudal to frontal lobe, dorsal to temporal lobe
- Function: somatosensory (directing movement, interacting with objects in environment)
31
Occipital lobe
- ‘In the back of the head’
- Caudal to parietal and temporal lobes
- Function: vision
32
Temporal lobe
- ‘Temple’
- Rostral to occipital lobe and ventral to parietal and frontal lobes
- Functions: hearing, vision, cognition, emotion
33
Major sulci and gyri
- Central sulcus – divides frontal and parietal lobe
- Precentral gyrus - before
- Postcentral gyrus – after
- Sylvian fissure/lateral fissure – divides temporal love from parietal and frontal lobe
34
Primary areas
- Cortex process information from senses
- Primary somatosensory cortex
- Primary visual cortex
- Primary auditory cortex – receives info from the senses
- Primary motor cortex – connected to muscles in the body (sends information)
- All contralateral (except olfaction and taste)
35
Primary association areas
- Analyse information passed to them
- Sensory association areas
- Receive and analyse info from primary regions
