Physiology (Nuerohistology) Flashcards
Evolution of Human Brain
Brain has evoloved over millions of years
Rat brain has the same anotomical organizaion as humas - has the same basic structurs for functionb
Rat (Smallest) vs. Monkey (bigger - has more cells) vs. Human (biggest - 4X bigger than primates)
- Primates have aquired volume in CNS
- Human brain is well packed (compression of volume)
Cells found in CNS
CNS = contains nuerons + Glial cells
- Nuerons are associated with nueronal glial cells critical for CNS function)
Nueroglial cells + Blood vessles coest with nuerons - imprortant for maintaining the function of the brain
Features of neurons
Nuerons have many featires –> central to function of the brain
Have many subtypes of nuerons (different shapes and sizes depending on where they are located)
- Example - Cerebelum cortext cells are pyrimidal
Synapse
Basic communication methid for nuerons
Parts of neuron
- Cell body - doesn’t facilitate communcation - have dendrites + Axons
- Dendrites - improtant for synapse (connected to synapses) = faciliatate nueronal function
- Axon - Directs communicaion with other sturctures in CNS or outside the CNS
- Can be coated in mylin sheet or unmylinated
- Facilitates communcation with terminal ends + densdirtes
Neuron
The basic cell unite of the brain - facilitates the function of the CNS
- Neurons are organized in layers that form the cerebral cortext (grey matter)
- Other cells coexist with nuerons to maintain the function of the brain
Past throughts on glial cells vs. nuerons
Passed reserach only focused on nuerons but now reserach is begining to focus on nueronal glial cells
Function of nueronal glial cells
Nuerons need nueronal glial cells to function
Nueronal glial cells:
1. Oligiodentricyes - make myline
2. Astricytes - Asscoiated with nuerons or associated with blood vessles
Mylin
Facilitates conduction of electrical imuplues
- heavily mylinated = faster conduction
Blood vessels in brain
Blood vessels = important to birng blood into the brain - nueronal glial cells (Astrocytes) can assocuated with the Blood vessles to help bring blood in
Development of CNS during emryogenesis
Structires of teh CNS orginated in the nueronal plate –> Nueronal plate developes into the nueronal grrove –> Neuroinal groove developes into the nueronal tube –> Nueornla tube becomes the CNS
Nueoronal plate = derived from ectoderm –> Nuerona + nueornal glial cells originate in the nueronal tube
Division of nueronal tube
Nueronal tube is divided to different compartments
- Anterior (Forebrain) = gives rise to brain Gives rise to the brain hemispheres)
- Middle protion = gives rise to midbrain
- Lower down form middle pertion = Gives rise to hindbrain
- Posterior (bottom) = gives rise to the spinal cord
Sagital view - can see the forebrain in anterior –> the midbrain –> Spinal cord
Adult brain vs. brain during embryogensis
The adult brain mimics what we see in embryogensis
See forebrain becoming the brain
See middle protion becoming the midbrain
See posterior protino becoming the Spinal cord
Function of the brain + Spinal cord
All physiologycal function for motor + sensory + emotion
Spinal cord - highway for motor + sensory (distributes and captires information)
Frontal lobe function (overall)
Contains:
1. Pirmary motor cortext - volentary mucle movmet
2. premotor cortext/S.M.C - Planning and corrdination of movement (motor organization)
3. Frontal eye feld - volentary rapid eye movement
4. Prefrontal cortext - executive functions + behavior + personality
Frontal = largets portion of the brain
Frontal lobe - Motor cortext
Frontal lobe = contains the motor cortext = generates movment
- Cortical regions that generate movement = well organized (Ex. posterior region of motor = representative of all of the areas of the body - dfferent parts of the cortext control movment in differenr parts of the body
To get movment - cereral cortext needs to generate signal –> inputs signal to the primary motor cortext + pre-motor cortext
Occipital Love
Function - vision
part of the cerbal cortext taht processes vision infrmation form the retinal
Retina – Optic nerve –> Occipital lobe
Frontal Lobe + Executive function
Frontal lobe = important for organization + executive function
Example - when you wake up and getting ready for the day - need to use executive function –> EF is generated in the prefrontal cortext
- IF lose frontal lobe = lose executive function
Past treatment of mental disorder
20th century - treated mental disorders by taking out the frontal lobe –> pateints become calmer + destroy the ability to generate behavior and Executive function
Football players injury
Football players = damage frontal lobe = get behavioral probelms
Grey Matter Vs. White matter
Grey matter = organized in the cerbral cortext + in deep grey nuclei in the basal ganglia
Grey matter = has high density of nuerons + glial cells (“computers”)
White matter = High denisty of axons/mylination (“wiring”)
Different views of the brain
Left - MRI (high resolution imaging of the brain)
- See grey vs. white matter + different structres in the brain
Top Right - Coronal section –> See grey matter + Sulci + white matter + bridge between the right and left brain + see basal ganglion
- Bridge = Corpus colosum - axons that facilitate communication
Bottom Right - Lateral view (left = frontal lobe)
Spinal cord
Goes through the spine (spine = bony compartment that contains the spinal cord)
Spinal cord = highway
- Sends motor information form th ebrain to the limbs and takes sensory information from the organs to the brain
Trauma to neck/soine = disrupt communication = paralyzed
Two Paths in Spinal cord
- Acending (Sensory function) - Carry sensory ifnormation from organs to go to the brain
- Descending (Motor function) - uses the corteco spinal tract (used for motor)
Decending information in brain
Used for motot functions
To move -
1. Need to know ehere hand in in space (uses snesory nerves)
2. Need the forntal primary cortext to move hand (signal goe sto the primary motor cortext = move muscles) BUT you need to move sevral muscle at once
3. Signal goes ot the primary motor in white matter axons
4. Signal goes to the mibrain
5. Signal goes to the spinal cord
6. Spinal cord is connected to the spinal tract —> spinal tract packages the acins coordinating the motor information
What happens in the brainstem
In the brain stem - have pydrimidal deccustation
- IN brainstem a large percent of fibers that control right hand come from the left side of the brain (95% of fibers to move right hand come from left hemisphere)
BECAUSE in the brainste, the nerves cross the midline (have pyrimidal deccustation) –> control the right hand iwth left brain
Symptoms if have isse with decending information
See symptoms when examining motor control:
- Weakness (Ex. if have stroke and can’t move arm)
- Paralysis
- Stiffening (Spasticity) - diffculty moving limbs
- Cramps - Stress cortecospinal tract = get cramps
Bringing sensory information to the brain
Sensory = comes from the spinal cord –> spinal cord carriers information to the brain –> information goes to the thalumus –> thalumus gives the information to other area sin the brain
- Example - thalumus gives the information to the frontal lobe –> facilitates movement
- Example 2 - If hand touches something hot –> sensory infor goes to brain to withdraw the hand (motor cortext generates information to withdraw)
- Thalumus = deep white matter structure
Overall - Spinal cord –> gives sensor information to the motor cortext = genertaes movement
Sensory function issues
Symptoms:
1. Pain
2. Lack of snesation
3. Abnormal sensation
4. Lack of balance - if have numbness in feet or damage to the spinal cord = get issues with balance
What facilitates movment
Motor + sesory both facilitate movmemt