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Week 7 - 12 > Nervous System > Flashcards

Nervous System Flashcards

1
Q

What is the nervous system divided into?

A

Central nervous system (CNS)

Peripheral nervous system (PNS)

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2
Q

What does the CNS consist of?

A

Encephalon and spinal cord

Covered by meninges (membranes)

Suspended in serebrospinal fluid (CSF)

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3
Q

What does the PNS consist of?

A

Cranial and spinal nerves

Ganglia

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4
Q

What does the brain stem consist of?

A

Nuclei of all but first 2 cranial nerves

Medulla, pons and midbrain

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5
Q

What does the cerebrum consist of?

A

Telencephalon - cerebral hemispheres

Diencephalon

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6
Q

What’s the telencephalon responsible for?

A

Motor and sensory

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7
Q

What’s the diencephalon responsible for?

A

Basic brain

E.g. ‘fight or flight’ , mating

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8
Q

What structures are included in the CNS?

A

Spinal cord

Brain stem

Cerebellum

Cerebrum

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9
Q

What are neurons?

A

Excitable nerve cells

Transmit information as electrical signals / action potentials

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10
Q

What does a typical neuron have?

A

Cell body (soma)

Neurite(s)

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11
Q

What’s a neurite?

A

A dendrite or axon

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12
Q

Structure of an axon:

A

Usually covered with myelin or Schwann cells

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13
Q

Structure of dendrites:

A

Multiple, thin, short extensions

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14
Q

What are neurons supported by?

A

Neuroglia (specialised glial cells)

Can regenerate

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15
Q

Glial cells (neuroglia) in PNS:

A

Satellite and Schwann cells

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16
Q

What do satellite cells do?

A

Support + monitor neurons

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17
Q

What do Schwann cells do?

A

Wrap around 1 axon

Filled with myelin - electrical insulation

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18
Q

What glial cells (neuroglia) are in CNS?

A

Oligodendrocytes

Astrocytes

Microglia

Ependymal cells

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19
Q

What do oligodendrocytes do?

A

Surround multiple axons with myelin sheaths

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20
Q

What do astrocytes do?

A

Involved with blood-brain barrier

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21
Q

What do microglial cells do?

A

Clear up dead neurons + cells

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22
Q

What do ependymal cells do?

A

Line inside of brain

Produce cerebralspinal fluid

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23
Q

What is myelin produced by?

A

Schwann cells in PNS

Oligodendroglia in CNS

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24
Q

Hat is myelin made up of?

