structure of the nervous system Flashcards
as the name implies
how many directional terminology is used in neuroscience? name them and explain.
6.
dorsal - top, ventral- bottom , anterior - in front of ,posterior-behind , medial -going towards the mid line and lateral - going towards the side.
what are the three main types of section?
horizontal - horizontally
coronal - e.g a section going from back to front
sagital - middle
what are the two man parts of the nervous system ?
The central nervous system(CNS) and the peropheral nervous system (PNS)
List the parts of the CNS and PNS.
CNS- the brain and spinal cord
PNS- somatic and autonomic nervous systems
subdivisions of the somatic nervous system
SAME
efferent nerves - motor nervers that go from the cns to skeletal muscles
Afferent nerves - sensory nerves that moves information from the periphery to the CNS
Subdivisions of the autonomic nervous system
this regulates homeostasis.
sympathetic- fight or flight
parasympathetic - rest and digest.
what is the function of the ventricular system?
the ventricular system cushions and supports the brain.
what are the parts of the ventricular system?
two lateral ventricles , one third ventricle the cerebral aqueduct and the fourth ventricle.
which sections are the best sections to view the ventricular systems?
the horizontal and coronal sections are the best sections to view the ventricular systems.
what is meningitis?
meningitis refers to inflation of the meninges of the brain due to an infection.
what is the blood-brain barrier?
this is a small gap between endothelial cells that line the blood vessels of the brain that allow certain substances to pass through. lipophilic substances can easily pass through the brain but larger molecules cannot pass.
what is the area postrema? why do lipophilic substances easily pass through the bbb?
area prostrema is the area of the brain this is responsible for inducing vomiting and is the area of weakness in the bbb.
what are dendritic spines ?
these are protrusions that extend from brain cells.
what are the two main types of brain cells?
the two main types of brain cells are neurons and glial cells.
functions of neurons and glial cells respectively?
neurons are responsible for the processing and transmission of information. glial cells are support cells , responsible for clean up and repair and myelination, it also modulates neuronal activity. neuron : glial cells ratio 80:100 billion.
what are the parts of a neuron.
axon, dendrites, cell body, axon hillock, and terminal buttons.
what is the function of each part of the neuron.
cell body: core- contains nucleus and dna
axon: carries information from the cell body to the terminal buttons.
axon hillock: where an action potential is established. juction of the cell body and axon.
dendrites- gather infrmation from other neurons
terminal button- connects with the dendrites of other neurons , conveys information to other neurons
what is the difference between white matter and grey matter?
white matter refers to areas of the brain that are rich in myelinated axons of neurons e.g corpus callosum. while gray matter refers to the areas of the nervous system that are rich in cell bodies and blood vessels
how are axons grouped in the nervous system?
in the nervous system, the grouping of axons is divided into two groups; nerves and tracts.
what is the difference between a nerve and a tract?
one of the major difference between the two groupings of axons is the locations. tracts are found in the CNS while nerves are found in the PNS.
what is a tract?
this refers to the groupings of axons in the CNS, they connect nuclei in the brain to each other. white matter consists mostly of tracts.
what is a nerve?
A nerve is a collection of axons in the PNS. E.G phrenic nerve? c3,4,5 keeps the diaphragm alive.
what do u call a cluster or collection of cell body in the CNS AND PNS
Nucleus and ganglia respectively
how are nuclei distinguished?
they are distinguished by their structure, function, and chemical composition.
what is the outer layer of the brain called?
the cerebral cortex. this is grey matter since it would be a collection of cell bodies
what is the function of the cerebral cortex?
consciousness, high level functioning
describe the structural appearance of the cerebral cortex.
the cerebral cortex has a wrinkled appearance due to the cortex folding in upon itself during development to occupy less space. it has many gyri and sulci.
what is the difference between a gyrus and a sulcus?
a gyrus is a convulotion in the cerebral cortex while a sulcus is a grove thats found between the gyri of the cerebral cortex.
what are the three major external features of the brain ?
1the cerebrum, the cerebellum and the brain stem.
what are the functions of the three external features of the brain?
cerebrum- higher functioning , cerebellum - motor co-ordination, brain stem - controls respiration , heart rates, conects the brain to the spinal cord.
how is the cerebral cortex divided?
the cortex is divided into the left and right hemisphere. whuch is further divided into the four lobes.
name the four lobes of the cerebral cortex and list two function for each
frontal lobes-motor control, exec functions
parietal - touch sensation and propioception.
temporal - auditory , languageproduction , taste
occipital - vision
what is the function of the corpus callosum
corpus calllosum connects the two cerebral hemispheres of the brain. allowing them to work together.
what are the parts of the limbic system?
cingulate cortex,amygdala and hippocampus
Newly evolved regions like the cortex sit atop older regions (the limbic system), and those in turn sit atop even older regions (the brainstem
Newly evolved regions like the cortex sit atop older regions (the limbic system), and those in turn sit atop even older regions (the brainstem
function of the limbic system CcAH
Cingulate cortex - emotional processing and memory
amygdala- fear ,aggression and emotional memories
hippocampus - formation of long term memories.
parts of the basal ganglia
caudate nucleus, putamen( 1 and 2 = striatum) and globus pallidus
what is the substantia nagria
part of the midbrain. It contains numerous dopaminergic neurons that project into the basal ganglia
what are the major parts of the brainstem ?
the diencephalon, the mid brain and the hind brain
-Diencephalon:
>Thalamus
>Hypothalamus – “below/under (G.) thalamus”
-Midbrain:
Contains neurons that produce dopamine that project to various other brain regions.
-Hindbrain:
>Pons – “bridge (L.)”
Connects the cerebellum to the brainstem.
>Medulla – “marrow (L.)”
Controls breathing & heart rate.
Connects the brain to the spinal cord.
Diencephalon:
Thalamus
Hypothalamus – “below/under (G.) thalamus”
Midbrain:
Contains neurons that produce dopamine that project to various other brain regions.
Hindbrain: Pons – “bridge (L.)” Connects the cerebellum to the brainstem. Medulla – “marrow (L.)” Controls breathing & heart rate. Connects the brain to the spinal cord.
