The Brain and Spinal Cord Flashcards
What does the central nervous system encompass?
- Brain
- Spinal Cord
- Cavities (immersed in cerebrospinal fluid)
- Nerves
What cavity is the brain located in?
The cranial cavity
The cranial cavity is a subdivision of?
The dorsal cavity
How much does the brain weigh?
3 lbs
What is the protective coverings over the brain?
Meninges
What is the brain surrounded by?
Cerebrospinal fluid that cushions and provides buoyancy.
What is the brain/nerve network responsible for?
Transmitting electrochemical messages in the body
The brain contains regions of what?
White and grey matter
What are the 3 main regions of the brain?
1) Cerebrum
2) Cerebellum
3) Brainstem
What is white matter?
Brain tissue composed of nerve axons that are covered with myelin.
What is myelin?
Fatty tissue that helps conduction of nerve impulses (gives white matter it’s “white” appearance.
What do axons do?
Carry the nerve impulses between neurons
What is grey matter?
Composed of nerve cell bodies, which are unmyelinated
What are the nerve cell bodies?
Control centres that route sensory and motor stimuli and create a response.
What is the largest part of the brain?
The cerebrum
How is the cerebrum divided?
Left and right hemispheres
How are the right and left hemispheres connected?
In the midline by the corpus callosum
What separates the right and left hemispheres?
The falx cerebri
How are the left and right hemispheres divided?
Each hemisphere divides into 4 lobes.
What type of matter is the cerebrum?
Both white and grey
What is the grey matter of the cerebrum?
- Outer layer of the cortex
- The basal nuclei (deep in midline)
What is the white matter of the cerebrum?
Lies deep in the cortex
What are the 4 lobes of the cerebral hemispheres?
1) Frontal lobe
2) Parietal lobe
3) Occipital lobe
4) Temporal lobe
What do the 4 lobes correspond to?
Their adjacent cranial bone
How does the cerebrum appear?
Lots of folds and grooves
What are the small folds in the cerebrum called?
Gyri
What are the shallow grooves in the cerebrum called?
Sulci
What are the deep grooves in the cerebrum called?
Fissures
What are the fissures in the cerebrum?
1) Longitudinal
2) Lateral
What is another name for the lateral fissure in the cerebrum?
Sylvian
What is the corpus callosum?
A bundle of white matter located in the midline
What is the function of the corpus callosum?
It is a neural bridge (connection) between the left and right hemispheres.
What forms the roof of the lateral ventricles?
The corpus callosum
How is the corpus callosum divided and what are the divisions?
4 Parts:
1) Rostrum
2) Genu
3) Body
4) Splenium
What is another name for the basal nuclei?
Ganglia
What is the basal nuclei?
Distinct regions of grey matter deep within the cerebral white matter.
What is the purpose of the basal nuclei?
Serve as relay stations for sensory stimuli
What do the basal nuclei lie adjacent to?
The lateral ventricles
What does the basal nuclei include?
1) The caudate nucleus
2) Lentiform nucleus
What part of the basal nuclei has multiple parts and what are they?
The lentiform nucleus includes the Putamen and the Globus Pallidus
What is the thalamus?
Two oval masses of grey matter that serve as relay stations for nerve impulses
Where is the thalamus located?
At the base of the cerebral hemispheres on either side of the third ventricle.
What do the thalami form? **
Lateral walls of the third ventricle
What is the massa intermedia?
A tissue bridge between the right and left thalami that passes through the third ventricle in the midline
What are the functions of the brainstem?
1) Connects brain to spinal cord
2) Controls vital functions (Breathing, heart rate)
What are the parts of the brainstem?
1) Midbrain
2) Pons
3) Medulla Oblongata
What is the superior and smallest part of the brainstem?
The midbrain
What is directly inferior to the midbrain?
The pons
What does the midbrain surround?
The cerebral aquaduct
What is the pons?
A prominent anterior bulge
Where is the pons located?
Between the midbrain and the medulla oblongata
What are the functions of the pons?
1) Acts as a bridge between the midbrain and the medulla oblongata
2) Controls involuntary functions (sleep, hearing, balance)
What does the pons form? **
The anterior wall of the fourth ventricle
What is the medulla oblongata?
The inferior portion of the brainstem that regulates vital functions
What vital functions does the medulla oblongata regulate?
- heart rate
- respiratory rhythm
- blood pressure
- breathing
What does the medulla oblongata extend between?
Extends between the pons and the foramen magnum
What is the foramen magnum?
Opening of the skull
What is the medulla oblongata continuous with?
The spinal cord
What is the cerebellum?
Part of brain that is the centre for motor functions
How is the cerebellum divided?
Right and left hemispheres
Where is the cerebellum located?
Posterior to the pons and medulla oblongata
What does the cerebellum form? **
The posterior wall of the fourth ventricle
What separates the cerebrum from the cerebellum?
The tentorium cerebelli
What are the parts of the cerebellum?
1) Vermis
2) Cerebellar peduncles
What is the Vermis?
A midline structure in the cerebellum that connects it’s two hemispheres
What are the cerebellar peduncles?
Nerve tracts that connect the cerebellum to other parts of the brain stem
What types of cerebellar peduncles are there?
Superior, middle and inferior
What are the fluid filled cavities in the brain called?
The ventricles