Nerves of Steel (part 2) Flashcards
Cerebrospinal fluid
clear, colorless ultrafiltrate that nourishes, cools, and cushions the CNS
CSF is made by
the choroid plexus that lines the ventricles of the brain
The brain
the enlarged and highly developed portion of the CNS that lies in the skull and is the main site of nervous control
The brain is divided into 3 main parts
Cerebrum
Cerebellum
Brainstem
Cerebrum
is the largest part and is responsible for receiving and processing information
Cerebellum
is the second largest part that coordinates muscle activity
Brainstem
connects the cerebral hemispheres with the spinal cord and supports basic life functions
Spinal cord structure
the continuation of the medulla oblongata of the brainstem
•passes through an opening in the occipital bone called the foramen magnum
Function of the spinal cord
carries the tracts that influence the innervation of the limbs and lower part of the body and is the pathway for impulses going to and from the brain
Function of the vertebrae
•The spinal cord is housed within vertebrae to protect it from injury
peripheral nervous system consists of
cranial and spinal nerves, the autonomic nervous system, and the ganglia
The cranial nerves are
12 pairs of nerves that originate from the undersurface of the brain
The spinal nerves arise from the
spinal cord and supply sensory and motor fibers to the body region associated with their emergence from the spinal cord
The autonomic nervous system
that part of the peripheral nervous system that innervates smooth muscle, cardiac muscle, and glands
The two divisions of the ANS:
–sympathetic: fight or flight
–parasympathetic: maintains normal body function
