The Nervous System Flashcards
Where is the cerebrum located?
At the back of the brain
What is the white matter of the brain called?
The ‘tree of life’
What are the three types of neurons?
Sensory neurons
Interneurons
Motor neurons
What is grey matter organised into?
Clusters of nerve cell bodies called nuclei
Where is grey matter found?
2
Around the outside
Inside isolated regions of the cerebrum
How is white matter arranged?
It is arranged in tracts that connect areas of the brain
Why is the white matter white?
2
Because it is made up of axons
Axons are made of fatty material
What is the largest part of the brain?
The cerebrum
Describe the structure of the cerebrum.
4
2 hemispheres
Corpus collosum (and 2 smaller connections) connects the 2 hemispheres
Upfoldings called gyri
Grooves called sulci
What is the outer grey matter of the cerebrum called?
Cerebral cortex
What does the corpus collosum do?
It connects the two hemispheres of the cerebrum
What are the upfoldings of the cerebrum called?
Gyri
What are the grooves of the cerebrum called?
Sulci
What are gyri?
Upfoldings in the cerebrum
What are sulci?
Grooves in the cerebrum
What separates the two hemispheres of the cerebrum?
The corpus collosum (and the 2 smaller connections)
How many lobes are there in the cerebrum?
Five
Name the five lobes of the cerebrum.
Frontal lobe
Parietal lobe
Temporal lobe
Occipital lobe
Insula
What divides the lobes of the cerebrum?
Sulci
How many bones make up the cranium?
8
How are the 8 cranial bones named?
They get their names from the lobes
Where is the insula located?
Inside the brain
What is the insula responsible for?
Taste
What are the seven main functions of the cerebral cortex?
Sensation/perception
Voluntary movement
Self awareness
Communication
Recognition
Intelligence
Emotion
What separates the frontal and parietal lobes?
The central sulcus
What part of the cerebrum is associated with somatic motor functions?
The precentral gyrus of the central sulcus
What part of the cerebrum is associated with somatic sensory function?
Post central gyrus
What is the precentral gyrus of the central sulcus responsible for?
Somatic motor functions
What is the post central gyrus responsible for?
Somatic Sensory function
We become aware of sensory information here
What are the three functions of the cerebral cortex?
Motor
Sensory
Association - integration, sharing or processing of information
What is the motor function of the cerebral cortex?
Controls voluntary motor functions
What is the sensory function of the cerebral cortex?
Allows conscious recognition of stimuli
Name the three most important areas of the cerebrum
Central sulcus
Precentral gyrus
Post central gyrus
Name the four critical motor areas.
Primary somatic motor cortex
Premotor cortex
Broca’s area (speech)
Frontal eye field
How is the primary motor cortex divided up?
Its divided based on body parts
What does the primary motor cortex do?
This is the area where all conscious motor functions are controlled from
How does the primary motor cortex control conscious motor functions?
The axons leaving here synapse with the cranial or spinal nerve which signal the skeletal muscle to contract
How many areas are there to the primary motor cortex?
Eight
How does the primary motor cortex work?
Upper motor neurons are in the cortex of the cerebrum
Axon connects down through the body through the white matter and brain stem
What is a stroke also called?
Cerebrovascular accidents (CVA)
What are the two types of stroke?
Ischemic
Haemorrhagic
What % of all strokes are ischemic?
80% ischemic
What % of all strokes are haemorrhagic?
20% haemorrhagic
What is a ischemic stroke?
An occlusion, a narrowing, a thrombus or embolism
What is a haemorrhagic stroke?
a bleed, a ruptured blood vessel, hypertension, vascular malformations or trauma
Where is the premotor cortex found?
Its found anterior to the primary motor cortex
What is the premotor cortex involved in?
Its involved in learned or patterned skills e.g. typing or driving
How does the premotor cortex work?
It sends out commands to the skeletal muscle to carry out a sequence of skeletal muscle contractions
Where is the Broca’s area found?
It’s found in only one hemisphere
What does the Broca’s area do?
It directs muscles of the tongue, lips and throat that are used in speech
What is the frontal eye field?
2
It controls voluntary eye movements
It allows the eye to scan
List the six sensory areas.
Primary somatosensory cortex
Visual cortex
Auditory cortex
Olfactory cortex
Gustatory cortex
Vestibular cortex
What is the primary sensory cortex?
The area where all sensory information we are conscious of is sent
What is the visual cortex?
All sensory visual information we are aware of comes here
Where is the visual cortex found?
2
It’s found in the occipital lobe
Its connected to the eye by the optic nerve
Where is the auditory cortex found?
It’s located in the temporal lobe
It’s connected to the ear and receives the in
What does the auditory cortex do?
It receives information collected in the ear about sound
What is the oldest sense?
Smell
How does smell work?
Chemical stimuli at the nose are picked up by Receptors
