Neuroanatomy

Question 1

Simple Dissection of the Peripheral Nervous System?

Answer 1

Somatic nervous system - voluntary

• afferent nerves (input to CNS)
• Efferent nerves (output from CNS)

Autonomic Nervous system - involuntary

• sympathetic (fight or flight
• parasympathetic (rest or digest)

Question 2

Tracts Vs. Nerves

Answer 2

Tracts
- bundles of axons in the CNS (white matter)

Nerves
- bundles of axons in the PNS

Question 3

what are the different planes of view?

Answer 3

Horizontal

Sagittal - front/back

Coronal - left/right

Question 4

difference between SULCUS and GYRUS

Answer 4

Sulcus = fold or crease in the cortex (plural - sulci)

Gyrus = bits that stick out in the cortex (plural - gyri)

Question 5

directional terms of the brain

Answer 5

dorsal = toward stop of skull

ventral = towards bottom of brain

superior = upper or above

inferior = lower or beneath

anterior/rostral = forwards

posterior/caudal = backwards

Question 6

views of the brain

Answer 6

lateral = from /towards outside surface

medial = towards centre of brain (also called mid-sagittal view

Question 7

divisions of the brain

THE FOREBRAIN

Answer 7

subdivided into the TELENCEPHALON and DIENCEPHALON

TELENCEPHALON contains

• cerebral cortex
• limbic system
• basal ganglia

DIENCEPHALON contains

• thalamus
• hypothalamus

Question 8

divisions of the brain

THE MIDBRAIN

Answer 8

contain 2 pairs of colliculi

• superior colliculi
• inferior colliculi

Question 9

divisions of the brain

THE HINDBRAIN

Answer 9

contains

• medula
• pons
• cerebellum
• reticular formation

Question 10

hindbrain functions

Answer 10

Medula

• controls vital survival functions
• heart rate, blood pressure, respiration

Pons

• connects brain stem to cerebellum
• contains several nuclei clusters including reticular formation

Reticular formation
- influences consciousness and alertness

Cerebellum

• latin “little brain”
• located behind brain stem
• critical to coordination of movement and balance

Question 11

midbrain functions

Answer 11

Superior colliculi

• relay visual info
• eye movement and visual attention

Inferior colliculi

• relay auditory info
• auditory attention

appear as small bumps on back of brain stem

Question 12

Forebrain functions
(DIENCAPHALON)

Answer 12

thalamus
- relay station of all sensory info (excepts smell)
sensory neuron > thalamus > cerebral cortex
- filters and begins to organise sensory input

Hypothalamus

• located below thalamus (hence “hypo”)
• regulate basic biological drives - hunger, thirst
• controls autonomic nervous system
• regulates body temp
• controls pituitary gland (releases hormones and controls other glands

Question 13

Forebrain functions
(TELECEPHALON)

Answer 13

Basal ganglia
- planning and movement production

Limbic System

• learning, memory, expression of emotion
• includes hippocampus (memory, consolidation of new memories
• and amygdala, processing emotional info, learning of fear responses

cerebral cortex

• outer layer of the cerebral hemispheres (2-6 mm thickI)
• sulci and gyri

Question 14

occipital lobe

Answer 14

back of brain

includes primary visual cortex

concerned with many aspects of vision

Question 15

parietal lobe

Answer 15

located behind central sulcus

concerned with
touch, pressure, temperature, pain

Question 16

temporal lobe

Answer 16

located below the lateral fissure

concerned with perception and recognition of auditory stimuli and memory

Question 17

fontal lobe

Answer 17

located in front of central sulcus

reasoning, planning, parts of speech, and movement (motor cortex), emotions and problem solving

Question 18

what are cortical association areas?

Answer 18

areas called association cortexes analyse the info received from the primary sensory cortical areas

regions closely by the PSA receive info only from the PSA

Regions further away reviece info from more than one sensory area making it possible to integrate info from more than one sensory system

Question 19

brain support systems: the cerebral ventricles (ventricular system)

Answer 19

the ventricular system is a series of chambers filled with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) - circulates through the ventricular system

functions

• mechanical shock absorber
  brain “floats” in the CSF to protect it form sudden movements that would other wise cause contact with skull
• materials (ie. nutrients) are exchanged between brain tissue and blood vessels through CSF

Question 20

Brain support systems:

Th meninges

Answer 20

protective sheaths around the brain and spinal chord

consist of three layers

• dura matter
• arachnoid membrane
• pia mater

between pia mater and arachnoid membrane is a gap called the subarachnoid space (filled with CSF)

Question 21

Brain support systems:

the Vascular System

Answer 21

brain so depends on its blood supply to provide basic metabolic fuels (glucose, oxygen)

brain capillaries have tigher junction between their cell walls meaning larger molecules can’t pass as easily as in capillaries in the rest of the body

“blood-brain barrier” may be to protect the brain from infections and blood borne toxins - also makes drug delivery to brain more difficult