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Medical Physiology > Nervous System Organization and Anatomy - Brain Part 1 > Flashcards

Nervous System Organization and Anatomy - Brain Part 1 Flashcards

1
Q

What is the average weight of the brain relative to total body weight, and what percentage of the body’s energy does it use?

A

The typical brain comprises about 2% of the body’s total weight, but uses 20% of its total energy and oxygen intake

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2
Q

ow many nerve impulses can each neuron transmit per second, and how many synaptic contacts can they make?

A

Each neuron can transmit 1,000 nerve impulses per second and make as many as tens of thousands of synaptic contacts with other neurons

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3
Q

Is it true that humans only use 10% of their brains?

A

No, brain scans clearly show that we use most of our brain most of the time, even when we’re sleeping

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4
Q

What is the effect of alcohol on brain cells?

A

Alcohol does not kill brain cells, but it can cause Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, a neurological disorder due to thiamine deficiency

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5
Q

What are the terms for anatomical directions in the nervous system?

A

Rostral (towards the rostrum), caudal (towards the tail), ventral (towards the belly), and dorsal (towards the back)

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6
Q

What are the three anatomical planes of dissection?

A

Transverse (separates superior and inferior), sagittal (separates right and left), and coronal (separates anterior and posterior)

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7
Q

What is a nucleus in the nervous system?

A

A collection of neurons with about the same structure and function.

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8
Q

What does gray matter consist of?

A

Cell bodies, somas, dendrites, and synapses

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9
Q

Where is gray matter found?

A

Forms cortex over cerebrum and cerebellum and forms nuclei deep within brain

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10
Q

What does white matter consist of?

A

Myelin-covered axon tracts

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11
Q

What is the function of white matter?

A

Forms tracts that connect parts of the brain

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12
Q

What are commissures in the brain?

A

White matter structures like the corpus callosum

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13
Q

What are columns in the spinal cord?

A

Bundles of white matter

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14
Q

What are the layers of meninges in the brain, from outer to inner?

A

Bone, epidural space (potentially), dura mater (periosteal layer and meningeal layer), subdural space, arachnoid mater, subarachnoid space, and pia mater

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15
Q

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

A

One

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16
Q

What is an epidural hematoma? (lemon shape)

A

Bleeding between the skull and dura mater due to the rupture of an artery, typically the middle meningeal artery, characterized by a biconvex shape on a CT scan

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17
Q

What is a subdural hematoma? (banana shape)

A

Bleeding between the dura mater and arachnoid mater due to the rupture of bridging veins, characterized by a crescent shape on a CT scan

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18
Q

What are common treatments for hematomas?

A

Medications (mannitol, corticosteroids, barbiturates), and surgery (drill or craniotomy)

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19
Q

What are gyri and sulci?

A

Gyri are folds or ridges on the cerebral cortex, and sulci are grooves

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20
Q

What is a fissure in the brain?

A

A deep groove

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21
Q

What is the cortex?

A

The surface layer of gray matter.

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22
Q

What are nuclei in the brain?

A

Deeper masses of gray matter.

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23
Q

What are tracts in the brain?

A

Bundles of axons (white matter).

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24
Q

What is the longitudinal fissure?

A

A deep groove between the left and right cerebral hemispheres, also called the interhemispheric or sagittal fissure

