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Medical Physiology > Nervous System Organization and Anatomy > Flashcards

Nervous System Organization and Anatomy Flashcards

1
Q

What are the main components of the nervous system discussed?

A

The spinal cord, sensory and motor pathways, reflexes, meninges, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).

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2
Q

What are the functions of the spinal cord?

A

To transmit sensory information to the brain and motor commands to the body.

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3
Q

What is the dorsal root of the spinal cord responsible for?

A

Carrying sensory nerve signals.

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4
Q

What is the dorsal root ganglion (DRG)?

A

A collection of sensory nerve cell bodies.

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5
Q

What is the ventral root of the spinal cord responsible for?

A

Carrying motor nerve signals.

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6
Q

What is a spinal nerve?

A

A mixed nerve that contains both sensory and motor fibers.

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7
Q

What is the conus medularis?

A

The tapered lower end of the spinal cord located around L1.

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8
Q

What is the conus medularis?

A

A bundle of spinal nerves and nerve roots, located from L2-L5.

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9
Q

What is the filum terminale?

A

A strand of fibrous tissue that extends from the conus medularis and inserts into the coccygeal ligament.

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10
Q

What is a ganglion?

A

A cluster of cell bodies located outside the central nervous system (CNS).

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11
Q

What are the meninges of the spinal cord?

A

The protective layer surrounding the spinal cord, including the dura mater, arachnoid mater, and pia mater.

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12
Q

What are the layers of the meninges of the spinal cord, from outer to inner?

A

Epidural space, dura mater, subdural space, arachnoid mater, subarachnoid space, and pia mater.

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13
Q

Which space contains the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)?

A

The subarachnoid space.

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14
Q

What is an epidural block?

A

An anesthetic injection into the epidural space, characterized by a slow onset and preservation of some motor function.

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14
Q

How many layers of dura mater does the spinal cord have?

A

One

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15
Q

What is a spinal block?

A

An anesthetic injection into the subarachnoid space, characterized by a rapid onset.

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16
Q

Where is CSF formed?

A

By the choroid plexus in the brain ventricles.

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17
Q

What are the functions of CSF?

A

To provide a cushion for the brain, give the brain buoyancy, and transport nutrients, chemical messengers, and waste.

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18
Q

How is CSF formed?

A

Through the arachnoid villi and granulations which extend into the dura sinus and absorbs CSF into venous circulation.

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19
Q

What is hydrocephalus?

A

A condition caused by an obstruction of CSF flow, leading to increased pressure in the ventricles.

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20
Q

What is meningitis?

A

Inflammation of the meninges, often caused by an infection.

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21
Q

What is the difference between aseptic and septic meningitis?

A

Aseptice Meningitis: Is viral, has clear CSF with lymphocytes, and only affects the meninges.

Septic Meningitis: Is bacterial, has cloudy CSF with high protein and low glucose levels and affects the pia mater, subarachnoid space, brain ventricles, and CSF

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22
Q

What are common signs and symptoms of meningitis?

A

Severe headaches, nuchal rigidity (stiffness of neck and back), fever, photophobia, vomiting, and possibly deafness, confusion, loss of consciousness, or coma.

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23
Q

What is a lumbar puncture (spinal tap)?

A

A procedure to collect CSF for diagnostic purposes, especially for meningitis.

