Week 1: How to Read a Brain

Question 1

What are the characteristics of a fixed brain?

Answer 1

Brown colour, been in formaldehyde

Question 2

What are the characteristics of the unfixed brain?

Answer 2

Pinky red colour, vessels are still present

Question 3

What are the orientations of the brain?

Answer 3

Rostral - Caudal = front to back
Anterior - Posterior = also front to back
Dorsal - ventral - towards the top - Under/ belly
Inferior - superior = bottom - top

Question 4

What are the planes of the human brain?

Answer 4

Saggital Plane = splits medial - lateral
Horizontal Plane = splits dorsal / ventral
Frontal Plane = splits rostral / caudal

Question 5

What are the 2 nervous systems?

Answer 5

Central & Peripheral Nervous systems

Question 6

What does the CNS consist of?

Answer 6

Brain and spinal cord, like a continuum

Question 7

What does the PNS consist of?

Answer 7

Somatic and Autonomic nervous system

Question 8

What is the somatic nervous system?

Answer 8

It is responsible for muscles and sensory information, consisting of both afferent and efferent nervous

Question 9

What is the autonomic nervous system?

Answer 9

In consists of afferent and efferent nervous system

The efferent nerves in the ANS consists of the sympathetics and parasympathetic nervous system.

Question 10

What is the sympathetic nervous system?

Answer 10

Responsible for fight and flight

Question 11

What does the parasympathetic nervous system do?

Answer 11

Responsible for rest and digest, when the body is in a relaxed state

Question 12

What are the 5 major subcortical divisions of the spinal cord?

Answer 12

From dorsal - ventral:
Cervical
Thoracic
Lumbar
Sacral
Coccygeal

Question 13

What are the major divisions of the CNS?

Answer 13

Forebrain, Midbrain & Hindbrain

Question 14

What are the 5 major subdivisions of the CNS?

Answer 14

Telencephalon and diencephalon (FB)
Mesencephalon (MB)
Metencephalon & Myelencephalon (HB)

Question 15

What does the telencephalon consist of?

Answer 15

Cerebral cortex
Basal Ganglia
Limbic System

Question 16

What does the diencephalon consist of?

Answer 16

Thalamus and hypothalamus

Question 17

What does the Mesencephalon consist of?

Answer 17

Tectum

Tegmentum

Question 18

What does the Metencephalon consist of?

Answer 18

Cerebellum

Pons

Question 19

What does the Myelencephalon consist of?

Answer 19

Medulla oblongata

Question 20

Where are the language areas of the brain?

Answer 20

Typically tends to be the left side of the brain even if they are left handed. However it is possible to be on the right.

The 2 major language areas of the brain are Broca’s area (frontal cortex) and Wernicke’s area (temporal lobe)

Question 21

What is the prefrontal cortex responsible for?

Answer 21

Personality:

recall, personality, judgement, conscience, concern for others etc.

Question 22

What occurs if the prefrontal cortex is suffering from disease?

Answer 22

Prefrontal tumours: personality disorders, mood swings, loos of judgement, loss of inhibitions lack of social awareness

Aggression of alcoholic intoxication

Question 23

What are the 6 subcortical structures?

Answer 23

1. Neocortex Cerebrum
2. Thalamus
3. Midbrain
4. Pons
5. Medulla Oblongata
6. Spinal Cord

Question 24

What is the Thalamus?

Answer 24

Inner chamber of the brain within the diencephalon in the forebrain
Can be divided into the right and left thalamus
Forms early sensory processing info before processed by the cortex
It is more than just a relay station

Question 25

What is the Hypothalamus?

Answer 25

Above the pituitary, below the thalamus
Has close links with the endocrine system (hormone) and the Autonomic nervous system as they are controlled by the hypothalamus

Key roles include:
Homeostasis
Center for hunger, thirst, biological clock and temperature regulation
controls fight and flight response, reproduction, growth and stress

Question 26

What is the Basal Ganglia?

Answer 26

Connected with the Basal Ganglia containing Globus palliidus, head of caudate and putamen.

If the BG undergoes death, Parkinson’s may occur

Question 27

What is the Limbic System?

Answer 27

Contains Right and Left Cingulate Cortex’s (sometimes called the limbic cortex)

Contains the Amygdala (responsible for anxiety and fear memory) and the hippocampus (responsible for autobiographical memory)

Question 28

What is the cerebellum?

Answer 28

Intensely connected to motor cortex and connected with the thalamus cortex. It smooths out movement coordinations

Question 29

What is the Brain Stem?

Answer 29

Oldest part of the brain and is continuous with the spinal cord
If the stem is damaged, life is much harder to maintain as it is the centre for the vital functions of life (respiration, Cardiovascular system and swallowing)
Contains the Reticular activating system (RAS)

Question 30

What is the Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) role?

Answer 30

Has a protective role as it contains a selectively permeable membrane of tightly packed endothelial cells. It isolates brain from harmful substances such as bacteria and toxins and from sudden changes in hormones, ions and neurotransmitters.

Also carries nutrients in and waste out

Question 31

What are the meninges?

Answer 31

Protective sheaths around the brain and spinal cord which consist of 3 layers:
dura mater
arachnoid membrane
pia mater
Between the pia mater and arachnoid membrane is the subarachnoid space which is filled with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)

Question 32

What is CSF?

Answer 32

Produced by Ependymal cells and fills the spaces in the brain and spinal cord.
Acts as a shock absorber providing a cushion around the brain.