Neuroanatomy Flashcards
What does the Peripheral Nervous System do?
Allows us to move, connected to internal organs through motor and sensory connections, and deals with incoming and outgoing info.
Main functions of Autonomic NS
Deals with homeostasis and processes that are not within our control (controls internal organs)
Main functions of Somatic NS
Voluntary movement (controls voluntary muscles) and communicates with CNS (sends info)
What does an efferent nerve do?
Sends information outwards. They are muscle nerves that connect the CNS to the skeletal muscles.
What does an afferent nerve do?
Gathers information from the environment through sensory organs and sends it to the CNS.
What part of the brain stem contains the pons and medulla?
Hindbrain
What do the pons do?
Controls sleep and connects the brain stem to cerebellum
What does the medulla do?
Controls breathing and heart rate. As well, connects the brain to the spinal cord.
What do the meninges do?
Special membranes that protect the brain and spinal cord.
Where does the cerebrospinal fluid circulate? What does it fill?
Around the brain and spinal cord. As well, it fills the ventricles.
What does the Blood-Brain barrier do?
Protects toxins/lethal substances from entering the brain. The tight gaps between endothelial cells prevent this.
What do the Nodes of Ranvier do?
Strengthen the electrical signal as it jumps from one node to another along the axon.
Which axons do oligodendrocytes myelinate?
Axons in the CNS
Which axons do Schwann’s cells myelinate?
Axons in the PNS
What lies between Schwann’s cells and oligodendrocytes?
Nodes of Ranvier
What is white matter?
Areas of the nervous system that are filled with myelinated neural axons. E.g., corpus callosum.
What is grey matter?
Areas of the nervous system that are made up of cell bodies and blood vessels. E.g., cerebral cortex
What is a tract?
Bundles of axons in the CNS
What do tracts do?
Responsible for connecting different nuclei to each other.
What is a nerve?
Bundle of axons in the PNS
How are neurons organized in the cortex?
in a uniform and grid-like fashion. Resembles the organization of a neighborhood
How are neurons organized in the subcortical and brain stem nuclei?
In a irregular way
What is the function of the cerebral cortex?
responsible for higher cognitive functions – perception, decision-making and thought
What is the “conscious” part of the brain?
Cerebral cortex
What is the function of subcortical structures?
responsible for more fundamental processes such as memory, AUTOMATIC functions (e.g. driving), emotions.
When does the cerebral cortex become activated?
When the environment changes
What does the limbic system focus on?
Emotions and motivation
What are the 3 major parts of the limbic system?
Cingulate cortex, amygdala and hippocampus
What does the cingulate cortex focus on?
memory and emotional processing
What does the amygdala focus on?
Fear, aggression and emotionally charged memories
What does the hippocampus focus on?
regulates mood states, formation of long-term memories and sense of self in space
What does the basal ganglia do?
Controls automated and habitual responses,(specifically motor responses). It is also important for learning and memory
What are 3 major parts of the basal ganglia?
Substantia nigra, caudate nucleus and putamen, and globus pallidus.
What does the substantia nigra contain and what is associated with?
Contain dopaminergic neurons. Parkinson’s disease occurs when these types of neurons die in the substantia nigra.
