Neurons and Neuroanatomy Flashcards
Learn parts of the brain...
What are neurons?
Basic signaling unit of the brain
What are the 4 types of Glial cells?
Astrocytes, Oligodendrocytes, Microglial cells, and Schwann cells
What are the 3 parts of a neuron?
Cell body, dendrites, axons
Know the steps of neuronal signaling.
1) Pre-synaptic cell releases neurotransmitter
2) Neurotransmitter causes change in membrane of post-synaptic cell (depolarization)
3) Currents flow through cell
4) If depolarization is large enough triggers all-or-none action potential
5) Action potential propagates down axon
6) Axon releases neurotransmitter into next synapse
What is depolarization?
Cell becomes less negative
What is action potential?
Rapid depolarization & repolarization of membrane
What is repolarization
Cell returns back to resting negative
What is myelin and what does it do?
It is a thick coating along axons that allows action potentials to move super fast.
What are the terms used for describing areas of the brain directionally?
Dorsal/Superior, Caudal/Posterior, Rostral/Anterior, Ventral/Inferior, Lateral and Medial
What are the terms used for the top of the brain?
Dorsal or Superior
What are the terms used for the bottom of the brain?
Ventral or Inferior
What are the terms used for the tail or back of the brain?
Caudal or Posterior
What are the terms used for the nose or front of the brain?
Rostral or Anterior
What are the terms used to describe the sides and middle of the brain?
Lateral and Medial
What are the 3 different cuts of the brain?
Transverse/Horizontal, Coronal, and Sagittal
What are the 4 views of the brain?
Dorsal (top), Lateral (side), Medial (middle) and Ventral (bottom)
What is the order of ventricles help protect/supply the brain?
1) Lateral ventricle
2) Interventricular foramen
3) Third ventricle
4) Cerebral aqueduct
5) Fourth ventricle
What do ventricles do?
They contain CSF which allows the brain to float and also regulates pressure and helps with shock absorption.
What arteries contribute to the blood flow/supply in the brain?
Anterior Cerebral Artery (front), Left Middle Cerebral Artery (middle), Posterior Cerebral Artery (back)
What is the gyrus?
Bumps or hills in the brain
What is the sulcus?
Grooves or valleys in the brain
What are fissures?
Big sulcus
What is gray matter?
Where cell bodies are including dendrites
What is white matter?
Where axon tracts are and myelin which is white
What are the 4 lobes of the cerebral cortex?
Frontal lobe, Parietal lobe, Occipital lobe, and Temporal lobe
What divides the frontal lobe and the parietal lobe?
The Central Sulcus
What divides the frontal lobe and the temporal lobe?
The Sylvian Fissure
Where are the motor cortex and somatosensory cortex located?
In the Central Sulcus but the motor cortex is in the pre-central gyrus while the somatosensory cortex is in the post-central gyrus.
What does the motor cortex do?
Contributes to movement and primary motor function (M1)
What does the somatosensory cortex do?
Contributes to somatic sensation or feel and primary somatosensory function (S1)
What does homunculus mean?
Little human
Where are the visual areas located?
Occipital Lobe
Primary Visual Cortex (V1) located in the middle
Secondary Visual Cortex (V2/V3) located around V1
How are the visual areas organized?
Retinotopic maps (organized based on space)
Where are the auditory areas located?
In the auditory cortex which is in the Temporal Lobe
Heschl’s gyrus is where the Primary (A1) & Secondary (A2) are located
How are the auditory areas organized?
Tonotopic maps (high vs low tones)
Where are associated cortices located.
The Frontal, Temporal & Parietal Lobe
What do association cortices do?
Where cognition happens. Integrate sensory and motor, allocating attention, and multiple sensory modalities.
What is the frontal lobe responsible for?
Executive functioning: reasoning, judgment, motor planning and control, memory, impulse control, etc.
What does the Thalamus do?
It is the gateway to the cortex: sensory relay station, receives input from and sends output to almost entire brain
What are the important parts of the thalamus?
Medial geniculate nucleus and lateral geniculate nucleus
What is the Limbic System?
Responsible for processing, learning and memory. Sometimes referred to as the 5th lobe.
What is the Hippocampus?
It looks like a seahorse and is responsible for memory and learning?
What is the important part of the hippocampus?
Entorhinal Cortex which communicates with the hippocampus and is how the hippocampus communicates with the rest of the cortex.
What is the Basal Ganglia?
Circuits for motor control, learning, and cognitive functions and contributes to dopamine pathways.
What is the Basal Ganglia composed of?
The Neostriatum which is composed of the caudate nucleus and putamen. Globus pallidus, subthalarnic nucleus, and substantia nigra.
What makes up the brainstem?
Medulla, Pons, and Midbrain
What does the midbrain do?
Sensory and motor relays, reflexes, and neurotransmitter regulation
What do the medulla and pons do?
Cranial nerves synapse in pons and it also contributes to sleep cycle’s. Also, motor, sensory, vestibular, arousal.
What does the Cerebellum do?
It covers the midbrain, brainstem, etc. and helps with posture, walking balance, smooth coordinated movements.
Where are the brainstem and cerebellum located?
Back of the brain
What is a synapse?
Where 2 neurons meet
