Neuroanatomy Flashcards
1
Q
T/F The ventricles of the brain, like the paranasal sinuses, are air-filled spaces lined with mucosa.
A
False
2
Q
T/F Ventricles 3 & 4 are large, C-shaped (ram’s-horn shaped) ventricles occupying some odd the deeper parts of the forebrain.
A
False
3
Q
The ____ divides the front lobe from the parietal lobe.
A
central sulcus, a prominent cerebral landmark
4
Q
The ___ divides the cerebrum into right and left hemispheres.
A
longitudinal fissure
5
Q
The many grooves of the cerebrum are called ____.
A
sulci
6
Q
The many outward folds of the cerebrum are called ____.
A
gyri
7
Q
The ___ divides the temporal lobe from the parietal lobe.
A
lateral sulcus, another prominent cerebral landmark
8
Q
The ___ is a canal connecting the 3rd and 4th ventricles.
A
cerebral aqueduct
9
Q
The ___ form a series of hollow, interconnected chambers deep within the brain, remnants of the neural tube.
A
ventricles
10
Q
T/F A person with damage to his/her visual association area would be able to see the world around him/her but would have difficulty assigning meaning to the images s/he sees (e.g. difficulty recognizing that large, greenish “cone on a stick” as a pine tree).
A
True
11
Q
T/F The cerebral cortex is about 3 mm thick and accounts for about 5 perfect of the brain mass.
A
False
12
Q
T/F “Cerebral dominance” designates the brain hemisphere opposite to that which primarily contains the language abilities; thus a “left-brained” individual would primarily process language in his/her right hemisphere.
A
False
13
Q
T/F The primary somatosensory cortex is located in the parietal lobe.
A
True
14
Q
The primary somatosensory cortex lies on the ___.
A
postcentral gyrus
15
Q
The primary motor cortex lies on the ____.
A
precentral gyrus
16
Q
The ___ tracts are large bundles of axons from voluntary motor neurons which are descending down the brainstem and spinal cord; aka corticospinal tracts.
A
pyramidal tracts
17
Q
The ____ is a fifth lobe of the brain; it is not visible on the cerebral surface.
A
insula
18
Q
___ are large neurons originating in the primary motor cortex and descending the spinal cord; these neurons allow us conscious control of our muscles.
A
Pyramidal cells
19
Q
___ are speech impediments resulting from damage to language centers such as Broca’s area.
A
Aphasias
20
Q
The largest areas of the motor cortex are those devoted to the ____.
A
hands and face
21
Q
T/F The basal nuclei are composed of several masses of gray matter located deep in the thalamus and hypothalamus.
A
False
22
Q
T/F Basal nuclei play a complex role in the control of movement, including inhibiting muscle tone throughout the body and inhibition of useless or unwanted movement.
A
True
23
Q
T/F Disorders of the basal nuclei result in disturbances in movement, as exemplified by Parkinson disease, a disorder involving functionally related nuclei in the midbrain.
A
True
24
Q
Regions of the brain and spinal cord containing dense collections of myelinated fibers are referred to as ____.
A
white matter
25
The ___ is the only one of the listed brain areas that is NOT a basal nucleus.
thalamus
26
T/F Although a well-known phenomenon in the plant world, it is also true that humans respond internally to the dark-light cycles in the world around them, using part of our visual apparatus and our diencephalon.
True
27
The ___ contains the thirst and satiety centers of the brain.
hypothalamus
28
The ___ releases the hormone melatonin, which helps regulate our wake-sleep cycle.
pineal gland
29
The ___ is intimately involved in control of body functions like heart rate and vomiting, and is also involved with our emotional state.
hypothalamus
30
T/F The brainstem consists of the thalamus, hypothalamus, midbrain, pons, and medulla.
False
31
T/F Although it has a few important nuclei, the pons is largely composed of conduction tracts moving information up/down the CNS or into/out of the cerebellum.
True
32
The ___ is the region of the brain where the decussation of the pyramids is located.
medulla
33
The ___ is a nucleus in the midbrain that is intimately involved with Parkinson disease, a neurodegenerative disorder.
substantia nigra
34
What best describes the consequence of the decussation of the pyramids?
The right side of the brain controls the skeletal muscles on the left side of the body, and vice versa.
35
T/F The cerebellum receives sensory information about the body's location in space, and contains many motor neurons to continually adjust the body's motions.
False; no motor neurons in the cerebellum, tho it communicates with the primary motor cortex where there are many motor neurons
36
The region of the brain which compares information about what muscles should be doing and what they are doing is the ____.
cerebellum
37
T/F The blood-brain barrier is of concern to pharmaceutical companies in that for a drug to target brain tissue, it must somehow negotiate the blood-brain barrier.
