Neuroanatomy Flashcards
Define all the terms used to describe anatomical relationships
Anterior (AKA cavity) -
Posterior (AKA cavity) -
Superior (AKA or AKA) -
Inferior (AKA) -
Medial -
Lateral -
Intermediate -
Proximal -
Distal -
Superficial -
Deep -
Parietal -
Visceral -
Ipsilateral -
Contralateral -
Commissure -
Decussation -
White matter -
Gray matter -
Afferent -
Efferent -
Functional system -
Region -
Anterior (ventral) - Front of the body
Posterior (dorsal) - Back of the body
Superior (cephalad or craniad) - Toward the head or the upper part of a structure
Inferior (caudad) - Away form the head or toward the lower part of a structure
Medial - Nearer to the midline of the body or structure
Lateral - Farther away from the midline of the body or structure
Intermediate - Between 2 structures in which one is medial and one is lateral
Proximal - Nearer to the attachment of an extremity to the trunk or a structure, nearer to the point of origin
Distal - Farther from the attachment of an extremity to the trunk or structure, farther away
from the point of origin
Superficial - Toward or on the surface of the body
Deep - Away form the surface of the body
Parietal - Pertaining to the outer wall of a body cavity
Visceral - Pertaining to the covering of an organ (viscus)
Ipsilateral - On the same side of the body
Contralateral - On the opposite side of the body
Commissure - A group of nerve fibers that connect one side of the brain with the other
Decussation - The actual crossing of the nerve fibers from one side to the other
White matter - The axon portion of the neuron appears white due to the myelin that
surrounds the axon
Gray matter - The cell body part of a neuron
Afferent - axons Arriving at a structure
Efferent - axons Exiting a structure
Functional system - neurons linked together to convey a particular type of information or task
(systems/pathways definition may overlap)
Region - specific anatomical place (systems/pathways transverse many regions)
Describe the anatomical relationships of the tentorium cerebelli, falx, and venous sinuses.
There are 2 major reflections:
1. Falx cerebri - between the 2 cerebral hemispheres
2. Tentorium cerebelli - between the cerebrum and the cerebellum, makes a tent over
the cerebellum
Venous sinuses run in the free margin of some of these reflections
List/name the 12 cranial nerves
1 olfactory
2 optic
3 oculomotor
4 trochlear
5 trigeminal
6 abductens
7 facial
8 vestibulocochlear
9 glossopharyngeal
10 vagus
11 accessor
12 hypoglossal
Describe the anatomical relationships of the incisura (tentorial notch) and foramen magnum
Temporal lobe tumors increase intracranial pressure in the supratentorial compartment.
The uncus will herniate into the tentorial notch (incisura) and impinge on the midbrain
A cerebellar tumor increases intracranial pressure in the infratentorial compartment and
pushes tonsil into the foramen magnum which will compress the medulla which conains
cardiovascular and respiratory centers and reticular formation (coma)
Describe the basic location and the relationships of the various structures to the following portions of the ventricular system.
flow of CSF:
Lateral ventricle
–organization of lateralventricle: anterior horn, body, posterior horn, and inferior horn (accordingly) look at image in packet
Interventricular foramen of Monro
Third Ventricle
Cerebral Aquaduct of Sylvius
Fourth Ventricle
Medial aperture majendle,
Lateral aperture luschka
Liquid inside the cerebrum flows around subarachnoid space
Describe the location of the following cisterns:
cerebello-medullary cistern (cisterna magna), pontine cistern, quadrigenminal cistern (superior or cisterna ambiens), interpenduncular cistern
cerebello-medullary cistern(cisterna magna): found next to the medulla and above the cerebellum
pontine cistern- found next to the pons
interpeduncular cistern-found next to the peduncles
superior cistern (cisterna ambiens) highest location superior [next to and go above 4th ventricle]
describe the location of the choroid plexus
in the ventricles where CSF is made, at the body and beside the apertures
Describe the source, flow, and elimination of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
entricles and Ventricular system
- Series of cavities within the brain where cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) is produced
(in the choroid plexus) and circulated
CSF leaves 4th ventricle via 3 foramina
and enters subarachnoid space of meninges
CSF moves along pressure gradient from high pressure arterioles to venous system,
CSF is eliminated via arachnoid granulations which protrude into the superior sagittal sinus
Describe the relationship of the meninges to the central nervous system.
M. Meninges
Deep to the cranium (calvarium or bone) is a tough thick memebrane called the meninges
The meninges consist of 3 layers:
1. Dura Mater - outermost layer, very thick, contains venous sinuses
2. Arachnoid membrane - below the dura mater, contains processes that project
from the arachnoid membrane to the innermost
meningeal layer (pia mater). These processes give it a
spider web appearance (arachnoid = spider).
The space between the arachnoid membrane and the pia mater that contains the
arachnoid projections is the subarachnoid space.
This space also contains cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
3. Pia Mater - innermost meningeal layer
Identify brain lobes and describe their general function.
