The Brain And Nervous System

Question 1

What two parts make up the nervous system?

Answer 1

• Central nervous system

• Peripheral nervous system

Question 2

What makes up the CNS?

Answer 2

Everything inside the spine and skull

Question 3

What makes up the peripheral nervous system?

Answer 3

Everything outside the spine and skull

Question 4

What are ganglions?

Answer 4

Clusters of cells associated with the nerves

Question 5

How can the peripheral nervous system be divided?

Answer 5

Efferent and afferent

Question 6

What are the two systems within the efferent PNS?

Answer 6

• Somatic

• Autonomic

Question 7

What are the two major cell types in the nervous system?

Answer 7

• Neurones

• Glial cells

Question 8

What are neurones and what do they do?

Answer 8

• Electrically excitable cells

• Communicate with other cells via synapses

Question 9

What are glial cells and what do they do?

Answer 9

• Non-neuronal cells in the nervous system

• Maintain homeostasis, form myelin and support and protect neurones

Question 10

What are the 5 major types of glial cells?

Answer 10

• Astrocytes

• Oligodendrocytes

• Schwann cells

• Microglia

• Ependymal cells

Question 11

What do astrocytes do?

Answer 11

• Regulate chemicals around neurones (glucose, ion concentrations and neurotransmitter uptake)

• Regulate blood flow around the brain (vasomodulation)

• Nervous system repair (following injury, astrocytes fill spaces in the nervous system creating glial scars)

Question 12

What do oligodendrocytes do?

Answer 12

• Form the myelin sheath on axons in the CNS

• Each oligodendrocyte can myelinate up to 50 axons

Question 13

What do Schwann cells do?

Answer 13

• Form myelin in the PNS

• Assist in regeneration and growth of axons

• Myelin allows action potentials to propagate more quickly

Question 14

What do Microglia do?

Answer 14

• Act as the brain’s immune system

• Scavenge the CNS for plaques, damaged cells and infectious agents

Question 15

What do Ependymal cells do?

Answer 15

• Make up a membrane called the ependyma, which is a thin membrane lining the central canal of the spinal cord and the ventricles

• Produces cerebrospinal fluid

Question 16

What is white matter?

Answer 16

• Parts of the brain that are mainly made up of axons

• The myelin sheath surrounding the axons is made of fat and protein so is white

Question 17

What is grey matter?

Answer 17

Areas of the brain that contain mainly the cell bodies of the neurones

Question 18

What does the medulla do?

Answer 18

• Cardiac - central chemoreceptors sense oxygen levels in brain and alter heart rate and blood pressure

• Respiration - chemoreceptors sense changes in blood chemistry and increase breathing rate

• Reflexes - vomiting, coughing, sneezing, swallowing

Question 19

What does the pons do?

Answer 19

• Contains nuclei that relay signals from the forebrain to the cerebellum

• Nuclei that deal primarily with sleep, respiration, swallowing, bladder control, hearing, equilibrium, taste, eye movement, facial expressions, facial sensation and posture

Question 20

What does the cerebellum do?

Answer 20

• Maintenance of balance and posture

• Coordination of movements (especially across multiple joints)

• Motor learning

Question 21

What is the role of the midbrain?

Answer 21

• Tectum controls rapid orientation of the head and neck

• Also associated with sleep and wake cycles, alertness and temperature regulation

Question 22

What does the thalamus do?

Answer 22

• Acts as a switchboard

• Takes information from the periphery and passes it to the cortex

• Hypothalamus - hormones, metabolic control

Question 23

What does the basal ganglia do?

Answer 23

• Movement regulation

• Skill learning

• Habit formation

• Reward systems

• Selection of appropriate behaviours

• Self initiation of behaviours

Question 24

What does the cerebral cortex do?

Answer 24

• Movement

• Attention

• Perception

• Awareness

• Thought

• Memory

• Language

• Consciousness

Question 25

How many layers does the cortical sheet have?

Answer 25

6

Question 26

Name the different parts of the brain

Answer 26

• Spinal cord

• Medulla

• Pons

• Cerebellum

• Midbrain

• Thalamus

• Basal ganglia

• Cerebral cortex