Lock In Season Flashcards
What does ‘Lateral’ mean in the nervous system?
Toward the side.
What does ‘Medial’ refer to?
Toward the middle or midline.
Define ‘Superior’ in anatomical terms.
Above or over.
Define ‘Inferior.’
Below or under.
What does ‘Anterior’ or ‘Rostral’ mean?
Toward the front.
Define ‘Posterior’ or ‘Caudal.’
Toward the back or tail.
What does ‘Dorsal’ refer to?
Top or near the upper surface.
Define ‘Ventral.’
Frontal
What does ‘Distal’ mean?
Away from, farther from the origin.
Define ‘Proximal.’
Near or closer to the origin.
What does ‘Ipsilateral’ refer to?
On the same side.
Define ‘Contralateral.’
On the opposite side.
What does ‘Bilateral’ mean?
Involving both sides of the body.
Define ‘Unilateral.’
Involving one side of the body.
What does ‘Axial’ refer to?
Around a central axis.
Define ‘Intermediate.’
Between two structures.
What is the primary function of the nervous system?
Organizing and determining the way an organism behaves.
Approximately how many neurons are in the human nervous system?
About 86 billion neurons.
What are Glial Cells?
Supporting cells in the nervous system.
What do Oligodendrocytes do, and where are they located?
They produce the myelin sheath in the CNS.
What are Schwann cells, and where are they located?
Cells that produce the myelin sheath in the PNS.
What makes up the central nervous system (CNS)?
The brain and spinal cord.
How is the CNS protected?
By bone, cerebral spinal fluid (CSF), and the blood-brain barrier (BBB).
What is included in the peripheral nervous system (PNS)?
Cranial nerves and spinal nerves.
What are the two main divisions of the peripheral nervous system?
The somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system.
What does the somatic nervous system control?
Skeletal muscles and transmission of information from sense organs.
How many cranial nerves and spinal nerves are in the somatic nervous system?
12 pairs of cranial nerves and 31 pairs of spinal nerves.
What do afferent nerves do?
Convey sensory messages from the environment.
What do efferent nerves do?
Carry motor messages from the CNS.
What does the autonomic nervous system regulate?
The internal environment.
What is the function of the sympathetic nervous system?
Expenditure of energy.
What does the parasympathetic nervous system control?
Conservation of energy.
What are the three main divisions of the brain?
The forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain.
What are ventricles in the brain?
Hollow chambers filled with cerebral spinal fluid (CSF).
Name the four main ventricles in the brain.
Lateral ventricle, third ventricle (diencephalon), cerebral aqueduct, and fourth ventricle.
What is the primary function of the cerebellum?
It is responsible for balance, coordination, and movement.
What functions are associated with the pons?
Arousal and dreaming.
What does the medulla oblongata regulate?
Heart rate and breathing.
What functions are associated with the tectum in the midbrain?
It has parts that handle visual and auditory functions.
What is the function of the superior colliculi in the midbrain?
Visual processing.
What is the function of the inferior colliculi?
Auditory processing.
Name three other structures in the midbrain.
Tegmentum, reticular formation, periaqueductal gray, and substantia nigra.
Which three structures make up the brain stem?
Medulla oblongata, pons, and midbrain.
What is the role of the thalamus?
Processing sensory information.
What function does the hypothalamus serve?
Regulates feeding behavior.
What is the cerebral cortex?
The outer layer of the brain with two symmetrical hemispheres, responsible for many high-level functions.
What structure connects the two hemispheres of the cerebral cortex?
The corpus callosum.
What are subcortical structures?
Structures below the cortex, including the limbic system and basal ganglia.
What is the hippocampus involved in?
Memory formation.
What are the functions of the amygdala?
Involved in memory and emotion.
What is the basal ganglia responsible for?
Control of movement.
What role does the nucleus accumbens play?
Part of the basal ganglia, it is involved in reward and motivation.
Name the four lobes of the cerebral cortex.
Frontal lobe, parietal lobe, temporal lobe, and occipital lobe.
What functions are associated with the frontal lobes?
Planning, execution, and control of movement; includes cognition and emotion in the prefrontal cortex.
What does the parietal lobe process?
Sensory data.
Which lobe is responsible for the auditory system and memory?
The temporal lobe.
What function is the occipital lobe specialized for?
The visual system.
What is neuroplasticity?
The brain’s ability to reorganize and create new neural connections based on learning, experience, or injury.
How does neuroplasticity differ across the lifespan?
It occurs throughout life but is more prominent during early childhood development.
What impact can brain lesions have on neuroplasticity at different ages?
Before age 1, impairment is greatest; ages 1-5, brain function can reorganize; age 5+, little or no sparing of function.
What has neuroplasticity been linked to in terms of technological advancements?
The ability to use robotic arms and artificial hearing and seeing devices.
What did the fMRI study on people who had hemispherectomies reveal?
Brain regions involved in the same networks (e.g. vision) worked together as well as in individuals with intact brains.
How did connectivity between different networks change in patients who had hemispherectomies?
Connectivity was stronger between parts of different networks.
What did Warrier et al. (2023) find about genetic influence on brain development?
Brain structure and development are partly genetic, with genetic variants linked to cortical thickness, surface area, and volume.
What did Thompson et al. (2001) discover about heritability in the brain?
High heritability for grey matter volume, with MZ twins having a 0.95 correlation.
What did Gilmore et al. (2010) report about heritability rates in newborn twins?
High heritability (>70%) for grey matter, white matter, and intracranial volume.
Which brain regions showed the lowest levels of heritability according to Luo (2021)?
The midbrain and brainstem, possibly influenced by experience and environment.
