Neuroscience Anatomy Flashcards
What are the four lobes of the brain?
Frontal
Temporal
Parietal
Occipital
Where is the primary motor cortex and prefontal cortex?
The frontal lobe
Where is the primary auditory cortex, auditory association cortex, hippocampus and amygdala?
The temporal lobe
Where is the primary somatosensory cortex and association cortex?
The parietal lobe
Where is the primary visual and visual association cortex?
The occipital lobe
What are the roles of the cerebellum?
Motor control of equilibrium, posture and muscle-tone and movement co-ordination
Where are the ascending and descending tracts, cranial nerve nuclei and the reticular formation?
The brainstem
What are gyri?
The rolls of cerebral cortex
What are sulci?
The grooves between the gyri
What is the central sulcus?
A large fissure separating the frontal from the parietal lobe
What is the lateral sulcus?
A large fissure that separates the temporal lobe from the parietal and frontal lobes
Where is the insula?
Forming the floor of the lateral sulcus
Where are the opercula?
The parts of the temporal, frontal and parietal lobes that overlie the insula
What is the corpus callosum?
A large bundle of white matter connecting the two hemispheres
Where are the olfactory tracts?
Running on the inferior surface of the frontal lobes
What is the path of the optic nerves?
Passing backwards and medially on the underside of the brain. They converse in the midline to form the optic chiasma, and then pass laterally as the optic tracts
Where are the mammillary bodies?
Two rounded eminences behind the optic chiasma
Where is the hypothalamus?
Behind the optic chiasma up to and including the mammillary bodies (only part of the diencephalon is visible on the outside of the brain)
Where are the crura cerebri of the cerebral peduncles?
Two large masses of white matter emerging, behind the mammillary bodies on each side, from the cerebral hemisphere.
What is the path of the crura cerebri of the cerebral peduncles?
Passing backwards behind the mammillary bodies, converging in the midline at the upper border of the pons
Where is the interpenduncular fossa?
The space between the crura roofed over by the arachnoid
Where is the pons?
Immediately behind the point where the crura meet in the midline. It forms a bridge of neural tissue between the midbrain and the medulla oblongata.
Where is the cerebellum?
The little brain on the underside of the brain. There are two lobes, one on either side of the medulla and a central vermis joining the two hemispheres
Where is the medulla oblongata?
Running from the caudal border of the pons to where the spinal cord was cut when the brain was removed.
Which is normally the dominant parietal lobe?
The left
What are the roles of the dominant parietal lobe?
Perception, interpretation of sensory information and the formation of the idea of a complex, meaningful motor response
What are the roles of the supramarginal and angular gyrus of the dominant parietal lobe?
Language and mathematical operations
What is the role of the non-dominant parietal lobe?
Visuospatial functions
What are the roles of the frontal lobe?
Motor function, problem solving, spontaneity, memory, language, judgement, personality, impulse control, social and sexual behavior
What is the importance of the anterior portion of the frontal lobe/prefrontal cortex?
Higher cognitive functions and determination of personality
What is the importance of the posterior portion of the frontal lobe?
Motor and premotor areas
Where is Broca’s area?
The inferior frontal gyrus
What is the importance of Broca’s area?
Language producuction and comprehension
What is contained within the temporal lobe?
Primary auditory cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, and Wernicke’s area
Where is Wernicke’s area?
The superior temporal gyrus of the left hemisphere
What is the importance of Wernicke’s area?
Understanding with the spoken word
Where is the auditory cortex?
The lateral (sylvian) fissure in the temporal lobe
Where is the occipital lobe?
The posterior aspect of the brain
What is contained within the occipital lobe?
The primary visual and visual association cortex
Where is the limbic lobe?
The medial margin of the hemisphere
What is the importance of the limbic system?
Emotion, memory, behaviour, and olfaction.
What is the importance of the hippocampus?
Long term memory function
What is the importance of the amygdala?
Motivationally significant stimuli such as those related to reward and fear
How does the limbic system operates?
By influencing the endocrine system and the autonomic nervous system
What are the two layers of the dura mater?
The outer endosteal layer
The inner meningeal layer
What is the outer endosteal layer?
The layer of dura mater lining the interior of the skull, adhering to, and sending blood vessels and fibrous processes into the cranial bones
What is the inner meningeal layer?
The layer of dura mater enveloping the central nervous system. It continues as a tube of dura seen around the spinal cord, and provides tubular sheaths for the cranial nerves.
Where are the dural venous sinuses?
Where the dural folds attach to the skull. These are a system of communicating blood filled spaces.
What is the falx cerebri ?
An arched crescent of dura lying in the longitudinal fissure between the cerebral hemispheres
Where is the superior sagittal sinus?
Where the falx cerebri attaches to the cranium
Where is the inferior sagittal sinus?
At the free border of the falx cerebri
What is the tentorium cerebelli?
Dura forming a thick fibrous roof over the posterior cranial fossa and the cerebellum
Where is the straight sinus?
Within the tentorium cerebelli at its attachment to the falx cerebri
What is teh tentorial inscisure?
A horseshoe-shaped space between the free concave border of the tentorium and the dorsum sellae of the sphenoid
Where is the cavernous sinus?
Lying laterally to the body of the sphenoid
Where is the trigeminal cave?
Lying next to the apex of the petrous part of the temporal bone and enveloping the roots of the trigeminal nerve
What is the diaphragma sellae?
A small, circular, horizontal fold of dura mater which forms the roof of the pituitary fossa
What is the falx cerebelli?
A small, vertical, sickle-shaped reflection of dura separating the two lobes of the cerebellum
What are the layers of mater from skull to brain?
Dura
Arachnoid
Pia
What is the foremen of magdie?
A midline communication between the IVth ventricle and the subarachnoid space