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Year 1 Semester 1 - PCS Anatomy+others > Nervous System > Flashcards

Nervous System Flashcards

1
Q

How is the nervous system divided structurally?

A

Consists of Central Nervous System (CNS) and Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

CNS is central in position, it consists of:
the brain (including brainstem and cerebellum),
the spinal cord
[Also, includes cranial nerves 1 and 2]

PNS (is more outwards/peripheral), it consists of:
Spinal nerves (which come out of spinal cord),
Cranial nerves (which come out of brain)
[except cranial nerves 1 and 2],
Ganglia

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2
Q

What is the name of collections of nerve cell bodies in the PNS?

A

Ganglia

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3
Q

What is the name of collections of nerve cell bodies in the CNS?

A

Nucleus

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4
Q

How is the nervous system divided functionally?

A

CNS: integrates and coordinates incoming neuronal signals. And carries out higher order functions, e.g thinking, learning, memory

PNS: Conducts impulses to or away from the CNS.
Organised into nerves that connect the CNS with peripheral structures. Each nerve contains multiple nerve fibres, sometimes with multiple functions

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5
Q

Tell me about the spinal nerves

A

Peripheral nerves - spinal nerves
We have a pair of spinal nerves, one from the left and one from the right, arising from each segment of the spinal cord
The vertebrae column (covers and protects the spinal cord) is subdivided into regions
These spinal nerves relate to the vertebrae levels
C1 - C7 (cervical) spinal nerves all come out above the associated vertebrae
T1 (thoracic) spinal nerves and below all come out below the associated vertebrae
C8 is an extra nerve inbetween C7 and T1

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6
Q

What are the regions of the vertebrae column?

A

Cervical segment, thoracic segment, lumbar segment, sacral segment

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7
Q

Tell me about the cranial nerves

A

Peripheral nerves - cranial nerves
12 pairs of cranial nerves in total
Cranial nerves are paired, one from the left and one from the right, arising from the cerebrum or brain stem (NOT spinal cord)
Cranial nerves are named using roman numerals

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8
Q

What does somatic refer to?

A

Skin

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9
Q

Part of the peripheral nervous system are the somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system. What are the somatic and autonomic nervous system involved in?

A

Somatic nervous system: controls voluntary muscles and transmits sensory info to CNS. Involves skeletal muscle and skin
Autonomic nervous system: controls involuntary body functions. Involves smooth muscle and glands

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10
Q

What types of neurones are involved in the somatic nervous system, what do they do and what are these neurones’ pathways called?

A

Somatic nervous system
Includes sensory and motor neurones (things you can sense and feel)
Sensory neurones are Afferent- conveys impulses towards the CNS from sensory receptors. These sensory pathways are known as somatosensory pathways
Motor neurones are Efferent - conveys impulses away from CNS towards skeletal muscles. These motor pathways are known as somatomotor pathways

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11
Q
A

Peripheral nerves (spinal nerves and cranial nerves) usually contain a mixture of somatic and autonomic nerve fibres

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12
Q

What are the systems involved in the autonomic nervous system?

A

Sympathetic nervous system - arouses body to expend energy (fight or flight response)
Parasympathetic nervous system - calms body to conserve and maintain energy (rest and digest)

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13
Q

What is the outflow of neurones described of in the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems?

A

Parasympathetic has neurones leave at the level of the brain stem and sacrum: cranio-sacral outflow
Sympathetic has neurones leave at the level of the thoracic and lumbar regions: thoraco-lumbar outflow. (This is to allow enough space in the spinal cord to coordinate the impulses)

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14
Q

Describe the simple sensory pathway

A

Sensory pathway has 3 neurones: 1st order neurone, 2nd order neurone, 3rd order neurone
1st order neurone: Sensory info e.g pain, temperature, heat, pressure etc is transduced/recognised by sensory receptors in skin
That sensory neurone passes back into spinal cord (first order neurone)
2nd order neurone: The neurone crosses over to the other side of the spinal cord and ascends up to the thalamus (in the brain)
3rd order neurone goes from the thalamus to the somatosensory cortex
These neurones are Afferent/ Afferent pathway to ascend/Afferent neurones carry signal towards the CNS

