The brain and nervous system (wk2) Flashcards

1
Q

Draw out the diagram of the nervous system

A
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2
Q

What does the nervous system aim to do?

A

-The nervous system exists to control movement

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3
Q

Describe the central nervous system

A

-Everything inside the spine and skull -> cortex, subcortical structures and nuclei, spinal cord
-The structures are encased in bone
-It’s very poor at fixing itself if damaged

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4
Q

Describe the peripheral nervous system

A

-Everything outside the spine and skull -> nerves (bundles of axons that connect the CNS to the rest of the body) + ganglion (clusters of cells associated with the nerves)
-The PNS can regrow after damage
-Can be thought of as a system of inputs and outputs -> input from the sensory division (afferent), output from the motor division (efferent)

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5
Q

What is the peripheral motor output system (efferent)?

A

-Somatic -> controls voluntary movement
-Autonomic -> controls involuntary/unconscious movements
-Has 2 components

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6
Q

What is the somatic motor system (efferent)?

A

-The nerves exit the spinal cord and contact muscles
-Stimulation of these nerves causes contraction of muscles and moves the body
-Controls voluntary movements

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7
Q

What is the autonomic system (efferent)?

A

-Controls the lungs, heart, smooth muscle, endocrine and exocrine glands
-Two autonomic systems work together to keep internal system in balance

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8
Q

Describe the sensory (afferent) division:

A

5 basic sensory systems;
-Visual
-Auditory
-Olfactory (smell)
-Gustatory (taste)
-Tactile sensation (touch)
+ Vestibular -> sense of head movement in space
+ Proprioceptive sensations (sensations from the muscles and joints of the body)

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9
Q

Describe how movements are like a circuit:

A

-Movements tend to be in response to an external stimuli or directed at an external stimulus, however they start with sensory input

1.Sensory input -> receptors monitor changes and info sent by afferent nerves
2.Integration -> information is processed
3. Motor output -> effector organs are activated and effected by efferent nerves

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10
Q

Describe what brains are made of:

A

-86 billion cells
-The human brain consumes 20% of the total energy generated in the body, although it represents only 2% of the total body weight
-15-20% of the total cardiac output is directed to the brain
-Fluorodeoxyglucose is a marker of the tissue uptake of glucose (found in grey matter uptake, kidney excretion, bone marrow uptake and bladder excretion)

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11
Q

What are the 2 major cell types of the microscopic constituents of the nervous system?

A
  1. Neurones -> Electrically excitable cell and communicated with other cells via specialized cells called synapses. They contain; dendrites, nucleus, cell body, axon, myelin and an axon terminal. Information passed through neurones is electrical and the process is called synaptic transmission
  2. Glial cells -> Non-neuronal cells that maintain homeostasis, form myelin and support/protect for neurones
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12
Q

Name and describe the 5 major types of glial cells:

A
  1. Astrocytes -> regulate chemicals and neurones e.g. glucose and regulate blood flow around the brain
  2. Oligodendrocytes -> form the myelin sheath on axons in the CNS and myelin is a fatty, protein rich sheath that wraps around axons and can myelinate up to 50 axons
  3. Schwann cells -> form mylein in the PNS, assist in regeneration and regrowth of axons and allows axons to propagate more quickly
  4. Microglia -> the brains immune system, search the CNS for plaques
  5. Ependymal cells -> make up a membrane called the ependyma which is a thin membrane lining the central canal of the spinal cord and ventricles
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13
Q

White and grey matter

A

-White matter -> made of fat and proteins
-Grey matter -> contain the cell bodies of the neurones (nuclei, ganglion, cortex), appear pink, but grey in perfused

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14
Q

Draw the brain and the constituent parts of it:

A
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15
Q

What are the 5 constituent parts of the brain?

A

-Cerebrum -> volitional movements
-Tectum -> contains areas that control movements in response to external stimuli
-Cerebellum -> coordination
-Spinal cord/hindbrain -> automatic movements, coordination, breathing, posture, balance, gait

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16
Q

Describe the brain stem and the 3 parts to it:

A

-Brainstem -> sits at the top of the spinal cord and made of 3 parts: medulla, pons, cerebellum

17
Q

Describe the medulla in the brainstem

A

-Cardiac -> central chemoreceptors sense oxygen levels in brain and alter HR/blood pressure
Respiration -> chemoreceptors sense changes in blood chemistry
Reflexes -> vomiting and coughing

18
Q

Describe the pons and the cerebellum in the brain stem

A

-Pons -> contain nuclei that relay signals from the forebrain to the cerebellum. Nuclei deal with; sleep, respiration, swallowing etc
-Cerebellum -> maintenance of balance and posture, coordination of movements, motor learning

19
Q

Describe the midbrain and thalamus

A

-Midbrain -> tectum controls rapid orientation of the head and neck; superior colliculus (vision) and inferior colliculus (sound). Is associated with sleep, wake cycles, alertness and temperature regulation
-Thalamus -> takes info from the periphery and passes it to the cortex. Hypothalamus -> hormones, metabolic control e.g. hunger, body temperature

20
Q

Describe the Basal ganglia and Cerebral cortex

A

-Basal ganglia -> series of interconnected nuclei, responsible for; movement regulation, skill learning. Issue with basal ganglia gives Tourette’s syndrome
-Cerebral cortex -> plays a role in; movement, attention, perception and memory

21
Q

Draw and identify the 4 lobes of the brain and describe the cortical sheet:

A

-Cortical sheet has 6 layers, highly folded, with folds (gyri) and grooves (sulci). Human cortex is 2-4mm thick, depending on the area
-The 4 lobes of the brain are; frontal, parietal, occipital and temporal