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Anatomy and Physiology > The Nervous System > Flashcards

The Nervous System Flashcards

0
Q

List the main areas of the brain.

A
  • Cerebellum
  • Cerebrum
  • Midbrain
  • Pons Varolii
  • Medulla
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1
Q

Classify the nervous system according to structure and function.

A

-STRUCTURAL-
Central (CNS) - brain and spinal cord.
Peripheral (PNS)- cranial nerves and spinal nerves.
-FUNCTIONAL-
Somatic - motor (skeletal muscle) and sensory (senses)
Autonomic - viscera (sympathetic and parasympathetic)

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2
Q

Identify the lobes of the cerebral hemisphere.

A

Frontal lobe

Parietal lobe

Temporal lobe

Occipital lobe

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3
Q

Describe the arrangement of the spinal cord.

A
  • Supported and protected by vertebral column (continuous with brain stem)
  • Terminates at conus medullaris
  • 31 spinal segments and associated pairs of nerves (8 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar, 5 sacral and 1 coccygeal)
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4
Q

Describe the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cords.

A
  • DURA MATER-
    Two layers of dense fibrous tissue, very strong and durable. Inner surface of skull and forms a loose sheath around spine.
    -ARACHNOID MATER-
    ‘Middle layer’ passes over fissures, envelopes spinal cord
    -PIA MATER-
    Fine connective tissue containing many minute blood vessels, completely covers convulsions and dips into fissures.
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5
Q

Discuss the production, circulation and function of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)

A
  • Secreted into each ventricle of the brain, passes back into blood through tiny diverticula of arachnoid mater.
  • When CSF pressure is higher than venous pressure, it passed into the blood.
  • Made of - water, mineral salts, glucose, plasma proteins, creatine and urea.
  • Functions - supports and protects brain and spine, maintains uniform pressure around them, acts as a cushion and shock absorber and keeps them moist.
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6
Q

Describe the different components of a neurone

A
  • Axon - carries nerve impulses away from the cell body.
  • Dendrite - carries impulses towards the cell body and form synapses with other neurones
  • Cell body - form the grey matter of the nervous system
  • Nodes of ranvier - allow waste products and nutrients to leave/enter cell and allow nerve impulses to move along the neurone
  • Schwann cells - the cells that lay down the protective myelin sheath around the axon
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7
Q

Distinguish between a neurone and a nerve

A
  • NEURONE -
    Specialised cells that process information. 4 basic types (sensory, motor, communication, computation). They communicate with one another and other tissues through dendrites and axons.
  • NERVES -
    Carry electrochemical impulses/signals to and from different areas of the CNS. Nerve impulses travel along neurones. 2 types - sensory/afferent (respond to changes in environment) and motor/efferent (transmit impulses to the muscles and glands, can be somatic or autonomic)
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8
Q

What is a ganglion?

A
  • A cluster of nerve cell bodies or a deep cluster of interconnected neurones.
  • Process sensory information or control motor outputs.
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9
Q

Distinguish between afferent and efferent neurones.

A
  • AFFERENT -
    Sensory neurone, bring stimuli from senses to CNS
  • EFFERENT -
    Motor neurone, brings responses from the brain to the muscles and glands from CNS.
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10
Q

Describe the structure and function of the myelin sheath.

A
  • Consists of a series of Schwann cells arranged among the length of the axon
  • Each one is wrapped around the axon so that it is covered by a number of concentric layers of Schwann cell plasma membrane.
  • They increase the rate of transmission of signals.
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11
Q

Explain the sequence of ionic events that occurs during an action potential.

A
  • When stimulated - permeability of the nerve cell membrane to ions (Na and K) changes
  • Sodium channels open and sodium moved into the neurone from ECF.
  • Potassium floods out causing depolarisation and action potential is created.
  • Inside of the cell become positive.
  • Repolarisation occurs when the sodium channels close and potassium channels open and potassium moved out.
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12
Q

Describe the sequence of events that occurs at the synapse.

A
  • At the free end of the synapse, the axon of one neurone breaks up into minute branches which terminate in small swellings called synaptic nobs (boultons).
  • At the end of the boultons are spherical synaptic vesicles containing chemical transmitters which are released into synaptic clefts.
  • Chemical transmitters are secreted by nerve cells, actively transported along the nerve fibres and stored in synaptic vesicles.
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13
Q

List the common neurotransmitters

A 
Acetylcholine 
Seratonin
Dopamine
Norepinephrine 
L-DOPA
Tryptophan
GABA
Glycine
Tryamine
Glutamine
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14
Q

What is the function of the cerebellum?

A

Involved in the main maintenance of balance, posture and muscle tone.

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15
Q

What is the function of the cerebrum?

A

Mental activities (memory, intelligence, reason)

Sensory perception (pain, temperature, smell, touch, sight etc)

Initiation and control of voluntary muscle contraction

16
Q

What is the function of the midbrain?

A

Involved in the function of visual and auditory mechanisms such as eye movement.

Some parts are also involved in the control of body movement

17
Q

What is the function of the pons?

A

‘Message station’ between areas of the brain (relays messages from the cortex to cerebrum).

Also plays a role in sleep and dreaming.

18
Q

What are the functions of the medulla?

A
  • Decussation of the pyramids (motor nerves descend through here to spinal cord)
  • Sensory Decussation (some sensory nerves descend through)
  • Cardiac centre (controls heart rate and contraction force)
  • Respiratory centre (controls rate and depth of respiration)
  • Vasomotor centre (controls diameter of blood vessels)
  • Reflex centre (sneezing, coughing and vomiting)
19
Q

What does the frontal lobe control?

A 
Motor cortex
Intellect
Mood
Planning
Social judgement
20
Q

What does the parietal lobe control?

A

Somatosensory cortex

General sensation and taste

21
Q

What does the temporal lobe control?

A

Auditory cortex

22
Q

What does the occipital lobe control?

A

Visual cortex

23
Q

Regarding the autonomic nervous system:

A

The main neurotransmitter substance released at target organs of the parasympathetic nerves is acetylcholine

24
Q

During the depolarisation of a nerve cell plasma membrane:

A

Sodium channels open and sodium ions move into the cell

25
Q

In the sympathetic nervous system:

A

Pre-ganglionic nerve fibres leave the spinal cord at thoracic-lumbar levels

26
Q

In the parasympathetic nervous system:

A

Pre-ganglionic nerve fibres leave the spinal cord at cranial/lumbar levels

27
Q

The cell membrane is:

A

More negatively charged than the exterior

Anatomy and Physiology (15 decks)

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