Vertebral column

Question 1

How many vertebrae are there?

Answer 1

33
7C
12T
5L
5S
4C

Question 2

What is different about the cervical spinous processes?

Answer 2

Short
Bifid (C3-C6)

Question 3

What makes the Atlas unique

Answer 3

No body
No spinous process
Vertebral foramen divided by the transverse Atlanta ligament

Question 4

Where is the longest transverse process in the thoracic spine?

Answer 4

T1

Question 5

What are the ligaments that support the vertebral column?

Answer 5

• Ant longitudinal lig: C1/occiput to sacrum
• Post longitudinal lig: Runs in vertebral canal, weak
• Ligamentum flavum: Binds lamina of each vertebra together
• Interspinous lig: Connects each spinous process
• Supraspinous lig: Connects tips of spinous processes from C7- sacrum

Question 6

What makes up each intervertebral disc?

Answer 6

• Annular ligament
• Nucleus pulposus

Question 7

What are the anatomical landmarks of the spine?

Answer 7

T3 - top of scapula
T7 - inf border of scapula
T10 - Xiphisternum & oesophageal sphincter
L3 - Umbilicus
L4 - sup iliac crests

Question 8

When do the curvatures of the spine evolve?

Answer 8

• Fetus: Single C shape
• Infancy: Second curve
• Baby lifts head: Cervical lordosis
• Toddler/walking: Lumbar lordosis

Question 9

Which cranial nerves carry some parasympathetic function?

Answer 9

3, 7, 9, 10

Question 10

How does the pupillary light reflex work?

Answer 10

1) Polysynaptic reflex
2) Afferent fibres in optic nerve to pretectal nuclei in midbrain
3) Parasympathetic fibres in CN3 to ciliary ganglion
4) Cause pupillary muscles to constrict

Question 11

How does the vestibule-ocular reflex work?

Answer 11

1) Stabilise gaze during head movement
2) Afferent from ears in CN8 to vestibular nucleus in pons and eye movement nuclei in midbrain
3) Efferents travel to CN3, 4, 6

Question 12

What is the function of the limbic system?

Answer 12

• Emotion
• Behaviour
• Motivation
• Long-term memory
• Olfaction
• Regulates autonomic NS & some hormones (hypothalamus)

Question 13

What are the different EEG wave types and are they normal/abnormal?

Answer 13

Alpha: Normal
Beta: Normal
Theta: Abnormal in awake, normal in children
Delta: Abnormal in awake, normal in infants

Question 14

What percentage of O2 & glucose does the brain consume?

Answer 14

20% O2 consumption
25% basal glucose

Question 15

What is the CO to the brain?

Answer 15

15%
750ml

Question 16

What lines the blood brain barrier?

Answer 16

Capillary endothelium with tight junctions
Basement membrane
Fenestrated layer of astrocyte endfeet

Question 17

What can pass through the BBB?

Answer 17

• Freely permeable to resp gases and molecules <30kDa
• Active transport of glucose & ionised molecules
• Impermeable to large polar or lipid-insoluble substances

Question 18

What are the areas of the CNS which do not have a BBB?

Answer 18

Circumventricular organs (areas with secretory or sensory functions)
- Choroid plexus
- Post pituitary
- Pineal gland

Question 19

Where do the dural sinuses drain into?

Answer 19

Internal jugular veins

Question 20

What are the processes in CSF production?

Answer 20

• Ultrafiltration
• Active transport
• Facilitated transport of glucose
• Movement along electrochemical gradient
• H2O movement along osmotic gradient
• Diffusion of resp gases