Lecture 2 Flashcards
Nervous System
Composed of 2 parts: CNS, PNS
Central Nervous System
2 Parts: Brain & Spinal Cord,
The part of the nervous system that is responsible for mental processes
Controls perception and discrimination of sensory stimuli
Peripheral Nervous System
Has 2 Functional Systems: Somatic & Autonomic Nervous Systems
Somatic Nervous System
Controls conscious sensory perception and volitional movement
2 Main Parts:
Cranial Nerves & Spinal Nerves
Autonomic Nervous System
Controls glands and the visceral system (involuntary)
2 Main Systems:
Sympathetic & Parasympathetic Systems
Sympathetic System
Expends Energy Ex. Fight/Flight
Parasympathetic System
Conserves Energy - brings us back to normal levels after fight/flight.
Protections for the CNS
Skull/Vertebral Column, Meninges, & Cerebrospinal Fluid
Cranial Vault
The space in the skull in which the brain sits
Foramen Magnum
The hole at the base of the skull that allows the spinal column to attach to the skull.
Vertebral Column
33 Bones: Cervical - 7 Thoracic - 12 Lumbar - 5 Sacral - 5 Coccygeal - 4
Intervertebral Foramena
Hole in the vertebra that allows the nerves to pass through
Mininges
Made up of 3 Membranes:
Dura Mater, Arachnoid, Pia Mater
Dura Mater
Outermost membrane of the meninges
Very tough, fibrous membrane that lines the inner surface of the skull and spinal column
Provides protective covering for the CNS
Epidural/Extradural Hemorrhage
Bleeding on top of the dura mater
Hematoma
The resulting accumulation of blood from an epidural/extradural hemorrhage
Dural Reflection
The inner layer folds of the dura mater
Falx Cerebri
The dural reflection that falls between the 2 hemispheres
Tentorium Cerebelli
The dural reflection that runs between the cerebra hemispheres and the cerebellum
Falx Cerebelli
Separates the “hemispheres” of the cerebellum
Arachnoid
Middle membrane of the meninges
Contains no blood vessels
Doesn’t conform to the contours of the brain; no reflections
Subarachnoid Space
The spaces between the arachnoid and the pia mater that are filled with cerebrospinal fluid
Subarachnoid Cistern
The number of large cavities between the arachnoid and the pia mater;
Filled with cerebrospinal fluid
Pia Mater
The innermost membrane of the meninges
Inner surface does NOT have blood vessels, but the outer surface does
Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
When the blood vessels in the outer surface of the pia mater are damaged and bleed.
Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF)
A watery fluid that bathes the entire CNS
Allows the brain to float in the skull
The Brain (overview)
Divided into 2 parts called hemispheres that are connected by the corpus collosum
Avg. human brain weighs about 3 lbs
Composed of approx. ¾ water and ¼ neurons, glial cells, and connective tissue
For DESCRIPTIVE PURPOSES the brain is divided into different parts: Cerebrum/Cortex, Diencephalon, and Brain Stem.