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25
What is the transverse fissure?
The fissure between the cerebrum and cerebellum
26
What is the Sylvian fissure?
A large diagonal fissure on the lateral surface of the brain, also known as the lateral sulcus, which separates the temporal lobe
27
What are the components of the central nervous system (CNS)?
The brain and spinal cord.
28
What are the components of the peripheral nervous system (PNS)?
The extension of the CNS beyond the brain and spinal cord into the periphery
29
What is the direction of information flow in the nervous system?
Sensory information goes from the PNS to the CNS (afferent), and motor commands go from the CNS to the PNS (efferent)
30
What are the major anatomical components of the nervous system?
The CNS (brain and spinal cord) and PNS (spinal and cranial nerves, autonomic ganglia, and enteric nervous system).
31
What are the major components of the brain?
Cerebrum (frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes), diencephalon (thalamus, hypothalamus, limbic system, basal ganglia), brainstem (midbrain, pons, medulla), and cerebellum
32
Which part of the brain contains 50% of the brain's neurons?
The cerebellum
33
What are the parts of the brainstem?
The midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata
34
What is the function of the medulla oblongata?
Regulates heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, and controls visceral functions like vomiting, hiccuping, swallowing, gagging, sweating, coughing, and sneezing
35
What are pyramids in the medulla oblongata?
Corticospinal tracts (motor)
36
What is the decussation of pyramids?
The junction of the medulla and spinal cord where motor fibers cross the midline
37
What is the function of the pons?
Links the cerebellum to the rest of the brain and adjusts breathing centers in the medulla
38
What are the components of the midbrain?
Corpora quadrigemina (superior and inferior colliculi) and substantia nigra.
39
What do the superior and inferior colliculi do?
The superior colliculus processes visual inputs, and the inferior colliculus processes auditory inputs
40
What is the function of the substantia nigra?
Produces dopamine, which is involved in the initiation of movement and inhibiting the activity of the basal ganglia
41
What is the result of neurodegeneration of the substantia nigra?
Parkinson's disease, which is characterized by decreased dopamine and increased muscle tone
42
What is the function of the basal ganglia?
Control of posture and movements, determination of onset and cessation of voluntary movements, inhibition of unwanted/inappropriate movement, repetitive movements in walking, and learned behaviors
43
What are some functions of the limbic system?
Emotion, motivation, and memory. It helps recognize fear, anger, danger, happiness, resolve problems, and mental conflicts. It also facilitates memory storage and retrieval and associates sensations with emotional responses
44
What is the role of the hippocampus?
Organizes sensory and cognitive information into a new long term memory
45
What is the role of the amygdala?
Emotional memory, expressing emotions, processing positive stimuli, and detecting fear and threat
46
What are the three structures of the diencephalon?
Thalamus, hypothalamus, and epithalamus.
47
What is the function of the epithalamus?
Contains the choroid plexus (CSF production) and the pineal gland (melatonin secretion, sleep-wake cycle regulation)
48
What is the function of the thalamus?
Relays sensory and motor signals to/from the cerebral cortex, integrates and filters most of the arriving sensory information, plays a role in motor control, and is part of the limbic system
49
What is the function of the reticular formation?
Filters important incoming sensory impulses
50
What is the effect of damage to the reticular formation?
Coma
51
What are the functions of the hypothalamus?
Main visceral control center, regulates autonomic nervous system (HR, BP, motility of digestive tract), emotional behavior, body temperature, hunger and satiety, water balance and thirst, sleep cycle, and endocrine system function.
52
What role does the amygdala play in PTSD?
Hyperactivity in the amygdala may reflect an exaggerated response of fear circuitry, leading to symptoms like hypervigilance and hyperarousal
53
What is anterograde amnesia?
Inability to make new memories due to damage to the hippocampus
54
What is retrograde amnesia?
Loss of or inability to retrieve long-term memories due to damage to the hippocampus and other brain regions like the thalamus and temporal lobe.
55
What is dissociative amnesia?
When you can’t remember important information about yourself, often related to distressing or upsetting events, likely due to severe or long-term trauma
56
What are the four lobes of the cerebral cortex?
Frontal, parietal, occipital, and temporal lobes
57
What are the main functions of the frontal lobe?
Voluntary motor functions, personality, problem-solving, and planning.
58
What are the main functions of the parietal lobe?
Receiving and integrating sensory information, and knowing right from left
59
What are the main functions of the occipital lobe?
Processing vision and color
60
What are the main functions of the temporal lobe?
Hearing, smell, learning, memory, and emotional behavior (limbic).
61
What is the corpus callosum?
A major pathway between the left and right cerebral hemispheres.
62
What is lateralization of brain function?
Some functions are localized to one hemisphere, for example, the right hemisphere controls the left hand, the left hemisphere controls the right hand, and speech production and comprehension are typically in the left hemisphere
63
What are Broca's and Wernicke's areas?
Broca's area (motor) is involved in speech production and Wernicke's area (sensory) is involved in speech comprehension
64
What are association fibers in the cerebrum?
Fibers that interconnect cortical areas
65
What are commissure fibers in the cerebrum?
Fibers that allow communication between cerebral hemispheres.
66
What are projection fibers in the cerebrum?
Fibers that connect the cerebrum to the brain stem, cerebellum, diencephalon, and spinal cord.
67
What is the function of the corpus callosum?
Connects the two brain hemispheres, enabling communication between the right and left sides of the brain.
68
What is a corpus callosotomy?
A procedure that involves cutting the corpus callosum to treat refractory epileptic seizures.
69
What are the functional regions of the frontal lobe?
Primary motor cortex, motor association area, prefrontal cortex, and Broca's area.
70
What are the effects of damage to the frontal lobe?
Changes in personality, emotional expression, problem-solving, memory, language, judgment, and sexual behaviors.
71
What is the function of the prefrontal cortex?
Personality, problem-solving, and short-term memory.
72
What is the role of the orbital cortex?
Regulating emotions, impulses, morality, and aggression
73
What are the functions of the prefrontal cortex (abstract reasoning and working memory)?
Integrates information from sensory association areas, performs abstract intellectual activities (e.g., predicting consequences), attention, behavior, personality, empathy, morality, insight, intuition and working memory
74
What is a lobotomy?
A procedure that destroys connections between the prefrontal cortex and the rest of the brain.
75
What are the effects of a lobotomy?
The procedure is not very effective, and causes many side effects. It was used as a treatment for depression, bipolar, schizophrenia, PTSD, and uncooperative patients.

Medical Physiology (3 decks)

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