Lecture 9: CNS Part 2 Flashcards
What is the function of the thalamus?
Receives and sorts all sensory information by function that comes into the brain except smell.
What is the function of the hypothalamus?
Link between the nervous and endocrine systems.
Regulates the autonomic nervous system (blood pressure, heart rate, breathing rate etc.)
Houses the pituitary gland (endocrine)
What is the function of the epithalamus?
Contains the pineal gland related to wakefulness and sleep/wake cycles. Produces and releases melatonin hormone in response to darkness.
What is the function of the cerebellum?
Controls posture and equilibrium
Stores memories of learned motor skills.
What is the function of the midbrain?
Processes information about sights and sounds and controls simple reflexive responses to these stimuli.
What is the function of pons?
Connects the cerebellum to the rest of the brain allowing smooth coordinated skeletal muscle movements.
Helps medulla oblongata in regulating respiration.
What is the function of medulla oblongata?
- Cardiovascular and respiratory centers.
- Swallowing, vomiting, hiccupping and coughing.
What is the limbic system?
It is responsible for our survival instincts, emotions and memories.
Consists of amygdala, hippocampus, hypothalamus and olfactory bulbs.
Functions of hippocampus and olfactory bulbs?
Hippocampus: Converts important short term to long term memories.
Olfactory bulbs: Responsible for our sense of smell.
Function of reticular activating system (RAS)?
Runs through the brain stem and project into cerebral cortex.
Allows for infrequent and important stimuli to pass through the cortex.
Plays a central role in states of consciousness.
What is the difference between fainting and coma?
Fainting: Short period of unconsciousness due to low blood pressure and lack of blood flow to brain.
Coma: Long period of unconsciousness due to drug overdose, liver or kidney failure, metabolic disturbance etc.
What is the difference between concussion, contusion, subarachnoid hemorrhage and cerebral edema?
Concussion: Temporary impaired brain function.
Contusion: Bruising of brain tissue and permanent neurological damage.
Subarachnoid hemorrhage: Bleeding from ruptured blood vessels fill these places.
Cerebral edema: Swelling of brain itself.
What is the difference between hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke?
Hemorrhagic: Blood vessel supplying a region of the brain ruptures.
Ischemic: Clot stops blood supply to a region of the brain.
What are the effects of cerebrovascular accidents stroke (CVAS)?
Motor deficit: Weakness or paralysis of one side of the body.
Sensory deficit: Disorientation to time, place or person.
Language deficit: Speech may be impaired or completely lost.
Intellectual deficit: Memory, concentration, attention, problem solving etc.
What are the origins to spinal nerves called?
Cauda equina
What are the functions of the spinal cord?
- Conducts messages between brain and the body.
- Coordinates spinal reflexes.
What do the subarachnoid and epidural space consist of?
Subarachnoid space: Circulates cerebrospinal fluid
Epidural space: Filled with fatty tissue and blood vessels.
Gray matter (Spinal cord tissue)
Lateral communication
Coordinates spinal reflexes
cell bodies of motor neurons as well as unmyelinated interneurons.
White matter (spinal cord tissue)
Composed of myelinated axons that conduct info up and down the spinal cord. These axons are bundled into tracts.
Vertical communication.
What is the communication pathway for spinal cord?
Sensory messages from spinal nerves are received on the dorsal side. While motor messages are transmitted on the ventral side into spinal nerves.
