Week 1

Question 1

Bilateral symmetry

Answer 1

-NS one side mirrors other

Question 2

Segmentation

Answer 2

-series of similar muscular segents

Question 3

Ganglia

Answer 3

-clusters of neurons resembling primitave brains and functions like command centres

Question 4

Nervous system divisions (anatomical)

Answer 4

• CNS (brain and spinal cord)

- PNS (nerve fibres and neurons outside brain and spinal cord - somatic and autonomic)

Question 5

Nervous system divisions (functional)

Answer 5

• focus on how parts work together
  a) CNS: mediate behaviour, movement, etc
  b) SNS: transmits sensation, produces movement through cranial nerves and spinal nerves
  c) ANS: balances internal functions - sympathetic (arousing), parasympathetic (calming)

Question 6

Neural information

Answer 6

• direction of info is important
• afferent - from sensory neurons to CNS
• efferent - from CNS to moror neurons

Question 7

Anatomical descriptions of brain

Answer 7

• Medial: middle
• Anterior: towards front
• Dorsal: top
• Posterior: back
• Lateral: side
• Ventral: bottom

Question 8

Hemispheres and lobes

Answer 8

• certain functions associated with different brain areas
• left and right brain side separated by fissure
• cerebral cortex - thin outer brain layer
• gyri - increase surface area

Question 9

Cerebral blood supply

Answer 9

• 3 main arteries
  a) anterior cerebral artery
  b) middle cerebral artery
  c) posterior cerebral artery
• stroke usually middle cerebral artery

Question 10

Grey/White matter

Answer 10

• white matter: inner CNS - nerve fibres with fatty coverings, function to form connections
• grey matte: outer CNS - comprises cell bodies and capillary blood vessels, neurons function to collect and modify information

Question 11

Ventricles

Answer 11

• right lateral ventricle
• left lateral ventricle
• third ventricle
• fourth ventricle
• all contain CSF to cushion brain

Question 12

Spinal cord

Answer 12

• long, thin bundle of tissue extending from medulla oblongata in brain stem to pelvic area
• main pathway for info connecting brain and PNS
• produces most movements following instructions from the brain (motor cortex) but can act independently (reflex)
• each segment receives info from discrete part of body and sends commands to that area
• if damage occurs to higher spinal cord - more interruptions = paraplegia
• lower spinal cord damage - left interruptions

Question 13

Brainstem

Answer 13

• begins where spinal cord enters skull and extends into lower areas of forebrain
• comprised of: hindbrain, midbrain, diencephalon
• revives afferent nerves from all senses and sends efferent nerves out to spinal cord

Question 14

Forebrain (and cortex)

Answer 14

• neocortex (cerebral cortex) - regulates host of mental activities
• basal ganglia - controls voluntary movement - where Parkinson’s starts
• limbic system - regulates emotions and behaviours that create and require memory - aggression, impulsivity

Question 15

Cortical lobes

Answer 15

• frontal lobe (motor and executive functions)
• parietal lobe (tactile functions)
• temporal lobe (visual, auditory, gustatory functions)
• occipital lobe (visual functions)

Question 16

Basal ganglia

Answer 16

• with Substantia Nigra, subthalamic nucleus and thamamus form system controlling voluntary movement
• Parkinson’s disease is neural degenerative starting in Substantia Nigra and progressing through brain

Question 17

Limbic system

Answer 17

• complex set of structures located on both sides of thalamus, right under cerebrum
• plays a role in emotion, sexual behaviour, memory and motivation
• highly interconnected with nucleus accumbens, the brain’s pleasure centre
• significant role in reward - dopaminergic projections from limbic system play a role in learning
• aggressive behaviour stems from problems in this system

Question 18

SNS

Answer 18

• part of PNS associated with skeletal muscle (voluntary control of body movements)
• comprises afferent and efferent nerves
• consists of 3 parts: spinal nerves (carry sensory info to CNS and motor info away from CNS), cranial nerves (carry info into and out of brain), association nerves (integrate sensory input and motor output numbering thousands)

Question 19

Cranial nerves

Answer 19

• emerge directly from brain and brainstem
• transmit info between brain and parts of head and neck
• afferent functions - sensory innervation of the senses
• efferent functions - control facial muscles, tongue and eyes
• one set of 12 pairs of nerves - 1 controls left side, other right side

Question 20

Functions of cranial nerves

Answer 20

1. olfactory
2. optic
3. oculomotor (eye movement)
4. trochlear (eye movement)
5. trigeminal (sensation and chewing)
6. abducens (eye movement)
7. facial (movement and sensation)
   8.