A

Insulation material

Rich in lipid and protein

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25
Importance of myelin sheaths around axons:
Faster conduction - less energy
26
How do neurons communicate?
Via synapses Between axons and dendrites
27
What’s ganglion?
In PNS Collection of nerve cell bodies outside CNS
28
What does grey matter predominantly consist of?
Cell bodies or neurons + neuroglia + unmyelinated neurites
29
Where is grey matter found?
Surface of cerebral + cerebellum hemispheres Depths of cerebrum Middle of spinal cord
30
What does white matter consist of?
Axons (usually myelinated)
31
Where is white matter found?
Deep in brain Surface of spinal cord - surrounding grey matter
32
Direction of axons:
Up/down Front/back Left/right
33
What can be used to show many axons connecting specific areas of CNS?
Diffusion tensor imaging (MRI) Generates 3D model
34
What’s the PNS divided into?
Sensory (afferent) Motor (efferent)
35
What’s the difference between sensory and motor PNS?
Sensory is afferent (signals come in) Motor is efferent (signals go out)
36
What can the sensory PNS be divided into?
Somatic sensory - conscious e.g. body wall + limbs Visceral sensory - unconscious e.g. blood pH
37
What is motor PNS divided into?
Somatic motor - conscious Visceral motor - unconscious e.g. smooth muscle
38
What is visceral motor in motor PNS further divided into?
Enteric - almost autonomous nervous system of gut Parasympathetic Sympathetic
39
What do afferent neurons do in sensory division?
Convey information from receptors in peripheral tissue and organs to CNS
40
What do efferent neurons do in motor division?
Transmit signals from CNS to the effector cell
41
What does sensory input do in the NS?
Monitors both external and internal environments
42
What can efferent division of the nervous system also be divided into?
Somatic and autonomic
43
What is involved with somatic NS?
Skeletal muscles Voluntary
44
What is involved with autonomic NS?
Cardiac and smooth muscles Glands Important for internal homeostasis Involuntary
45
What is the autonomic nervous system divided into?
Sympathetic and parasympathetic
46
Where is the sympathetic system found?
Thoracolumbar
47
Where is the parasympathetic system found?
Craniosacral
48
What’s sympathetic nervous system involved with?
Fight or flight e.g. increase heart rate Activates body under conditions of emergency
49
What’s the parasympathetic system involved with?
Rest + digest e.g. decrease heart rate Conserves body energy + maintains body activity at basal levels - homeostasis
50
Where are cell bodies in sympathetic system found?
At lateral horn of T1-L2 spinal cord segments
51
Where are cell bodies of parasympathetic system found?
At brain stem or S2-4 spinal cord segments
52
What are encephalon and spinal cored protected by?
Bones (skull bones + vertebrae) Meninges Cerebrospinal-spinal fluid
53
What are the three layers in the meninges?
Dura mater Arachnoid mater Pia mater
54
Structure of dura in meninges:
All around brain + spinal cord Most superficial and toughest 2 layers - inner miningeal + outer periosteal
55
Why is there inward septae of dura?
Dura partitions Secure brain to skull Dampen movement of brain in cranial cavity Divide cranial cavity into communicating compartments
56
Give examples of dura septae:
Falx cerebelli Falx cerebri
57
What is the structure of arachnoid layer in meninges?
Close to dura Web-like
58
What is the structure of pia in meninges?
Deepest layer Direct contact with CNS tissue Highly vascular Enters every sulci
59
What spaces are found in meninges?
Epidural Subdural Subarachnoid
60
Epidural space:
Between dura and bone Can bleed into it
61
Subdural space:
Potential space between dura and arachnoid Can bleed into it
62
Subarachnoid space:
Between arachnoid + pia Contains Cerebrospinal fluid + cerebral arteries
63
What are cerebral ventricles?
Interconnected spaces filled with cerebrospinal fluid
64
What are the cerebral ventricles?
Lateral ventricle 3rd ventricle 4th ventricle Central canal
65
Where is the lateral cerebral vertical positioned?
Cerebral hemisphere
66
Where is 3rd cerebral ventricle positioned?
Diencephalon
67
Where is 4th cerebral ventricle positioned?
Brain stem
68
Where is the central canal positioned?
Spinal canal
69
What is cerebrospinal fluid?
Clear, cell free Fills cerebral ventricles Passes from cerebral ventricles to subarachnoid space
70
What is Cerebrospinal fluid produced by?
Choroid plexus in lateral and 3rd ventricles
71
Where does cerebrospinal fluid circulate?
Cisterns and subarachnoid space
72
What is cerebrospinal fluid absorbed by?
Arachnoid granulation into dural venous sinuses
73
What does the external surface of the brain look like?
Gyri - in folding of cerebral hemispheres (convolutions) Gyri separated from each other by Sulci
74
Structure of cerebrum:
Two hemispheres divided by Median longitudinal fissure
75
What does each hemisphere in cerebrum consist of?
Cerebral cortex Cerebral white matter Nuclei
76
What are cerebral lobes?
Parts of hemispheres (telencephalon) Formed by gyri and separated by sulci
77
What are the different cerebral lobes?
Frontal Parietal Occipital Temporal Limbic - binding lobe Insula- deep
78
What can we use to determine the functions of different regions of the nervous system?
Lesion and outcome Animal experiments Functional imaging techniques (PET, fMRI)
79
Function of frontal lobe:
Motor
80
Function of parietal lobe:
Sensory
81
Function of occipital lobe:
Vision
82
Function of temporal lobe:
Auditory
83
Function of left hemisphere:
Language and maths
84
Function of right hemisphere:
Visual-spatial skills and creativity
85
Broca’s area:
Forming words
86
Wernicke’s area:
Understanding words
87
What’s involved with diencephalon?
Thalamus Hypothalamus
88
Function of Thalamus:
Relay station for sensory impulses ascending to sensory cortex Encloses 3rd ventricle
89
Function of hypothalamus:
Autonomic + endocrine control
90
Function of midbrain:
Superior and inferior colliculi (visual + auditory reflex centres) Red nucleus (subcortical motor centre) Substantial nigra (reward-seeking, motor learning)
91
What does the midbrain surround?
Cerebral aqueduct
92
Functions of Pons:
Conduction area between forebrain + cerebellum Nuclei contribute to regulation of respiration, hearing + balance
93
Functions of medulla:
Pyramidal decussation before entering spinal cord Vital centres - respiratory rhythm, heart rate Non-vital centres - cough, sneeze
94
What is pyramidal decussation?
Crossing of corticospinal axons
95
Where are the 2 hemispheres in cerebellum?
Cerebellar fossa
96
Functions of cerebellum:
Processes + interprets impulses from motor cortex and sensory pathways Coordinates motor activity for smooth movements - important for balance
97
What essentially is the spinal cord?
Two way impulse conduction pathway + reflex centre
98
What is the spinal cord protected by?
Vertebrae Meninges Cerebrospinal fluid
99
Where does the spinal cord extend from?
Extends from skull base (foramen magnum) to level of L1/L2 intevertebral disc or mid L2 vertebra Doesn’t extend length of vertebral column
100
What are cervical and lumbosacral enlargements involved with?
Innervation of limbs
101
Where is the conus medullaris?
End of spinal cord
102
What does grey matter of spinal cord contain?
Dorsal/posterior horns Lateral horns Ventral/anterior horns
103
What does white matter of spinal cord consist of?
Ventral/anterior columns Lateral columns Dorsal/posterior columns
104
What can the spinal cord be divided into?
Segments - associated with one pair of spinal nerves
105
What segments is the spinal cord divided into?
Cervical (8) Thoracic (12) Lumbar (5) Sacral (5) Coccygeal (1)
106
What is Cauda equina?
Roots of lumbar and spinal nerves

Week 7 - 12 (38 decks)

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