The Central Nervous System Flashcards
What joint are all the bones in the skull, besides the mandible, joined by?
Sutures
What are meninges? And name them (3)
Are three layers that surround the brain.
1. Dura Mater
2. Arachnoid Mater
3. Pia Mater (inner most layer)
What does the cerebral spinal fluid do? and where is it produced?
It suspends the brain in fluid to protect it.
It continuously circulates around the brain and spinal cord in the subarachnoid space.
Produced in the choroid plexus- a network of blood vessels in each ventricle of the brain
What are the sulcus and gyrus on the brain? What do these help to do?
Sulcus are the grooves
Gyrus are the bumps
The brain is uneven and this helps to increase the surface area
Types of matter in the brain (2)
White matter
Grey matter
White matter in brain- What does it do?found? myelinated? What info does it interpret?
- Deals with communication
- Found in the deeper tissues of the brain
- Surrounded by myelin, which gives the white colour
- Interprets sensory information from various parts of the body
Grey matter of the brain- What does it do?found? myelinated? What info does it interpret/
- Deals with processing
- Found in more superficial tissues of the brain
- Not surrounded by myelin
- Conducts, processes and sends information to various parts of the body
Cerebellum - Function? (3)
- Coordination- of complex skeletal contractions
- Motor learning
- Error corrects
Occipital lobe (2 areas) what is the main function?
Main function- to control vision
1. Primary visual area- receives visual info
2. Visual association area- Evaluates what is seen
Pons (1 part of brain stem) - Function? What does it contain?
-Contains sensory and motor pathways
-Helps control breathing along with the medulla
-Pontine nuclei relay information from motor areas to cerebellum
Temporal lobe- Main function? What are the 5 areas?
Processing auditory information and the encoding of memory
1. Primary auditory- receives auditory info
2. Auditory association- recognises particular sounds as speech, noise or music
3. Primary olfactory- receives info about smells
4. Facial recognition- Recognition of faces. More dominant on right
5. Wernicke’s- recognises and interprets speech
Frontal lobe- Main function? What are the 5 areas?
Main function- Motor output
1. Primary motor- in pre-central gyrus: each region in this area controls specific muscles/movements
2. Broca’s speech- production of speech
3. Pre-frontal cortex- personality, intellect, mood
4. Pre- motor- Learns and stores movement patterns
5. Orbito-frontal cortex- Identify and differentia odours
Parietal lobe- Main function? 3 areas?
Main function- sensory perception and integration
1. Primary somatosensory- in post central gyrus: Receives and perceives sensory info
2. Somatosensory association- Object recognition via touch alone
3. Common integrative- received info from other parts of the brain
Medulla oblongata (1 part of brain stem) Functions? (4)
- Contains sensory and motor nerve pathways
- Cardiovascular centre regulates heart rate and blood pressure
- Respiratory centre regulates breathing
- Coordinates vomiting, swallowing, sneezing etc..
Mid brain- (1 part of brain stem)- Functions? (3)
-Contains sensory and motor tracts
-Coordinates head, eye and trunk movements in response to visual or auditory stimuli
-Contain substantia nigra which extend to basal nuclei and control
subconscious movements
What are the two types of nervous tissue?
- Neurons
- Neuroglia
Neurons- what do they do? What 3 parts do neurons contain?
-Electrically excitable
-Respond to stimuli and converts that into an action potential
-Cell body, dendrites and axon
What is a collection of cell bodies outside the CNS called?
Ganglion or nuclei
Neurons can be classified by the number of projections extending from the body. What are the 3 structurally different cells?
Multipolar- Single axon, many dendrites
Bipolar- have an axon and one dendrite extending from the cell body toward opposite poles.
Unipolar- have one axon, with the cell body located to the side
Neurons can be classified by function- according to the direction in which the nerve impulses travel. What are the three differently functioned neurons?