True
38
T/F The blood-brain barrier is mainly a consequence of the tight junctions joining the endothelial cells of the brain capillaries.
True
39
T/F Cerebrospinal fluid has the same composition as blood plasma.
False; it is derived from plasma, but it has a different composition, the same way that urine is derived from plasma but differs in composition
40
T/F The role of the blood-brain barrier is to allow control over which substances are able to pass from the blood into the brain tissue (and vice versa).
True; its primary function
41
The innermost layer of the meninges, delicate and closely appressed to the brain, is the
[dura mater/ corpus callosum / arachnoid mater/ pia mater/ doesn’t mater ].
pia mater
42
The middle meningeal layer is the [dura mater/ corpus callosum / arachnoid mater/ pia mater].
arachnoid mater
43
The outermost and toughest layer of the meninges is the [dura mater/ corpus callosum / arachnoid/ pia mater].
dura mater
44
_____________________ is a condition where CSF levels are elevated; the increased hydrostatic pressure may deform the brain and skull and cause irreversible brain damage.
Hydrocephalus (or hydrocephaly)
45
The _____________________ are flat sheets of dura mater which extend inward and help anchor the brain to the skull; the falx cerebri is an example of such a structure.
dural septa; I will not ask you to remember specific examples of dural septa, such as the falx cerebri
46
Which ONE of the following is NOT TRUE regarding cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)?
A. CSF is produced by the choroid plexuses
B. Freshly-made CSF first appears in the ventricles of the brain
C. CSF is also produced by the arachnoid villi, and then released into the subarachnoid space
D. CSF flows from the fourth ventricle into the subarachnoid space via the median and lateral apertures E. CSF also fills the central canal of the spinal cord
F. CSF is found in the subarachnoid space around the spinal cord as well
C. CSF is also produced by the arachnoid villi, and then released into the subarachnoid space
47
Which ONE of the following is NOT TRUE regarding dural sinuses? Dural sinuses...
A. ...are found deep in the valleys of the numerous sulci of the cerebral cortex
B. ...provide a route for venous blood, fresh from the brain, to collect on its return to the heart C. ...are the channels in which cerebrospinal fluid rejoins the blood and becomes plasma again D. ...are formed as the layers of the dura maters separate and form a channel
E. (None. All of the above are true of dural sinuses)
A. ...are found deep in the valleys of the numerous sulci of the cerebral cortex
48
Protects brain by giving it bouyancy, so it essentially floats in liquid.
Cerebrospinal fluid
49
Protects the brain against unwanted chemicals by preventing their passive movement from the blood into the brain.
The blood-brain barrier
50
The tough outermost meninx of the CNS.
Dura mater
51
The middle meninx of the CNS. A special space just beneath this meninx is filled with CSF.
Arachnoid mater
52
The delicate, innermost meninx of the CNS, which adheres closely to the underlying neural tissue.
Pia mater
53
T/F Ascending tracts in the spinal cord bring sensory information into the higher CNS centers.
True; it wouldn’t make sense for motor information to be ascending the spinal cord to the brain, would it?
54
T/F The cauda equina is found in the cervical region of the spinal cord.
False; the cauda equina is located in the lumbar and sacral regions of the spine
55
T/F The spinal cord is especially thick in the region of the cauda equina.
False; in fact, there is no cord in the region of the cauda equina!
56
Afferent nerve impulses enter the spinal cord via the [cranial nerves/ dorsal roots / ventral roots].
dorsal roots; technically, the dorsal rootlets
57
The [spinothalamic/ corticospinal / spinocerebellar] tracts of the spinal cord provide an example of descending tracts bringing motor information down the cord from higher centers.
corticospinal; recall that spinal cord tracts are named according to the convention of “source-destination”. Thus, “corticospinal” implies “cortex spinal cord” meaning information is moving from higher centers (cortex) to down to lower centers (spine); this must be motor information.
58
The [dura mater / arachnoid mater / pia mater] produces the denticulate ligaments, short, horizontal, shelf-like extensions which attach to the vertebrae and help anchor the cord in the vertebral canal.
pia mater
59
Efferent nerve impulses exit the spinal cord via the [cranial nerves/ dorsal roots / ventral roots].
ventral roots; technically, the ventral rootlets
60
The [anterior horns / lateral horns / dorsal horn / ventral horn] is an area of the cord occupied
by unmyelinated neurons that are transmitting outgoing, motor information
ventral horn
61
The spinothalamic tracts carry [afferent/ efferent / associative] information in the spinal cord.
afferent; break down the word- "spino", spinal cord + "thalamic", thalamus. Information originating in the spinal cord and traveling to the thalamus must be ascending/afferent sensory information moving up the cord
62
The ____________________ is the cone-shaped terminus of the spinal cord; it is found at the level of L1 or L2.
conus medullaris
63
The ____________________ is a fibrous extension of the pia mater which reaches and attaches to the coccyx; this thin filament of pia tissue serves to help anchor the cord in place in the spinal column.
filum terminale
64
Cervical # of spinal nerve pairs
8
65
Thoracic # of spinal nerve pairs
12
66
Lumbar # of spinal nerve pairs
5
67
Sacral # of spinal nerve pairs
5
68
Coccygeal # of spinal nerve pairs
1
69
Which ONE of the following is NOT TRUE about ascending pathways in the spinal cord?
