The Nervous System Flashcards
What is the CNS comprised of?
Brain
Spinal Cord
The nervous system is made up of what two structures?
The Central Nervous System and
The Peripheral Nervous System
What is the PNS comprised of?
Cranial Nerves
Spinal Nerves
What are the two systems of the nervous system when it is functionally classified?
Somatic and
Autonomic
What does the somatic nervous system do?
Controls motor stuff (skeletal muscle)
Sensory - (pain, temperature, touch, pressure, proprioception and special senses)
What is the autonomic system made up of?
Sympathetic and parasympathetic
What is a neurone?
A nerve cell - it is the basic functional unit of the nervous system
A neurone is the basic functional unit of the nervous system. What 3 areas does it relay information between?
- different regions of the CNS
- CNS and PNS
- CNS and other body systems
What 3 things make up the neurone?
Dendrite
Body
Axon
Dendrites act as what?
Sensory receptors for a neurone
What does the axon do in a neurone?
Release neurotransmitter that causes a response (muscle movement or AP of another neurone)
Define a nerve
A bundle of axons (neurones) that carry info from the CNS to the rest of the body or v.versa
How many pairs of cranial nerves are there?
Where do they enter and leave the CNS?
There are 12 pairs of cranial nerves
Cranial nerves arise from the brain
How many pairs of spinal nerves are there?
Where do they enter and leave the CNS?
There are 31 pairs of spinal nerves.
Spinal nerves arise from the spinal cord
What is the large ‘main’ part of the brain called?
The cerebrum
What is the diencephalon made up of (next to the mid brain)?
Thalamus and hypothalamus
What 3 things is the brain stem made up of?
The midbrain, pons and medulla
Where is the cerebellum located?
At the back of the brain at the bottom
What part of the brain lies posterior to the brain stem and is involved in balance, posture and muscle tone, and coordinates movement?
Cerebellum
What part of the brain contains ascending and descending nerve fibre tracts?
The brain stem
Cranial fibres 3 to 12 arise from what part of the brain?
The brain stem
What part of the brain contains vital centres such as cardiovascular and respiratory centres (and could be affected by a big lesion)?
Brain stem
Which part of the brain stem has fibres that bring in sensory information from the spine?
Medulla
What part of the diencephalon is an important relay station for sensory information?
Thalamus
What part of the diencephalon is used for hormone secretion, as an integrating centre for ANS, thermoregulation, hunger and satiety centres and as a thirst centre?
Hypothalamus
Which part of the brain has 2 hemispheres?
Cerebrum
What are the sulci and gyri?
Sulci are the grooves in the cerebrum
Gyri are the bumps
What part of the brain has sulci and gyri, cortex (grey matter where nerve cells are), connecting fibres (white matter) and basal ganglia (grey matter with nuclei of different neurones)?
Cerebrum
What is the big large sulcus in the middle of the brain called?
The longitudinal fissure
What part of the cerebrum is the motor cortex, that controls intellect, planning, mood and social judgement?
The frontal lobe
What part of the cerebrum is the somatosensory cortex that is responsible for general sensation and taste?
Parietal lobe
What part of the cerebrum is the auditory cortex?
The temporal lobe
What part of the cerebrum is the visual cortex?
The occipital lobe
In the cerebrum, what is the primary motor cortex?
The precentral gyrus (info from here goes to parietal and to body)
In the cerebrum, where is the primary sensory cortex?
In the postcentral gyrus (info from here goes to the temporal lobe and to body)
If damage to the top of the brain occurs, what areas could it potentially damage?
The precentral or postcentral gyrus. Depending on which bit can affect movement or sensation in particular location of body
In what area of the brain can a lesion have a disastrous effect?
The brain stem
What are the precentral and postcentral gyri divided by?
Central sulcus
What does Wernicke’s area do?
Language - enables to hear, read and put together what we want to say. Damage to this area = aphasia (can speak but don’t know what saying)
What does Broca’s area do?
Is responsible for motor speech.
Damage = can’t speak even if know what want to say
What 2 things protect the brain?
Skull
Meninges
How do the meninges protect the brain?
They are 3 layers of connective tissue that cushion the brain/allow the brain to float
What are the names of the 3 membranes that make up the meninges?
DAP
Dura Mater
Arachnoid Mater
Pia Mater
Where is the subarachnoid space in the meninges?
It is between the pia and arachnoid mater
What is the name of the space between the pia and the arachnoid mater, that contains CSF?
Subarachnoid space
What meninge is tough and durable, does not stretch and stops the brain moving or spinning?
Dura Mater
What meninge is just over the brain but just above the subarachnoid space?
The arachnoid mater
What meninge is fine and directly covers the surface of the brain in all its nooks and crannies?
The pia mater
Why is there CSF in the subarachnoid space?
To bathe the brain, give it nutrients and lighten it so doesn’t get damaged/pressure sores
What system produces CSF?
The ventricular system
What system is made up of 2 lateral ventricles (cerebral hemispheres), third ventricle (lateral walls formed by the thalamus), cerebral aqueduct (connects 3rd to 4th ventricle), fourth ventricle (between brain stem and cerebellum)?
Ventricular System - it produces CSF
What system is continuous with the subarachnoid space and the central canal of the spinal cord?
The ventricular system that produces CSF
Blood is supplied to the brain via which two arteries?
Internal carotid arteries
Vertebral arteries
Which artery supplies blood to the front of the cerebrum?
Internal carotid artery
Which artery supplies blood to the back of the cerebrum?
The vertebral artery
Communicating arteries that connect the branches of the internal carotid and vertebral arteries to from a network are termed what?
The circle of willis
Can the circle of willis compensate if one of the usual bloody supply arteries was blocked or narrowed?
Yes
What 3 types of fibres can the cranial nerves carry?
Only 4 pairs carry one of these fibres
Motor Fibres
Sensory Fibres
Some of both
Parasympathetic Fibres
Give one example of a cranial nerve containing just sensory fibres
olfactory
optic
vestibulocochlear
Give one example of a cranial nerve that contains only motor fibres
Oculomotor Trochlear Abducens Accessory Hypoglosseal
Name one cranial nerve that contains both sensory and motor fibres
Trigeminal, facial, glossopharyngeal, vagus
Name one cranial nerve that contains parasympathetic fibres
Oculomotor (motor)
Facial (both)
Glossopharyngeal (both)
Vagus (both)
What supports and protects the spinal cord?
The vertebral column
What is continuous with the brain stem and terminates at the conus medullaris (L1)?
Spinal cord
The spinal cord is made up of 31 spinal segments and associated pairs of spinal nerves. Name them: C T L S C
8 cervical 12 thoracic 5 lumbar 5 sacral 1 coccygeal
What are the 3 meninges that cover the spinal cord?
Same as brain
Outer - dura mater
Middle - arachnoid mater
Inner - pia mater
Where is the CSF found in the spinal cord?
Between the dura mater and the arachnoid mater/bone
Where do we take CSF from to test for meningitis?
The dural sack. This continues on after the spine finishes
What level is a lumbar puncture performed?
In the dural sack once the spine has finished (below the conus medullaris and the cauda equina)
What is the conus medullaris?
The tapered, lower end of the spinal cord
What is the cauda equina?
the nerve roots where the spinal cord terminates
In what part of the spinal cord do neurones travel?
White matter
Where are the nerve cell bodies in the spinal cord?
Grey matter