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15
Q

Describe the simple motor pathway

A

Motor pathway has 2 neurones: upper motor neurone, lower motor neurone
Efferent pathway/ efferent is descending/ efferent neurones carry signal away from CNS
Upper motor neurone comes from primary cortex of the brain - somatomotor area of cerebral cortex
Crosses over at medulla oblongata
Then descends down the spinal cord on the opposite side where it came from
Lower motor neurone synapses at the level where the muscle wants to innervate

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16
Q

Describe autonomic pathway

A

Autonomic pathway has 2 neurones: pre-ganglionic neurone (before the ganglion), post ganglionic neurone (after the ganglion/after the synapse)
In the middle of the autonomic pathway is a ganglion (in PNS)
The cells that constitute the autonomic pathways are located both within the CNS and PNS
The nerves of autonomic system innervates glands, smooth muscles, cardiac muscles

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17
Q
A

Both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems innervate the same organs because they have opposing functions

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18
Q

Is the occipital lobe of the brain in the front or back?

A

Back

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19
Q

Is the frontal lobe of the brain in the front or back?

A

Front

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20
Q

The cerebral cortex is divided into functional lobes. What are the names of these lobes and what do they do?

A

Frontal lobe: helps control decision making, planning, organising, problem-solving, short-term memory and movement (also involved with empathy)
Temporal lobe: involved in hearing, recognising language and forming memories
Parietal lobe: helps interpret sensory information
Occipital lobe: processes and interprets visual information (related to vision)

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21
Q

What is the name of the structure that goes from the top down all the way until the temporal lobe, and divides the frontal lobe and the parietal lobe?

A

Central sulcus (kinda like a line/dividing)

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22
Q

What are the 3 regions the brainstem is divided into?

A

Midbrain
Pons
Medulla oblongata

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23
Q

In relation to the central sulcus, where are the pre central gyrus and post central gyrus located?

A

Pre central gyrus is in front of the central sulcus
Post central gyrus is behind the central sulcus

24
Q

What is the longitudinal fissure?

A

A deep groove that separates the left amd right lobes of the brain

25
Q

Where is the horizontal fissure placed?

A

With the cerebellum beneath it (inferior) and the occipital lobe above it (superior)

26
Q

What does the pre central gyrus contain?

A

Motor cortex

27
Q

What does the post central gyrus contain?

A

Sensory cortex

28
Q

What does the corpus callosum do?

A

It connects the axons from the different sides of the brain. (It contains lots of myelin so that’s why it’s very white in appearance)

29
Q

What does the cerebellum do?

A

Coordinates voluntary movements (it’s also responsible for lots of functions, such as balance, coordination, posture)

30
Q
A

The hypothalamus is underneath the thalamus

31
Q

The CNS is protected by meninges. What are the names of the three layers of the meninges?

A

(Outermost) dura mater - tough, fibrous tissue. It’s attached to the bone of the skull and it’s attached to the arachnoid mater
Arachnoid mater- delicate, spidery layer which encloses the sub-arachnoid space (sub-arachnoid space is below the arachnoid layer)
Pia mater - thin and transparent layer, and it’s very closely adhered to the surface of the brain and spinal cord

32
Q

What does the sub- arachnoid space contain?

A

Cerebrospinal fluid

33
Q

How many pairs of cranial nerves are there?

A

12 pairs of cranial nerves

34
Q

Where do the cranial nerves arise from?

A

Arise from the brain.
Olfactory and optic arise from the cerebrum, whereas the remaining 10 pairs of cranial nerves arise from the brainstem

35
Q
A

Cranial nerves contain sensory, motor or mixed nerve fibres

36
Q
A

Cranial nerves contain sensory, motor or mixed nerve fibres

37
Q
A

4 cranial nerves have a parasympathetic component

38
Q

Peripheral nerves (this is just info, turn over)

A

Can be spinal or cranial nerves
Contain multiple nerve fibres
Frequently contain different types of nerve fibres

39
Q

Part of the somatic nervous system, we have the somatosensory and somatomotor nervous systems. What are the somatosensory and somatomotor nervous systems involved in?

