Neuroscience Terminology Flashcards
What makes up the CNS
Brain
Spinal Cord
Neurons
Glial Cells
Rostral
Toward the nose
In the cortex: near the front of the head
In the stem/cord: near/towards the brain
Caudal
Toward the tail
In the cortex: near back of brain or head
In the stem/cord: toward bottom of spinal cord or brainstem
Dorsal
To the back
In the cortex: top of brain
In the Stem/cord: back of brain stem or spinal cord
Ventral
Toward the abdomen
In the cortex: deep areas/bottom of brain
Stem/Cord: belly, or front of structures
3 planes to cut a brain
Sagittal, Horizontal, Coronal
Sagittal plane
vertical cut
divides L/R hemispheres
Coronal plane
Vertical section
perpendicular to sagittal
Divides brain into front and back
Transverse
horizontal cut that is diagonal, typically the brainstem or spinal cord
Lateral
structures away from midline
Medial
structures toward midline
Proximal
structures relatively close to the specific anatomical structures site of reference
Distal
position of structures further from the anatomical structure of reference
Gray matter
the appearance of the brain that consists of nerve cells, supporting cells, and unmyelinated fibers
Cell bodies
White matter
nerve fibers that form tracts and carry info from one brain site to another
White, because it’s made of axons and axons are made of myelin
Neuron
most basic building block of the brain
responsible for receiving, transmitting, and synthesizing info
Glia cells
protect and support the nerve cells
Cell body
nucleus of the neuron
also called the soma
Dendrites
specialized processes, receive neural impulses from other neurons and send the impulse toward the cell body
Axons
transmits neural messages to other neurons
Send impulses away from the soma
Terminal boutons
End portions of the axons, contain vessels that release neurotransmitters b/w the end of the axon and the surface of the next nerve cell
2 parts: synapse and synaptic cleft
Synapse
include the terminal boutons, synaptic cleft and the receptor site of the next nerve cell
Where two neurons almost meet
Synaptic cleft
narrow space b/w the end of the axon and the surface of the next nerve cell
Presynaptic nerve cell
neuron the ends at the synapse (axon)
Post synaptic neuron
neuron that receives the impulse from a presynaptic nerve cell (dendrite/muscle/gland)
Tract/Fasciculus
Collection of nerve fibers (axons) with a common origin in the CNS
Commissural fibers
tracts that cross hemispheres
Association fibers
tracts that stay insode one hemishpere
Afferent fibers
carry info from the body to the CNS (sensory)
Efferent fibers
carry impulses from the brain and spinal cord to the PNS (motor)
Decussation
Crossing of the incoming or outgoing fibers at the midline
