Review Questions

Question 1

What is hypoxia? Why is it dangerous to the nervous system?

Answer 1

Hypoxia is a condition in which the brain is not getting enough oxygen due to a poor blood supply. It is dangerous because it kills neurons that cannot be replaced.

Question 2

What is hypoglycemia? What can it do to the brain?

Answer 2

Hypoglycemia is a condition where glucose in the blood gets too low. This affects the brain because the neurons need glucose. Without glucose they cannot produce the energy they need to do their jobs. The person may lose mental sharpness, may faint, or go into a coma.

Question 3

Arrange from inferior to superior: midbrain, hypothalamus, Pons, medulla oblongata, thalamus.

Answer 3

Medulla oblongata, Pons, midbrain, hypothalamus, thalamus.

Question 4

Name three structures in the brain stem.

Answer 4

Medulla oblongata, Pons, and midbrain

Question 5

Name the structures in the diencephalon.

Answer 5

Thalamus and hypothalamus

Question 6

Where does most decussation happen

Answer 6

Medulla oblongata

Question 7

What structure has nuclei that control vital functions?

Answer 7

Medulla oblongata

Question 8

Which structure has nuclei dedicated to reflexes involving seeing and hearing.

Answer 8

Midbrain

Question 9

What structure relays messages from the cerebrum to the cerebellum?

Answer 9

Pons

Question 10

What structure controls the pituitary gland

Answer 10

Hypothalamus

Question 11

What structure performs an interpretation of sensory information and relays it to the cerebrum

Answer 11

Thalamus

Question 12

What are the hills on the cerebrum

Answer 12

Gyri

Question 13

What are the valleys on the cerebrum

Answer 13

Sulci

Question 14

What structure deals with motor functions we perform without conscious thought.

Answer 14

Cerebellum

Question 15

What does the corpus callosum do? There are other structures in the brain and spinal cord that do it too. What is the general term.

Answer 15

The corpus callosum allows the two hemispheres of the brain to communicate with one another. The general term is commissures.

Question 16

Where is the majority of cerebrospinal fluid produced?

Answer 16

Lateral ventricles

Question 17

Where is the rest of cerebrospinal fluid produced?

Answer 17

Third and fourth ventricles

Question 18

What is the purpose of cerebrospinal fluid?

Answer 18

CSF cushions and protects the brain.

Question 19

What three structures covering the skull protect the brain? What are they called collectively. Name from outermost to innermost.

Answer 19

Dura mater, arachnoid mater, and the pia mater. Collectively they are the meninges.

Question 20

What are the arachnoid granulations? What do they do?

Answer 20

Arachnoid granulations are extensions of the arachnoid mater, which return CSF to the superior sagittal sinus so that it returns to the blood within the sinus.

Question 21

What are the three neurons in the reflex arc and in what order are they activated?

Answer 21

The reflex arc has an afferent (sensory) neuron, association neuron, and an efferent (motor) neuron. They’re activated in that order. First the afferent neuron sends the sensory information to the spinal cord, the association neuron then roots the signal to the efferent neuron, finally the efferent neurons stimulates the muscle to contract.

Question 22

Where is the association neuron in the reflex arc?

Answer 22

It is entirely within the spinal cord.

Question 23

Of the three neuron circuits we discussed in the previous module which type of circuit is formed by the afferent neuron in the reflex arc?

Answer 23

The afraid neuron forms a diverging circuit to send information along the reflex arc and also to the brain.

Question 24

In the reflex arc which kind of circuit is the efferent neuron a part?

Answer 24

There is a converging circuit on the effort neurons since both a reflex aren’t in the brain is controlled the muscle.