A

Somatosensory- touch, temperature, vibration, pain etc
Somatomotor- voluntary control of skeletal muscles

40
Q

What can the somatosensory and somatomotor nervous systems be referred to as (clinically)?

A

Somatosensory- General Somatic Afferent (GSA)
Somatomotor- General Somatic Efferent (GSE)

41
Q

What can the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems also be referred to as?

A

Sympathetic- General Visceral Afferent (GVA) [sensory info from visceral organs]
Parasympathetic- General Visceral Efferent (GVE) [motor to smooth muscle and glands]

42
Q

In relation to the spinal cord, what words refers to anterior and posterior?

A

Anterior- VENTRAL
Posterior- DORSAL

43
Q

When looking at a cross section of a spinal cord, how would you figure out which is the ventral root and which is the dorsal root?

A

The dorsal root ganglion (a bulging aspect of the dorsal root would be able to signify that this root is dorsal)

44
Q

In the spinal cord, which root carries sensory nerves and which root carries motor nerves?

A

Ventral roots carry motor nerves
Dorsal roots carry sensory nerves
(Both roots also come together to form the spinal nerve, so this would have a mixture of sensory and motor fibres)

45
Q

Once a spinal nerve exits through the little foramen in the vertebrae, it splits into an anterior and posterior ramus. What are the names of these rami and to what aspect of the body do they go to?

A

Anterior/ventral ramus- goes to structures in the anterior aspect of the body
Posterior/dorsal ramus- goes to structures in the posterior aspect of the body

46
Q

What is the functional organisation of the spinal cord?

A

Dorsal and ventral roots are the functional organisations of the spinal cord because it’s functionally separating the sensory from the motor

47
Q

What is the structural organisation of the spinal cord?

A

The rami that split from the spinal nerve as they come out of the vertebrae (because structurally they send info to different parts of the body)

48
Q

In the brain and spinal cord, where are the grey and white matters?

A

Brain- white matter on inside (axons inside) and grey matter on outside (cell bodies on outside)
Spinal cord- grey matter on inside (cell bodies on the inside) and white matter on the outside (axons on the outside)
[There are tracts located in the white matter of the spinal cord]

49
Q

What is a dermatome?

A

An area of skin supplied by a single spinal nerve

50
Q
A

Each spinal root maps to a particular area of skin associated with it

51
Q

What are plexi (singular is plexus)?

A

Plexi are: spinal nerves which often form complex networks, which allow info from/to multiple spinal root levels to be redistributed

52
Q
A

Each peripheral nerve has an associated cutaneous nerve territory (this is the area of skin supplied by a particular nerve)
Peripheral nerves receive contributions from many different spinal root levels (usually by plexi) and so don’t map to individual nerve roots

53
Q

What happens if you injure a peripheral nerve and what happens if you injure a ventral ramus?

A

Injure a peripheral nerve- you lose sensation in the peripheral nerve’s cutaneous field
Injure a ventral ramus- you lose sensation to a dermatome

54
Q

What do the following features map to:
Dermatomes
Myotomes
Cutaneous nerve territories

A

Dermatomes map to the area of skin supplied by a specific nerve root
Myotomes map to the group of muscle fibres supplied by a specific nerve root
Cutaneous nerve territories map to the area of skin supplied by a specific peripheral nerve (which may receive contributions from many different nerve roots)

55
Q

What does the dermatome map show?

A

A dermatome map is mapping to an area of skin supplied by a single spinal root

56
Q

What does the cutaneous innervation map show?

A

Cutaneous innervation map shows us where the individual nerves are mapping to. They are going to pass info through multiple spinal levels

Year 1 Semester 1 - PCS Anatomy+others (6 decks)

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