Neuro Anatomy and Embryology Flashcards
Limbic System Cortex
What 4 things make up the central nervous system (CNS)?
Brain
Spinal cord
Retina
CNII
What 3 things make up the peripheral nervous system?
Spinal and cranial nerves (except CNII)
Autonomic nervous system (sympathetic and parasympathetic)
Somatic sensory and somatic motor nerves
Name the 2 main cell types in the nervous system
Neurons (nerve cells)
Neuroglia (Glial cells)
Describe 3 things about nerve cells
Structural and functional units of the body
Afferent (sensory), efferent (motor), interneurons (e.g. reflex)
Rapid communication across synapses by neurotransmitters
Describe the basic structure of a nerve cell
Dendrite –> cell body (soma) –> axons –> axon terminal
Describe 3 things about neuroglia (glial cells)
5x more abundant
Support, nourish, insulate the neurons
Non-neural/non-excitable cells
Name the 4 types of neuroglia in the central nervous system
Oligodendrocytes
Astrocytes
Microglia
Ependymal cells
Name the 2 types of neuroglia in the peripheral nervous system
Satellite cells
Schwann cells
What is the function of oligodendrocytes?
Help myelinate nerve and provide structural framework
What is the function of astrocytes?
Maintain the blood brain barrier
Recycle neurotransmitter
What is the function of microglia?
Remove waste and pathogens by phagocytosis
What is the function of ependymal cells?
Line the ventricles (spaces) in the brain and spine
Help produce CSF
What is the function of satellite cells?
Help regulate nutrient and neurotransmitter levels around the nerves
What is the function of Schwann cells?
Myelinate axons in the peripheral nervous system
Match these 4 words together: Sensory Motor Efferent Afferent
Sensory - Afferent
Motor - Efferent
What are the 3 types of afferent (sensory) input into a spinal nerve?
Somatic sensory (somatic tissues)
Visceral sensory (organs and vessels)
Special visceral sensory (e.g. taste)
What are the 3 types of efferent (motor) output from a spinal nerve?
Somatic motor (skeletal muscle)
Branchio-motor (pharyngeal arch muscle)
Visceral/Autonomic motor (organs and vessels)
In embryology, what forms the nervous system?
Ectodermal neural plate
When does the ectodermal neural plate appear?
Week 3
Briefly describe neural tube folding
Edges of neural plates fold and lift away from the ectoderm to approach the midline.
The cervical region folds first, then moving up to cranial and caudal ends.
Open ends form caudal and cranial neuropores
The closed neural arches form the neural tube
Which supplement prevents 70% of neural tube defects?
Folic acid
What 2 birth defects can be caused by incomplete closing of the cranial neuropore?
Anencephaly
Meroanencephaly
What birth defect can be caused by incomplete closing of the caudal neuropore?
Spina bifida
What are the 3 primary brain vesicles (week 4)?
Prosencephalon
Mesencephalon
Rhombencephalon
What are the 5 secondary brain vesicles (week 6)?
Telencephalon
Diencephalon
Mesencephalon
Metencephalon
Myelencephalon
How are the primary and secondary brain vesicles related?
Prosencephalon
- ->telencephalon
- -> diencephalon
Mesencephalon
–>mesencephalon
Rhombencephalon
- ->metencephalon
- ->myelencephalon
In the adult brain, what is formed out of the telencephalon and diencephalon?
Cerebral hemispheres
Thalamus (telencephalon)
Hypothalamus (diencephalon)
In the adult brain, what is formed out of the mesencephalon?
Midbrain
In the adult brain, what is formed out of the metencephalon and myelencephalon?
Cerebellum and pons (metencephalon)
Medulla (myelencephalon)
What is a gyrus?
Raised part of the cerebrum
What is a sulcus?
Sunken part of the cerebrum
What is the corpus callosum?
White matter tract that links the right and left hemispheres
What is the corona radiata?
White matter structure that comes off the corpus callosum
Which 2 lobes does the central sulcus separate?
Frontal and parietal
Name the 5 lobes of the brain
Frontal
Parietal
Occipital
Temporal
Insula
Where is the pre-central gyrus?
Immediately anterior to the central sulcus
Why is the pre-central gyrus important?
Where does it sit?
Primary motor cortex of the cerebrum
Posterior portion of the frontal lobe
Why is the post central gyrus important?
Where does it sit?
Primary somatosensory cortex
Anterior portion of the parietal lobe
What is the fissure superior to the temporal lobe?
Lateral sulcus
Sylvian Fissure
Where can you find the superior, middle and inferior temporal gyri?
Temporal lobe
Where is the insula?
Hidden deep in the lateral sulcus
What is the insula responsible for?
Higher pain processing
Language processing
Emotion
Where would you find the primary visual cortex
In the occipital lobe
Above and below the calcarine sulcus
What is the cingulate gyrus responsible for?
Higher autonomic control e.g.:
Bladder control
Respiratory rate
Heart rate
Which Brodmann area is the primary motor cortex?
4
Which Brodmann area is the pre-motor cortex?
6
What does the primary motor cortex do?
Brodmann 4
Controls contralateral body motor functions
What does the pre-motor cortex do?
Brodmann 6
Motor programme retrieval
Which Brodmann area is the primary somatosensory cortex?
1
What does the primary somatosensory cortex do?
Brodmann 1
(Post-Central Gyrus)
Receives contralateral sensory input from the body (including taste)