Lecture1 Flashcards
Medial:
Towards midline
Lateral:
Away from midline
Dorsal / Superior:
Towards back / Top of head
Ventral / Inferior:
Towards chest / Bottom of head
Anterior:
Towards nose end
Posterior:
Towards tail end
Frontal/Coronal plane:
Sliced across left to right
Sagittal plane:
Sliced vertically through the middle
Horizontal plane:
Sliced horizontally through the middle
Cross Section:
Sliced at right angle across tract of nerves
The vertebrate nervous system is composed of what two divisions?
Central Nervous System (CNS) & Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
Where is the CNS located?
Within the Brain & Spinal cord
Where is the PNS located?; What does it do?
Outside the skull & spine; Transmits information to & from the CNS
What are Nuclei?
Clusters of cell bodies in the CNS
What are Ganglia?
Clusters of cell bodies in the PNS
Name the four regions that divide the spine:
Cervical; Thoracic; Lumbar & Sacral
The two major divisions of the PNS are:
Somatic & Autonomic nervous systems
Which division of the PNS interacts with the external environment? Afferent nerves carry…; Efferent nerves carry…
Somatic; Sensory signals from external receptors (skin, etc) to CNS; Motor signals from CNS to skeletal muscles
Which division of the PNS regulates the body’s internal environment? Afferent nerves carry…; Efferent nerves carry…
Autonomic; Sensory signals from internal organs to CNS; Motor signals from CNS to internal organs
Which division of the PNS includes voluntary/conscious control of signals?
Somatic nervous system
Which efferent nerves project from the CNS in the lumbar & thoracic regions of the spinal cord?; What do they do?
Sympathetic nerves; Stimulate & organise energy in threatening situations (fight or flight response)
Which efferent nerves project from the brain & sacral region? What do they do?
Parasympathetic nerves; Conserve energy during periods of quiescence
Which system contains the Sympathetic & Parasympathetic nerves?
Autonomic nervous system
What are the longest cranial nerves called?; What do they contain?
Vagus nerves; Motor & sensory fibres traveling to & from the gut
What are the Dura Mater, Arachnoid Meninx & Pia Mater?
Meninges - protective membranes covering the brain & spinal cord
Dura Mater:
“Tough mother”; thick, outermost meninge; anchor to the brain
Arachnoid Meninx:
Spider-like delicate lattice of tissue; provides a scaffold for blood vessels
Pia Mater:
“Pious mother”; thin; delicate; innermost meninx; fixed directly to cortex
What lies beneath the arachnoid meninx & contains blood vessels & cerebrospinal fluid?
Subarachnoid space
What fills the subarachnoid space, central canal of spinal cord & cerebral ventricles of brain?; What does it do?
Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF); Protects & cushions the brain; drains through jugular veins & cerebral aqueduct
What is the Choroid Plexus? What does it do?
Networks of capillaries that protrude into ventricles from Pia Mater; Continuously produces & replaces CSF (5 x p/day)
Where does the Cerebral Aqueduct lie?
It connects the 3rd & 4th ventricles
What condition occurs if CSF is blocked by a tumour, leading to expansion of ventricle walls & entire brain?
Hydrocephalus (water head)
What protects the brain physically?
Skull, Menenges (dura mater, arachnoid meninx, pia mater meninx) & CSF
What protects the brain from chemical invasion?; How?
The Blood-Brain Barrier; Tightly packed cells along blood vessel walls (in CNS) prevent entry of many large molecules
Quadriplegia is caused by paralysis of which nerves?
Cervical nerves (C1-C8)