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24
What are Kering's and Brudzinski's signs?
Clinical signs used to evaluate suspected cases of meningitis.
25
What are the potential causes of bacterial meningitis?
Pneumococcal (streptococcus pneumoniae), meningococcal (neisseria meningitides), HiB.
26
What are the potential causes of viral meningitis?
Cocksackie virus and HSV-2.
27
How is bacterial meningitis treated?
With antibiotic.
28
What is a nucleus in the context of the nervous system?
A mass of gray matter in the CNS.
29
What are sensory nuclei?
Nuclei that receive and relay sensory information.
30
What is paraplegia?
Loss of sensory and motor function of the lower limbs.
31
What are motor nuclei?
Nuclei that issue motor commands to peripheral effectors.
32
What is the result of injury to a tract?
Loss of sensory information relay above the injury and loss of motor function below the injury.
32
What is a tract in the nervous system?
A bundle of myelinated axons that carry sensory and motor signals.
33
What is quadriplegia?
Loss of sensory and motor function of both the upper and lower limbs.
34
What are the layers of a peripheral nerve?
Epineurium, perineurium, and endoneurium
35
What is a dermatome?
A bilateral area of the skin innervated by a single spinal sensory nerve.
36
What is the difference in effect between damage to a spinal root versus the dorsal root ganglion?
Damage to the spinal root results in loss of sensory and motor functions, whereas damage to the dorsal root ganglion results in loss of sensory function only.
37
What is shingles?
A painful rash and blisters caused by the reactivation of the varicella zoster virus (VZV) along a unilateral dermatome.
38
What are sensory neurons?
Afferent neurons that detect stimuli and transmit information towards the CNS.
39
What are motor neurons?
Efferent neurons that send signals to effectors.
40
What are interneurons?
Association neurons within the CNS that connect sensory and motor pathways.
41
What are acquired reflexes?
Learned motor patterns.
42
What are somatic reflexes?
Involuntary control of the nervous system relating to skeletal muscles, skin, and mucous membranes.
42
What are the classification of reflexes?
By development (innate, acquired), by type of motor response (somatic, visceral), by complexity of the neural circuit (monosynaptic, polysynaptic), and by the site of information processing (spinal, cranial).
43
What are innate reflexes?
Unlearned motor responses formed before birth.
44
What are visceral reflexes?
Autonomic reflexes that control systems other the muscular system.
45
What is a monosynaptic reflex?
A reflex in which the sensory neuron synapses directly onto a motor neuron.
46
What is the muscle stretch reflex?
A muscle contraction in response to stretching within the muscle.
47
What is a polysynaptic reflex?
A reflex involving at least one interneuron between the sensory and motor neurons.
48
What is the Golgi tendon reflex?
A protective feedback mechanism that causes relaxation of a muscle before tendon tension becomes too high.
49
What is the flexor reflex?
A withdrawal reflex intended to protect the body from damaging stimuli.
50
What is the crossed extensor reflex?
Contralateral stimulation of motor neurons to stabilize the body during a flexor reflex.
51
What are muscle spindles?
Receptors in stretch reflexes.
52
What are intrafusal muscle fibers?
Specialized skeletal muscle fibers with both sensory and motor components within muscle spindles.
53
What are extrafusal muscle fibers?
Muscle fibers that surround intrafusal fibers and are responsible for maintaining resting tone and muscle contraction.
54
What do gamma motor neurons innervate?
Intrafusal muscle fibers.
55
What is the function of the stretch reflex?
To regulate the length of skeletal muscles.
55
What do alpha motor neurons innervate?
Extrafusal muscle fibers.
56
Give some examples of stretch reflex.
Patellar reflex, jaw jerk reflex, biceps reflex, triceps reflex, ankle jerk reflex.
57
What is lower neuron syndrome?
A condition resulting from damage to lower motor neurons, which can lead to paralysis, weakness, or loss of tone, and may cause fasciculations and fibrillations.
58
What is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)?
A neurodegenerative disease that attacks motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord, causing muscle weakness, atrophy, and impacting physical function.
59
What is the Golgi tendon organ?
A receptor located at the junction between skeletal muscle and its tendon, stimulated by tension in the tendon.
59
What are some early signs of ALS?
Muscle cramps, muscle twitching, weakness in the hands, legs, feet, or ankles, difficulty speaking or swallowing.
60
What is the function of the Golgi tendon reflex?
To monitor muscle tension and cause muscle relaxation in response to excessive force or stretch.

Medical Physiology (3 decks)

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