A. These pathways consist of mostly sensory information.
B. The ascending sensory information bound for conscious interpretation is routed through the thalamus to the somatosensory cortex.
C. The ascending sensory information bound for unconscious interpretation is routed through the thalamus to the cerebellum.
D. The sensory neurons enter the spinal cord through the dorsal roots.
C; as in the question on the thalamus, proprioceptive information- ascending sensory information bound for unconscious interpretation- goes directly to the cerebellum
70
The lateral mass projection containing sensory neurons entering the spinal cord.
dorsal horn
71
Occurring at the level of L1 or L2, it is the cone-shaped ending of the spinal cord.
Conus medullaris
72
The lateral mass projection containing motor fibers emerging from the spinal cord.
Ventral horn
73
Periodic shelf-like extensions of the pia mater which serve to anchor the spinal cord within the vertebral column.
Denticulate ligaments
74
A fibrous extension of the pia which attaches to the posterior surface of the coccyx and thus helps to anchor the spinal cord.
Filum terminale
75
Large tracts of ascending or descending spinal cord neurons.
White columns
76
Contains pyramidal cells forming motor tracts for conscious control of skeletal muscles.
Primary motor cortex
77
Processes but doesn't interpret visual input from the retina to form a mental image of the visual field.
Primary visual cortex
78
Integrates and analyzes body sensations like temperature, touch, etc., and associates these perceptions with past experiences in memory
Somatosensory association area
79
Speech area important for word articulation.
Broca's area
80
Controls learned motor skills of a repetitious or patterned nature.
Premotor cortex
81
Controls the voluntary, coordinated movements of the extrinsic eye muscles, so that, e.g., a moving object can be tracked smoothly by the eyes.
Frontal eye field
82
Receives and performs raw processing of information from general (somatic) sensory receptors in skin and muscle for conscious perception.
Primary somatosensory cortex
83
Involved with cognition, intellect and complex learning.
Prefontal cortex
84
Performs raw processing of input from the cochlear nerve, leading to perception of sound pitch, loudness, etc. (but doesn't actually interpret these sounds)
Primary auditory cortex
85
Main visceral control center; important to overall body homeostasis (=maintenance of constant internal conditions).
Hypothalamus
86
Important relay station; sensory information is sorted and edited, then sent to appropriate sensory cortical centers.
Thalamus
87
Integrates and analyzes perceptions of sound, associating them with previous auditory experiences stored in memory
Auditory association area
88
A condition caused by destruction of anterior horn motor neurons. In this case the culprit seems to be faulty genetics which result in neuronal death, which result in progressive loss of motor abilities.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
89
A condition caused by production of CSF in excess of drainage; results in elevated cranial pressure with possible mental retardation and enlargement of the head.
Hydrocephalus
90
A condition caused by the incomplete formation of one or more vertebral arches, usually through the loss of laminae and spinous process(es). In the worst case scenario, it results in the loss of some spinal cord functions.
Spina bifida
91
A condition resulting from the destruction of anterior horn motor neurons by a pathogenic virus. Advanced cases result in skeletal muscle atrophy and paralysis (and possible death by respiratory failure).
Poliomyelitis
92
A defect of spinal cord development where meningeal and cord material herniate posteriorly into a large sac
Myelomeningocele
93
A loss or lack of coordination, often due to damage to the cerebellum
Ataxia
94
A degenerative neurodisorder due to insufficient dopamine production, esp. in the basal nuclei and substantia nigra; characterized by muscle rigidity and resting tremors
Parkinson’s disease
95
A speech disorder, often due to damage to Broca’s or Wernicke’s areas
Aphasia
96
Patient cannot voluntarily move her left arm.
Primary motor cortex
97
Patient can form a mental image of the visual field, but has great difficulty recognizing even common objects.
Visual association area
98
Patient is functionally blind.
Primary visual cortex
99
Patient can feel the ridged, notched metallic objects in her pocket but cannot recognize them as keys until she looks at them.
Somatosensory association area
100
Patient is unable to express himself; he knows what he wants to say but is unable to form the words.
Broca's area
101
Patient has lost her ability to play the piano, even though she is able to strike the keys individually with her fingers.
Premotor cortex
102
Ataxia; uncoordinated muscle movement, though primary motor centers are OK
Cerebellum
