Midterm 2 Neuro 7 Flashcards
What do the lighter regions of the brain represent?
White matter
What do the darker regions of the brain represent?
Gray matter
What’s the anatomy of the CNS?
Brain and spinal cord
What does gray matter consist of?
Unmyelinated somas, dendrites and axons
What does white matter consist of?
Myelinated axons
What are the 3 parts of the meninges ?
Pia mater
Arachnoid membrane
Dura mater
What is the meninges for? What resides in it?
The parts of it surround the brain and spinal cord
The cerebral spinal fluid resides in it
What does cerebral spinal fluid do?
It makes sure than bones don’t hit the brain /spinal cord
Where does cerebral spinal fluid reside?
Meninges
What’s the main role of the spinal cord?
Transferring information between the brain and periphery (skin, joints, organs)
How many regions of the spinal cord are there?
4
What is a segment of the spinal cord? (Anatomy)
Section of spinal cord with 2 spinal nerves attached to it
What are the 4 regions of spinal cord? How many segments in each region?
Cervical (8)
Thoracic (12)
Lumbar (5)
Sacral (5)
What kind of information does the dorsal root carry?
Sensory (afferent)
What kind of information does the ventral root carry?
Motor (efferent)
What matter consists of sensory and motor nuclei?
Gray matter
What is a ganglion?
Group of cell bodies outside the CNS
What is nuclei?
Clusters of cell bodies in CNS
What does white matter consist of in the brainstem?
Tracts of axons carrying information to and from the brain
What does white matter consist of?
Tracts of axons carrying information to and from the brain
What do ascending tracts do?
Carry sensory information to the brain
What do descending tracts do?
Carry commands to motor neurons
Where are ascending tracts located?
Dorsal and external lateral
Where are descending tracts located
Ventral and interior lateral
What is a spinal reflex?
It initiates a response without input from the brain
Can the spinal cord act as the integrating center
Yes. To initiate a response to a stimulus without receiving input from the brain
What is the spinal reflex particularly important for?
Body movement
What’s considered the ultimate emergent property?
The brain
What are the components of the brainstem? Which one isn’t shown?
Midbrain
Pons
Medulla
( reticular formation is not shown)
What are the 6 major divisions of the brain
Cerebrum
Cerebellum
Diencephalon
Midbrain
Pons
Medulla
Where do ascending and descending tracts run through?
The brainstem
What is the reticular formation a part of?
Brainstem
What is the reticular formation a part of?
Brainstem
What is the midbrain also called?
Mesencephalon
What is the midbrain’s primary role?
Controlling eye movement
Which part of the brainstem relays auditory and visual reflexes?
Midbrain
Which part of the brainstem contains the substantia nigra?
Midbrain
What does the substantial nigra do?
Unconscious muscle contractions
What do the pons contain?
Nuclei and tracts
What do the pons do? (2)
Relays information between the cerebellum and cerebrum
Assists the medulla in the coordination of breathing
Which matter contains the ascending and descending tracts?
White matter
Where does crossover occur?
In the pyramids within the medulla
What involuntary functions do the nuclei in the medulla control?
Cardiovascular center and the medullary respiratory center
Which area of the brainstem contain the vomiting enter, deglutition center, and coughing, sneezing, and hicupping?
Medulla
What is the reticular formation?
Nuclei that are dispersed throughout the brainstem that have similar functions.
What is the reticular formation important for?
Consciousness, arousal, attention and alertness
What is the cerebellum in-terms of size?
The second largest brain structure
What does the cerebellum do?
Processes sensory information related to movement and coordinates the execution of movement
What’s the main area that regulates posture and balance?
Cerebellum
Where are approximately half of the neurons in the brain believed to be
Cerebellum
What would damage to the cerebellum cause?
Shakiness
What are the two primary structures of the diencephalon?
Thalamus and hypothalamus
What are the two endocrine structures of the diencephalon?
Pineal gland and pituitary
Where does almost all sensory information go through before going to its cortical area?
The thalamus
What is the relay centre?
Thalamus
What does the pineal gland do
Releases melatonin involved in sleep/wake
What is the hypothalamus?
The center for homeostasis
Which part of the diencephalon contributes to glucose concentration, body temperature, and food intake?
Hypothalamus
Is the hypothalamus or the thalamus bigger?
The thalamus is bigger
Where does the diencephalon lie?
Between the brain stem and cerebrum
