Nervous system Flashcards
What are cranial nerves?
Cranial nerves consist of 12 pairs of nerves that emerge from the spinal chord and follow defined paths to specific regions of the body.
What kinds of body parts can cranial nerves give information about?
Sensory: >Olfactory >Optic >Face, sinuses and teeth >Heart, lungs, bronchi, trachea, pharynx, larynx, GIT >Tongue, Tonsils >Ear
Motor: >Salivary glands >Pharynx muscles >Heart, lungs, bronchi, GIT >Trapezius muscles >Muscles of the tongue >Muscles of the face >Chewing muscles >External eyes muscles >Superior oblique muscle
Outline what divisions exist in the nervous system
Central nervous system:
>Brain
>Spinal chord
Peripheral nervous system: >Sensory neurones >Motor neurones >Somatic nervous system >Autonomic nervous system >Sympathetic division >Parasympathetic division
What division of the nervous system could a stroke impact?
A stroke would affect the CNS (brain).
Describe the central nervous system
> Consists of the brain and spinal chord
Describe the cerebrum
The cerebrum is separated into left and right parts (hemispheres) which control opposite sides of the body.
Each hemisphere is divided into 5 lobes:
- Frontal
- Parietal
- Temporal
- Occipital
- Insula
What are gyri?
The cerebrum is highly folded. the elevated bumps are gyri.
What are sulci?
The cerebrum is highly folded. the grooves or depressions are sulci.
What do sulci and gyri do?
Increase the surface area of the cerebrum.
What are the main functions of the frontal lobes?
> Conscious intellect
Judgement and ethics
Speech
Learned voluntary motor function
What are the parietal lobes responsible for?
> Recognition and correlation of sensation
What are the temporal lobes responsible for?
> Hearing
>Memory
What are the occipital lobes responsible for?
> Primary visual cortex - receives information from the eyes and interprets visual stimuli.
What is the hippocampus responsible for and where is it located?
The hippocampus is embedded deep into the temporal lobe.
> Memory - especially spatial memory
What is the corpus calossum responsible for and where is it located?
Located in the midline of the brain, the corpus callossum is a collection of commissural fibres connecting to corresponding grey areas of the left and right cerebral hemispheres.
What is the function of broca’s area and where is it located?
Located in the frontal lobe.
> Directs muscles of the tongue and mouth
Planning speech and other motor activities
What is the cerebellum and where is it located?
Located at the back of the brain.
> Coordination
Balance
Posture
Learned movements
What does the thalamus do and where is it located?
Located just above the brainstem.
> Sensory processing and interpreting
What does the hypothalamus do and where is it located?
Located below the thalamus.
> Controls homeostasis and the autonomic nervous system
Regulates thirst, feeding, pituitary hormones, temperature, blood pressure, biological rhythms