Neuroanatomy Flashcards
Ganglia
Groups of neurons
dorsal roots
carry information from body to spinal cord
ventral roots
carry outgoing motor axons
perikaryon
cell body of a neuron
schwann cells
type of glial cell that surrounds neurons, keeping them alive and sometimes covering them with a myelin sheath, and are the major glial cell type in the peripheral nervous system
node of ranvier
periodic gap in the insulating sheath (myelin) on the axon of certain neurons that serves to facilitate the rapid conduction of nerve impulses
neuroglia
Neuronal supporting cells, non-conducting nervous system cells, provide mechanical support to neurons, insulate and prevent neural impulses from spreading in unwanted directions
Glutamate
Main excitatory neurotransmitter, stimulating neurons to fire commands, brain uses glutamate to build pathways between neurons that reinforce your memory and help you learn
GABA
main inhibitory neurotransmitter, reduces activity in the CNS and blocks certain brain signals
Produces a calming effect that slows you down
Dopamine
Floods synapse between neurons when something rewarding happens, brings feelings of pleasure, Helps with wakefulness, releasing insulin, creating voluntary muscle movement
Adrenaline (epinephrine)
responsible for fight or flight response
Produced by adrenal glands located above kidneys
Serotonin
influence over mood, promoting feelings of well-being and happiness, makes you feel full/nauseous
Oxytocin
love hormone, made in hypothalamus and released via pituitary gland, crucial for social and physical health
Acetycholine
directly affects muscles, woks at neuromuscular junction, released to muscle fibers to trigger action potential and makes muscle contract, helps with memory and learning
Diaencephalon
caudal (posterior) part of the forebrain, contains the ephithalamus, thalamus, ventral thalamus, and third ventricle
Meninges
3 layers protecting the brain, includes the dura matter, arachnoid membrane, and pia matter
Dura matter
Outer-most layer of three layers protecting the brain, tough
Arachnoid membrane
next to dura matter, middle layer
Subdural space
in between dura matter and arachnoid membrane
Subarachnoid space
in between arachnoid membrane and pia membrane, filled with CSF and blood vessels
Pia matter
membrane covering the brain
Forebrain
cerebrum
Midbrain
topmost part of the brainstem, the connection central between the brain and the spinal cord
Hindbrain
lower part of the brainstem, comprising the cerebellum, pons, and medulla oblongata
3 nuclei of cerebral hemispheres
Basal ganglia, hippocampal formation, amygdala
agenesis
born without corpus callosum
inability to see faces would be caused by damage to
right hemisphere, fusiform region
acalculia (spatial type) would be caused by damage to
right hemisphere
subtle language deficits in prosody, articulation, and use of abstract constructs would be caused by damage to
right hemisphere
area of the brain that helps us understand intended meaning of vocalizations
right hemisphere
Lissencephaly
genetic malformation characterized by absence of folds in cortex
Polymicrogyria
abnormal brain development before birth
Topamax
antiepileptic med prescribed for seizures, cognitively blunting at high doses (impacts WM and verbal fluency)
Frontal lobe lesions impair
decision-making, difficulty with probability, Acute eye deviation with persistent neglect, contralateral hemiplegia (body paralysis), and anosmia (either total or partial loss of smell)