Neuroanatomy-Overview of The Nervous System

Question 1

What are the two main systems that the nervous system can be divided into?

Answer 1

Central and peripheral nervous systems

Question 2

What does the CNS comprise of?

Answer 2

The brain and spinal cord

Question 3

What does the PNS comprise of?

Answer 3

12 pairs of cranial nerves

31 pairs of spinal nerves and their branches

Question 4

In early brain development (~4 weeks) how many visible swellings/vesicles are there in the neural tube?

Answer 4

3
Prosencephalon
Mesencephalon
Rhombencephalon

Question 5

At 6-8 weeks in brain development, the 1st and 3rd vesicles divide to make a total of 5 vesicles. What are the names of these 5 vesicles?

Answer 5

Telencephalon
Diencephalon
Mesencephalon
Metencephalon
Mylencephalon

Question 6

What does the telencephalon develop into?

Answer 6

Cerebral hemispheres

Question 7

What does the diencephalon develop into?

Answer 7

Thalamus, hypothalamus

Question 8

What does the mesencephalon develop into?

Answer 8

Midbrain

Question 9

What does the metencephalon develop into?

Answer 9

Pons, cerebellum

Question 10

What does the myelencephalon develop into?

Answer 10

Medulla oblongata

Question 11

The combination of the midbrain, pons and medulla oblongata is called?

Answer 11

The brainstem

Question 12

The combination of the thalamus and hypothalamus is called?

Answer 12

The diencephalon

Question 13

What is the role of neurons?

Answer 13

The “communicators”
They receive information via synapses and integrate the information for transmission via electrical impulses to other neutrons or effector cells.

Question 14

Are neurons mostly multipolar or unipolar?

Answer 14

Multipolar with many dendrites and one axon

Question 15

What are glial cells?

Answer 15

The “glue”

No connective tissue in CNS so these “glue” the cells

Question 16

Which cells is more numerous in the CNS, neurons or glial?

Answer 16

Glial cells!

Question 17

What are the four major types of glial cells?

Answer 17

Astrocytes
Oligodendrocytes
Microglia
Ependymal cells

Question 18

What is the role of an astrocyte?

Answer 18

Star-shaped cell.
Supports
Maintains blood-brain-barrier
Environmental homeostasis

Question 19

What is the role of oligodendrocytes?

Answer 19

Produce myelin in the CNS (NOT PNS)

Question 20

How do oligodendrocytes produce myelin?

Answer 20

Numerous branches extend to produce internodes of myelin around different axons

Question 21

What is the role of microglia?

Answer 21

Immune monitoring and antigen presentation
Similar lineage to macrophages
‘Migrant’ cell of CNS

Question 22

How good is the brain at lymphoid cell trafficking?

Answer 22

Very very slow

Question 23

What is the role of ependymal cells?

Answer 23

Ciliated cuboidal/columnar epithelium that lines the ventricles

Question 24

What is a gyrus (plural gyri)?

Answer 24

Bump in grey matter on surface of brain

Question 25

What is a sulcus (plural sulci)?

Answer 25

Sunken down part on surface of brain

Question 26

What is a fissure?

Answer 26

Same as a sulcus but deeper

Question 27

What is contained in the grey matter?

Answer 27

Huge numbers of neurons, cells processes, synapses and support cells

Question 28

What is contained in the white matter (medullary centre)?

Answer 28

Axons (most myelinated and their support cells)

Question 29

Where are axons mostly found in the brain?

Answer 29

In the white matter on the inside | Think huge telephone cables

Question 30

In the spinal cord what is the 'H'-like pattern comprised of?

Answer 30

Grey matter

Question 31

In the spinal cord what is the outside comprised of?

Answer 31

White matter

Question 32

When axons travel in parallel along the white matter what is this referred to as?

Answer 32

Columns

Question 33

How many columns are there in the spinal cord?

Answer 33

Posterior (dorsal) columns Lateral columns Anterior (ventral) columns

Question 34

Which two gyri are associated with the central sulcus?

Answer 34

Precentral gyrus | Postcentral gyrus

Question 35

What does the lentiform nucleus comprise of?

Answer 35

Putamen | Globus pallidus

Question 36

In the coronal plane of the brain a white matter track that crosses from left to right is visible what is the name of this track?

Answer 36

Corpus callosum

Question 37

What are the cingulate sulcus and gyrus associated with?

Answer 37

Memory

Question 38

In the cerebellum what are the lumps and bumps called?

Answer 38

Follia and sulci | This is because they are compressed and resemble the "tree of life" hence folio from foliage

Question 39

What are the landmarks for the frontal lobe?

Answer 39

Large lobe anterior to the central sulcus and superior to the lateral sulcus It is also anterior to a line drawn from the central sulcus down to the corpus callous

Question 40

What are the landmarks for the parietal lobe?

Answer 40

It is posterior to the central sulcus, superior to the lateral sulcus and anterior to a line from parieto-occipitaq sulcus to the pre-occipital notch

Question 41

What are the landmarks for the occipital lobe?

Answer 41

Posterior to a line from the parieto-occipital sulcus to the preoccipital notch

Question 42

What are the landmarks for the temporal lobe?

Answer 42

Inferior to the lateral sulcus and posteriorly by a line from the parieto-occipital sulcus and the pre-occipital notch

Question 43

What is the name of the 5th hidden lobe?

Answer 43

Insular lobe or insula

Question 44

What is the role of the insular lobe?

Answer 44

Role in patient's experience of pain

Question 45

What are the three meninges from superficial to deep?

Answer 45

Dura mater Arachnoid mater Pia mater

Question 46

What are the ventricles inside the brain filled with?

Answer 46

CSF

Question 47

Which ventricles produce CSF?

Answer 47

Lateral 3rd 4th

Question 48

What is the enteric nervous system?

Answer 48

The nervous system found in the digestive system from oesophagus to rectum Neurons are found largely in 2 plexuses in walls of gut (Myenteric plexus and submucosal plexus)

Question 49

What is the arterial blood supply to the brain called?

Answer 49

Vertebro-basilar system

Question 50

Where does blood drain from the brain?

Answer 50

The dural venous sinuses drain into the internal jugular vein through the jugular foramen