neuroanatomy Flashcards
what is the coronal view?
‘face-on’ view
what is the sagittal view?
‘side-on’ view, divided down the centre
what is the axial or transverse view?
‘top down’ view
what does cranial mean?
‘towards’ the head
what does caudal mean?
‘towards’ the tail
what does rostral mean?
towards the ‘beak’
what are the primary embryological divisions of the brain?
prosencephalon (forebrain), mesencephalon (midbrain) and rhombencephalon (hindbrain)
what are the subdivisions of the prosencephalon (forebrain) and their modern terms?
telencephalon (cerebrum), and diencephalon (diencephalon)
what is the subdivision of the mesencephalon (midbrain) and its modern term?
midbrain (midbrain)
what is the subdivision of the rhombencephalon (hindbrain) and its modern term?
metencephalon (pons and cerebellum) and myelencephalon (medulla oblongata)
what is white matter, and why does it appear white?
nerve cell axons. they appear white due to the presence of myelin sheaths wrapped around the axons which speed up conduction
what is grey matter, and why does it appear white?
primarily nerve cell bodies, including their nuclei, but also consists of other nervous system cells including astrocytes, oligodendrocytes or unmyelinated axons
where is white and grey matter located on the cerebrum and spinal chord?
most of the grey matter of the cerebrum is located on its outer surface, and the deeper parts are mostly white matter. in the spinal cord, the grey matter forms a H-shape at the centre of the cord, and the outer parts are tracts of white matter
where is the cortex and what does it consist of?
the outer part of the cerebrum and cerebellum. mainly grey matter
what are nuclei and what do they look like?
groups of functionally similar or anatomically related nerve cells are collectively called a nucleus. large groups of nuclei deep within the brain will appear grey, so some grey matter is found deep in the brain, not just on its outer surface
what is a tract?
a pathway of nerve fibres
what is a fossa?
an indentation or shallow depression
what is a foramen?
an opening, hole or passage
what are the four main parts of the brain?
cerebrum, cerebellum, diencephalon and brainstem
what is the cerebrum?
the largest part covering the superior and lateral aspects of the brain, covered in folds of tissue. it is made up of two hemispheres each divided into four lobes
what is the cerebellum?
the smaller, bulbous structure underneath the posterior part of the
cerebrum. cerebellum means ‘little brain’
what is the diencephalon?
this area is deep within the brain, beneath the cerebrum but above the brainstem
what is the brainstem?
this part connects the cerebrum and diencephalon the spinal cord
what does the frontal lobe contain and its function?
contains the primary motor cortex which is involved in planning and executing conscious movement, and the prefrontal cortex which is involved in behaviour,
personality and decision making
what does the temporal lobe contain and what is its function?
contains the primary auditory cortex which is responsible for processing auditory information and the hippocampus which is involved in the formation
of memories
what do the parietal lobes contain and what is its function?
contains the primary somatosensory cortex which is involved in processing sensory information
what does the occipital lobe contain and what is its function?
contains the primary visual cortex which is responsible for processing visual information
what does the cerebellum contain and what is its function?
helps maintain posture and balance, and corrects fine movements