The Brain Flashcards
What is the brain composed of
The cerebellum and four lobes
What are the four lobes of the brain
Frontal, parietal, occipital and temporal
What are the folds of the brain known as
Gyrus
What are the grooves of the brain known as
Sulcus
What is on either side of the central sulcus
Pre-central and post-central gyri
What is contained within the lateral fissure
The middle cerebral artery
What is within the longitudinal fissure
Anterior cerebral arteries
What is within the central portion of the brain
Thalamus, central hemispheres, corpus callosum, hypothalamus, pons, medulla oblongata, cerebellum and midbrain
What is the corpus callosum
A white matter tract that connects the cerebral hemispheres
What is an association tract
It is a tract between gyri of the same hemisphere
What is a commisural tract/fibre
Connection from one hemisphere to the corresponding region of the other
Where do projection fibres come from/go to
The cerebellum to the thalamus, brainstem etc.
What is the basal ganglion composed of
Caudate nucleus, choroid plexus, internal capsule, globus pallidus and putamen
What is the main action of the basal ganglion
To regulate initiation and termination of body movements
What is the basal ganglion thought to play a part it
Memory, planning and emotional response via the limbic system
What forms the lentiform nucleus
The globus pallidus and putamen
What communicates with the caudate and putamen
The substantia nigra
Where is the substantia nigra
In the midbrain
What communicates with the globus pallidus
The sub-thalamic nucleus
What makes up the diencephalon
Thalamus, hypothalamus and pineal gland
What is the thalamus
A major sensory relay station
Flow of information to the thalamas
Info from the spinal cord, brain stem and midbrain goes to the thalamus and is then passed to the cerebral hemispheres
What does the thalamus connect into
The hypothalamus and limbic system
Function of the hypothalamus
Involved in the regulation of the autonomic nervous system and homeostasis
What is the hypothalamus connected to
The pituitary gland
What does the hypothalamus release
Hormones
What is within the pineal gland
The epithalamus and habenular nucleus
Function of the epithalamus
Produces melatonin to regulate the body clock
Function of the habenular nucleus
Involved in olfaction and emotional response
What cranial nerves originate from the midbrain
CN III and CN IV
What does the midbrain connect
The pons and the medulla to the diencephalon
What is the superior calliculi involved in
Visual tracking and scanning
What is the inferior colliculi involved in
The auditory startle reflex
What is the substantia nigra involved in
Controlling sub-conscious muscle action
Function of the red nuclei
Coordinate muscle movement
What makes up the brain stem
The pons, medulla and cerebellum
What is within the pons
The pontine nuclei
Function of the pontine nuclei
Involved in coordinating and maximising voluntary motor output
What cranial nerves originate from the pons
CN V, CN VI, CN VII and the vestibular part of CN VIII
What is contained within the medulla
The pyrimids and cardiovascular controls
What are the pyramids in the medulla
Motor tracts
What are the nuclei of the medulla concerned with
Touch, pressure and vibration
What are the olives involved in
Proprioception
What cranial nerves originate from the medulla
CN IX, CN X, CN XI, CN XII and the cochlear part of VIII
What is the cerebellum
The vermis between lobes
What does the cerebellum control
Sub-conscious aspects of skeletal muscle and coordinates complex sequences
What does the medullar regulate
Posture and balance
Where is the superior cerebellar peduncle from/to
The midbrain to the cerebellum
Where is the middle cerebellar peduncle from/to
The pons to the cerebellum
Where is the inferior cerebellar peduncle from/to
The medulla to the cerebellum
What are the folds within the cerebellum known as
Folia
What does the pituitary gland release
Growth hormone, follicle stimulating hormone and lutenising hormone
Where does the pituitary gland sit
Within the pituitary fossa
What is the pia mater
The innermost layer which sticks to the surface of the neural tissue
What is the arachnoid mater
The middle layer which is a fine spiderweb connective tissue
What is the dura mater
The outermost layer which is a tough connective tissue sheath
Where is the sub-arachnoid space
Between the pia and arachnoid mater
What is within the sub-arachnoid space
Cerebrospinal fluid
What does the dura mater line
The skull
Function of the dura mater
Protects the brain and forma the dural sinuses
What does the arachnoid mater line
It covers the surface of the brain
What is within the arachnoid mater
Blood vessels
What does the pia mater line
It covers the surface of the brain getting into the suclui and around the gyri
What supplies the meningies
The anterior, middle and posterior meningeal artery
Where is the anterior meningeal artery from
The ethmoid branch of the internal carotid
What does the anterior meningeal artery supply
The dura of the anterior fossa
Where is the middle meningeal artery from
The maxillary artery
What does the middle meningeal supply
The dura
What will occur if the middle meningeal artery is damaged
An extra-dural haematoma
Where is the posterior meningeal artery from
The occipital artery
What does the posterior meningeal artery supply
The dura of the posterior fossa
What does the middle meningeal artery pass through
The foramen spiniosum
What are the four ventricles within the brain
Cerebral aqueduct, lateral ventricle, 3rd ventricle and 4th ventricle
Where is the cerebral aqueduct
In the midbrain
What does the cerebral aqueduct connect
The 3rd and 4th ventricles
Where is the 3rd ventricle
In the thalamus
How are the 3rd ventricle and lateral ventricles connected
Via the interventricular formina of monro
What does the 4th ventricle connect into
The sub-arachnoid space and the central canal of the spinal cord
How is the 4th ventricle connected to the sub-arachnoid space
Via the lateral and median apertures
Function of cerebrospinal fluid
Provides mechanical and physical protection to the brain and spinal cord
Where does the cerebrospinal fluid circulate through
The ventricles and the sub-arachnoid space
Where is cerebrospinal fluid loss through
The arachnoid villi into the dural venous sinuses
What makes cerebrospinal fluid and how
The ependymal cells filter the blood plasma
Function of the dural venous sinuses
Drain blood from the brain and channel it into the internal jugular vein
Where are the sinuses formed
Either between the periosteum of the skull and the dura OR between two layers of dura
What are the dural venous sinuses
Superior sagittal sinus, inferior sagittal sinus, straight sinus, confluence sinus, cavernous sinus, sigmoid transverse sinus and superior petrosal sinus
