Problem 1 - Development of the NS Flashcards
Anterior/ Rostral
Towards the nose
Posterior/ Caudal
Towards the tail
Dorsal
To the back
–> up when talking about the brain
Ventral
To the belly/down
Medial
Towards the middle
Lateral
Towards the side
Ipsilateral
The same side
Contralateral
Opposite sides
Saggital plane
Dividing brain in left vs right
Horizontal plane
Dividing brain in up vs down
–> in brain ventral vs dorsal
Coronal plane
Dividing brain into front vs back
–> anterior vs posterior
What does the Central nervous system (CNS) consist of ?
- Brain
2. Spinal cord
Saggital/Longitudinal fissure
Seperates the 2 hemispheres
Cerebrum
Refers to the most rostral + largest part of the brain, which can be divided into 2 hemispheres
–> sensations of the 2 hemispheres are contralateral
Cerebellum
Lies behind the cerebrum (little brain)
–> sensation of each side are ipsilateral in contrast to the cerebrum
Brain stem
Serves to relay info from the cerebrum to the spinal cord + cerebellum and vice versa
–> regulates breathing, consciousness + control of body temperature
Spinal cord
Is attached to the brain stem
–> conducts info from the skin, joints, muscles of the body to the brain and vice versa
Spinal nerves
Are part of the PNS, and attach to the spinal cord by 2 branches
a) dorsal root
- -> carry info away from SC
b) ventral root
- -> carry info into SC
–> spinal cord communicates via them
Peripheral nervous system
PNS
Refers to all parts of the NS other than the brain + spinal cord
–> it contains 2 parts
a) somatic PNS
b) visceral PNS
Somatic PNS/
Somatic nervous system (SNS)
Contains all the spinal nerves that innervate the
a) skin
b) joints
c) muscles
that are under voluntary control
–> its axons enter the spinal cord via the dorsal roots
Dorsal root ganglia
Are clusters that contain the cell bodies of somatic sensory axons
Visceral PNS/
Autonomic nervous system (ANS)
Consists of neurons that innervate the
a) internal organs
b) blood vessels
c) glands
–> mediates reactions beyond voluntary control
Afferent neurons
Carry info toward target point
Efferent neurons
Carry info away from target point
Cranial nerves
Arise from the brain stem + innervate the head
–> there are 12 pairs, some of them part of the CNS others of the SNS
Meninges
Refer to 3 membranes, covering the brain
a) Dura mater
- -> outermost, though + inelastic
b) Arachnoid mater
- -> middle, spiderweb like
c) Pia mater
- -> close to surface of brain, seperated from the arachnoid by CSF, thin membrane
Ventricular system
Refers to the fluid-filled (CSF) canals inside the brain
CT
Scans can noninvasively reveal the
a) organization of white + grey matter
b) position of the ventricles
Why are Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) much more used ? What are its advantages ?
Yields more detailed map of the brain than CT + doesn’t require X-irradiation
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)
Visualizes large bundles of axons in the brain
–> application of MRI
What are the functions of both Position emission tomography (PET) + Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) ?
Detecting changes in regional blood flow + metabolism in the brain
What are the 3 distinct layers of cells that make up an embryo called ?
- Endoderm
- -> gives ride to internal organs - Mesoderm
- -> gives rise to bones + muscles - Ectoderm (!!most important!!)
- -> gives rise to NS + skin
Name the steps in the process by which the neural plate becomes the neural tube.
(Neurolation)
- Neural plate
- Neural groove
- -> its folds come together dorsally to fuse - Neural tube
Neural crest
Refers to tissue that is pinched off from the ectoderm and comes to lie lateral to the Neural tube
–> develops closely in association with mesoderm
Differentiation
Refers to the process by which structures become more complex + functionally specialized
–> occurs after Neurolation