Sensory- receptors at dendrites. most unipolar
Motor neurons- convey impulses away from the CNS to effectors. Most multipolar
Interneurons- Located in CNS mainly between sensory and motor neurons. Process and create a motor response. Multipolar
Neuroglia- What are they? What do they do? What are the 6 types?
- They are supporting cells and create and maintain the environment for neurons
- They do not create action potentials
4 in the CNS- astrocytes, oliodendrocytes, microglia and ependymal
2 in PNS- Schwann cells, satellite cells
Astrocytes- Neuroglia of CNS
-Most numerous
-They maintain appropriate chemical environment for nerve impulses
Oligodendroctyes- neuroglia of CNS
-Form and maintain myelin sheath around CNS axons
Microglia- neuroglia of CNS
-Function as phagocytes
-Remove cellular debris
Ependymal- neuroglia of CNS
-Have cilia and microvilli
-Assist in circulation of cerebrospinal fluid
Schwann cells- neuroglia of PNS
-Form myelin sheaths around axons
-Assist with axon regeneration
Satellite cells- neuroglia of PNS
-flat cells which surround ganglia in PNS
-Provide structure for support
The Autonomic NS (4)
-Division of PNS
-Divides into sympathetic, parasympathetic, enteric
-Responsible for involuntary control of our systems e.g digestion, urination, heart rate
-Innervates smooth muscle, cardiac muscle and glands
Parasympathetic NS- fibres, long/short fibres, ganglia location, funcitons, neurotransmitter?
-Fibres arise from brain and sacral spinal cord
-Long pre-ganglionic and short post ganglionic fibres
-Located in the visceral effector organ
-Maintenance functions and storage of energy
-Acetylcholine
Sympathetic- fibres, long/short fibres, ganglia location, functions, neurotransmitter?
-Fibres arise in preganglionic neurons in the spinal cord segments T1-L2
-Short pre-ganglionic and long post ganglionic fibres
-Located close to the spinal cord
-Prepares body for emergency situations and high levels of muscle acitvity
-Acetylcholine, noradrenaline, adrenaline
Enteric NS- what does it control? Can it control this independently?
-Gastrointestinal tract activity
-Communicates with the brain via the Gut brain axis and vagus nerve
What is cerebral blood flow?
The movement of blood through a network of arteries and veins supplying the brain
Anterior circulation of the brain- which arteries, what is supplied?
-Interior carotid artery supplies the anterior cerebral artery and middle cerebral artery.
-Supplied the frontal lobe, parietal lobe, temporal lobe
Posterior circulation- which arteries, what is supplied?
-Vertebral arteries divide into the basilar artery and posterior circulation artery
-Supplied the occipital lobe, cerebellum and brain stem
Venous drainage of the brain- what is the superficial system? what is the deep system?
Superficial- venous sinuses (at the bottom of the brain) which drain into the jugular veins then into the superior vena cava
Deep- join behind the mid brain into the sagittal sinus to join the superficial venous drainage system- then into the jugular vein and into superior vena cava
What is the blood brain barrier? (3)
- A selectively permeable membrane regulated the passage of a multitude of large and small molecules into the microenvironment of the neurons- achieved by cellular transport channels
-There are tight junctions between epithelial cells that line the blood vessels
-Prevents toxins and pathogens from entering the brain
What are the 12 cranial nerves?
- Olfactory nerve
- Optic nerve
(both originate from cerebrum) - Oculomotor
- Trochlear
- Trigeminal
- Abducens
- Facial
- Vestibulocochlear
- Glossopharyngeal
- Hypoglossal
- Vagus
- Accessory
What protects the spinal cord? (4)
Vertebral column, vertebral ligaments, meninges, cerebrospinal fluid
Where does the cord extend from and to?
From the medulla in the brain stem to L1 conus then forms the cauda equina
What is the function of the spinal cord?
Relays electrical impulses from the CNS to the spinal nerves via the cord.
These messages then travel to the peripheral nerves