The Nervous System

Question 1

What is the anatomical border between the CNS and PNS?

Answer 1

Pia mater

Question 2

What is the difference between tumours of the CNS and PNS?

Answer 2

All tumours are benign in the PNS

CNS

• malignant tumours as a feature of glia
• neurones have benign tumours

Question 3

What causes neurones to have emergent properties?

Answer 3

Interconnections between neurones that give rise to neural circuits and some circuits can form networks
Neuronal networks behave in complex manners not seen in the individual members of the networks

Question 4

What are the emergent properties of the brain?

Answer 4

Consciousness
Sensory awareness
Thought processes
Sensory attention
More...

They make it different from all other organs

Question 5

What makes up the brain stem?

Answer 5

Midbrain
Hindbrain
-pons
-medulla

Question 6

What is the anatomical orientation of the brain?

Answer 6

Forebrain - front to back = rostral to caudal

Brainstem - top to bottom = rostral to caudal

Question 7

What is the tapering end of the spinal cord known as?

Answer 7

The conus medullaris

Question 8

What is the central canal of the spinal cord?

Answer 8

The central cavity that runs through its length

Question 9

What makes up the dorsal root ganglion?

Answer 9

Cell bodies of primary sensory neurones

Question 10

What are the glia of the PNS?

Answer 10

Schwann cells which provide myelination

Question 11

Which bones make up the skull?

Answer 11

Frontal
Temporal
Parietal
Occipital

Question 12

PICTUR Which bones form the floor of the skull?

Answer 12

Frontal
Occipital
Ethmoid 
Sphenoid
Vomer
Nasal

Question 13

Where does each cranial fossa run from and between?

Answer 13

Anterior - alveolar arches of maxilla to posterior edge of hard palate

Middle - posterior edge of hard palate to anterior edge of foramen magnum

Posterior - behind middle

Question 14

What are clinically important features of the roof of the skull/calvaria?

Answer 14

Imprints of blood vessels
Foramina for emissary veins
Granular pits

Question 15

Difference between sulci and gyri?

Answer 15

Sulci are the grooves/fissures

Gyri are the ridges/elevations

Question 16

What can large sulci be used for clinically?

Answer 16

Landmarks in brain mapping for surgery as they are the same across individuals

Question 17

What is the difference between the archicortex, paleocortex and neocortex?

Answer 17

Archicortex - involved in olfaction

Paleocortex - formation of memory

Neocortex - thinking brain - no ability to regenerate when damaged

Question 18

What divides the cerebral cortex into right and left hemispheres?

Answer 18

The longitudinal fissure and falx cerebri

Question 19

What is the falx cerebri?

Answer 19

A fold of dura mater that descends vertically in the longitudinal fissure between the hemispheres

Question 20

What connects the hemispheres?

Answer 20

Corpus callousness

Commissures

Question 21

What are the three primary vesicles of the brain called?

Answer 21

Forebrain
Midbrain
Hindbrain

Question 22

How many secondary vesicles are there?

Answer 22

5

• telencephalon
• diencephalon
• pons
• medulla
• ??

Question 23

Functions of the meninges?

Answer 23

Support and mechanically stabilise the contents of the cranium
Organise/divide the cranial cavity into anatomical compartments

Question 24

Layers of the meninges?

Answer 24

Dura mater x2
Arachnoid mater
Pia mater

Question 25

Where is the extradural space found?

Answer 25

Between the inner layer of the cranium and dura mater

Question 26

What is the subdural space found between?

Answer 26

The dura mater and the arachnoid mater

Question 27

What is the subarachnoid space found between?

Answer 27

The arachnoid mater and the pia mater

Question 28

In which space is CSF found?

Answer 28

The sub-arachnoid space

Question 29

Functions of the CSF?

Answer 29

Bathes the brain Cushions the brain against mechanical force Reservoir for metabolic substrate for the brain Dissolves and carries away products of metabolism from the brain

Question 30

What is different about the meningeal layers

Answer 30

Only one layer of dura mater

Question 31

Name the two dural layers

Answer 31

Endosteal | Meningeal

Question 32

What is the tentorium cerebelli?

Answer 32

Infolding of meningeal dura mater that forms a roof over the posterior cranial fossa Covers the upper surface of the cerebellum

Question 33

What passes through the tentorial incisure (a hole in the tentorium cerebelli)

Answer 33

The midbrain

Question 34

What does the tentorium cerebelli divide the cranial cavity into?

Answer 34

The supra and infra-tentorial compartments

Question 35

What are clinical implications of damage to the blood brain barrier?

Answer 35

Drug delivery requires specialised approaches | There is little immune function in the brain, damage leads to overwhelming infection

Question 36

What is the CNS and PNS covered in?

Answer 36

CNS covered in meninges | PNS covered in endoneurium, perineurium and epineurium