Frontal lobe-
Rostral section of cerebrum
Ends at central sulcus and lateral sulcus
Functions include motor and limbic
Parietal Lobe-
Rostal boundary is central sulcus, inferior boundary is lateral sulcus,
medial boundary is parieto-occipital sulcus
Involved in somatosensory processing
Temporal lobe-
Superior boundary is lateral sulcus
Looks like the thumb part of a boxing glove
Involved in auditory processing
deeper structures are involved in learning and memory (hippocampus)
Occipital lobe-
Located in caudal area of cerebrum
Boundaries (easier to see on medial aspect of brain) include
parieto-occipital sulcus and
calcarine sulcus
involved in visual processing
Identify specific cortical gyri and decsribe their function.
frontal lobe:```````
Precentral gyrus
Integrates motor functions
Primary notor cortex to control voluntary movements
Somatotopically organized
Homunculus = “little man”
depicts relative sizes of populations of neurons associated
with specific body parts
ii. Premotor cortex
Includes:
Superior, middle, and inferior frontal gyri
supplementary motor cortex - initiates and sequences movements
Inferior frontal gyrus contains Broca’s motor speech area
Parietal lobe:
a. Parietal lobe gyri
i. Postcentral gyrus
receives somesthetic (tactile) information
sensory homunculus is represented here
ii. Superior parietal lobule
iii. Inferior parietal lobule
contains Supramarginal and Angular gyri
A portion of Wernicke’s area (speech/language association area) is represented here
receive from auditory and visual areas and discriminate and integrate info
temporal lobe:
Temporal lobe gyri
3 lateral temporal lobe gyri include:
1. superior
2. middle
3. inferior temporal gyri
1 deep lateral gyri = Heschl’s gyrus
located superior and medial to
superior temporal gyrus
(primary auditory area)
occipital lobe:`````
involved in visual processing
occipital gyri include:
cuneus (wedge) gyrus
lingual (tongue) gyrus
Other gyri:``````
Precuneus gyrus - visual associational gyri
Paracentral gyrus - part of the motor homunculus representing the foot and lower
extremity and sensory homunculus representing the genitalia,
foot, and lower extremity
Cingulate gyrus - part of the 5th lobe known as the limbic lobe. Many other structures are
part of the limbic system that controls mood, emotions, behaviors,
learning, and visceral processes.
Corpus callosum - huge axonal fiber bundle that relays information to and from
right and left hemispheres
Identify the 4 major diencephalic structures and describe the function of each structure.
F. Diencephalon
located inferior to the telencephalon and superior to the brainstem
consists of 4 major areas:
1. dorsal thalamus
2. subthalamus (ventral thalamus)
3. hypothalamus
4. epithalamus
- Dorsal thalamus - integrates and relays sensory and motor information
- Subthalamus - motor integration
- Hypothalamus - regulates autonomic and visceral functions, synthesizes hormones
- Epithalamus - Pineal gland is a major structure of the epithalamus which converts
serotonin to melatonin
List and identify the components of the Basal nuclei and describe their general function.
Basal nuclei (ganglia)-
involved in motor integration
structures that are part of the
basal nuclei include:
Caudate
Putamen
Globus Pallidus
Subthalamus - part of the
diencephalon
Substantia nigra - part of the
midbrain of the brainstem
Identify major brainstem regions and structures and describe their function
G. Brainstem
Located inferior to Diencephalon
Relays information to and from cortex via axons
and also contains nuclei that are involved in auditory and visual processing, autonomic
responses such as heart rate and respiration, and sensory and motor functions of the
face
3 major areas:
1. Midbrain
2. Pons
3. Medulla Oblongata
- Midbrain
Tentorial notch (incisura) of meninges surrounds midbrain
Anterior area—–
Cerebral peduncles - consists of descending axons involved in motor functions
(eg. corticospinal tract)
Cranial nerve III (occulomotor nerve) - nerve fibers project out at anterior midline
Posterior area—-
Superior colliculus - Visual processing
Inferior colliculus - Auditory processing
Cranial nerve IV (trochlear nerve) - nerve fibers project out posteriorly at midline - Pons (means “bridge”)
Anterior area
Relays information to cerebellum and descending motor tracts
Cranial nerve V, VI, VII, VIII project from pons
Posterior area
3 pairs of cerebellar peduncles - Superior cerebellar peduncle
- Middle cerebellar peduncle
- Inferior cerebellar peduncle
Superior medullary velum - makes the roof of the 4th ventricle
Facial colliculus - Cell bodies of Cranial nerve VI and axons of cranial nerve VII
located here
Clinical Correlation:xxxxxx
The cerebellar pontine angle is located posterolaterally where the pons, cerebellum and
medulla meet. Tumors called acoustic neuromas or vestibular schwannomas can form
here and impinge on cranial nerve VIII and eventually VII causing specific deficits. - Medulla
Foramen magnum of cranium is at level of lower medulla
Anterior area
Pyramids - contain descending motor fibers
Olives - cell bodies of neurons in the auditory pathway
Cranial nerves IX, X, XI, XII
Posterior area
Gracile tubercles - medial bumps, contain cell bodies that are part of a
somatosensory pathway
(Posterior columns/Medial Lemniscus)
Cuneate tubercles - lateral bumps, contain cell bodies of the above mentioned
pathway
Identify the cerebellum and state its function
H. Cerebellum
means “little brain” in Latin
Functions to monitor and
coordinate muscle activity
