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Biology > The central nervous system > Flashcards

The central nervous system Flashcards

1
Q

what makes up CNS and PNS?

A

CNS :brain and spinal cord

PNS : Nerves make up the peripheral nervous system

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2
Q

How does bones protect CNS?

A

Bones provide strong, rigid structure to protect the CNS:

Cranium is the part of the skull that protects the brain

Vertebrae protects the spinal cord

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3
Q

How many layers does meninges have?

A

Three

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4
Q

What is meninges?

A

Layers of connective tissues forming membranes.

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5
Q

Where can meninges be found?

A

Found inside the bones, and covering the surface of the brain and spinal cord

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6
Q

What is the outer meningeal layer?

A

Dura mater

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7
Q

Describe structure of dura mater

A

Tough and fibrous similar to rubber glove

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8
Q

Where does dura mater located ?

A

It sticks closely to the skull, but on the inside of the vertebral canal there is a space containing fat

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9
Q

Function of space containing fat, connective tissues and blood vessels

A

serve as padding & allow the spinal cord to bend

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10
Q

Describe feature of arachnoid mater

A

Loose mesh of fibres

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11
Q

Where is the arachnoid located?

A

middle miningeal layer

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12
Q

Describe feature of the Pia mater

A

Contains many blood vessels & sticks closely to surface of brain and spinal cord

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13
Q

Where is Pia mater located?

A

the inner meningeal layer

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14
Q

What is cerebrospinal fluid?

A

Clear, watery fluid containing a few cells and some glucose, protein, urea and salts

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15
Q

What are the functions of cerebrospinal fluid?

A

Functions:
Protection - shock absorber, cushioning any blows or shocks the CNS may sustain

Supports the brain - brain is suspended inside the cranium and floats in the fluid that surrounds it

Transport - takes nutrients to the cells of the brain and spinal cord and carries away their wastes

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16
Q

What does the CNS consists of ?

A

The central nervous system consists of:
grey matter - consist of nerve cell bodies, dendrites & unmyelinated fibres.
white matter - composed of myelinated fibres

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17
Q

What are the parts of the brain?

A

Parts of the brain include: Cerebrum, cerebellum, hypothalamus, medulla oblongata and corpus callosum

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18
Q

Describe cerebrum

A

Biggest part of the brain

Consists of :
outer surface of grey matter known as the cerebral cortex
grey matter deep inside the cerebrum called basal ganglia
inner white matter

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19
Q

Describe cerebral cortex

A

The cerebral cortex is greatly folded which increase its surface area for a large number of neurons

Folding produces rounded ridges called convolutions (or gyri; singular gyrus)

20
Q

How are convolutions separated by ?

A

shallow downfolds called sulci (singular ‘sulcus’)

deep downfolds called fissures

21
Q

What is the deepest fissure ?

A

The longitudinal fissure (deepest fissure) almost split the cerebrum into two halves – the left and right cerebral hemispheres

22
Q

What are the lobes of cerebrum ?

A 
The lobes of the cerebrum:
Frontal lobe
Temporal lobe
Occipital lobe
Parietal lobe 
Insula (deep inside the brain)
23
Q

What are the functions of cerebral cortex ?

A

Functions of the cerebral cortex:

  • involved in mental activities such as thinking, reasoning, learning, memory, intelligence and sense of responsibility
  • perception of the senses
  • the initiation and control of voluntary muscle contraction
24
Q

What are the three types of functional area in the cortex?

A

There are three types of functional area in the cortex:
sensory areas, which interpret impulses from receptors
motor areas, which control muscular movements
association areas, which are concerned with intellectual and emotional processes.

25
Q

What is the association area involved in ?

A

Memory

26
Q

How does the association area works?

A

Memories are not stored in individual memory cells in the brain: they are pathways of nerve cells.

When a memory is stored, new links are made between neurons or existing links are modified.

27
Q

What is basal ganglia?

A

Are masses of grey matter inside each hemisphere

28
Q

What does the basal ganglia consists of ?

A

Consist of groups of nerve cell bodies associated with control of skeletal muscles

29
Q

Within the CNS, bundles of nerve fibres are called

A

tracts

30
Q

What are the three types of tracts?

A
  • tracts that connect various areas of the cortex within the same hemisphere
  • tracts that carry impulses between the left and right hemispheres
  • tracts that connect the cortex to other parts of the brain or to the spinal cord.
31
Q

What are corpus callosum ?

A

A bundle of nerve fibres that lies underneath the cerebrum at the base of the longitudinal fissure

32
Q

What is the function of corpus callosum ?

A

Function: allow the two cerebral hemispheres to communicate with each other

33
Q

Describe the function of cerebellum

A

Lies under the rear part of the cerebrum
Its surface is folded into a series of parallel ridges
The outer folded part of the cerebellum is grey matter
Inside is white matter that branches to all parts of the cerebellum

34
Q

What is the function of cerebellum ?

A

Functions: control posture, balance and

the fine coordination of voluntary muscle movement

35
Q

To carry out these functions the cerebellum receives sensory information from:

A

the inner ear (for posture and balance)

stretch receptors in the skeletal muscles

36
Q

Are impulses generated by cerebellum ?

A

All the functions of the cerebellum take place below the conscious level
Impulses do not originate in the cerebellum and so without it we could still move, but our movements would be spasmodic, jerky and uncontrolled.

37
Q

Where does the hypothalamus located ?

A

Lies in the middle of the brain & cannot be seen from the outside

38
Q

What is the function of hypothalamus?

A

It controls many body activities, but it is mostly concerned with homeostasis

39
Q

The hypothalamus regulates ?

A 
the autonomic nervous system 
body temperature
food and water intake
patterns of waking and sleeping
the contraction of the urinary bladder
emotional responses 
the secretion of hormones and coordination of parts of the endocrine system acting through the pituitary gland
40
Q

Describe medulla oblongata

A

The medulla oblongata is a continuation of the spinal cord

About 3cm long & extends from just above the point where the spinal cord enters the skull

41
Q

What does the medulla oblonganta consists of ?

A

The medulla oblongata contains:
the cardiac centre, which regulates the rate and force of heartbeat
respiratory centres, which control rate and depth of breathing
the vasomotor centre, which regulates the diameter of blood vessels

42
Q

Who controls all the centre in the medulla oblongata ?

A

Hypothalamus

43
Q

Medulla oblongata also regulates ?

A

the reflexes of swallowing, sneezing, coughing and vomiting

44
Q

Describe the spinal cord

A

The spinal cord is a roughly cylindrical structure

It extends from the foramen magnum (opening at the base of the skull) to the second lumbar vertebra

45
Q

Where does the white and grey matter located in spinal cord?

A

The grey matter of the spinal cord is at the centre, surrounded by the white matter

46
Q

The myelinated nerve fibres of the white matter are arranged in bundles called:

A

Ascending tracts - sensory axons that carry impulses upwards, towards the brain
Descending tracts - motor axons that conduct impulses downwards, away from the brain

47
Q

Spinal cord functions:

A

Carry sensory impulses up to the brain & motor impulses down from the brain

integrate certain reflexes (fast, automatic responses)

Biology (9 decks)

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