Week 2; anatomy of the CNS Flashcards
What is white matter ?
Predominated by myelinated axons/fibers. This matter is deep in the brain, and superficial in the spinal cord
What is grey matter ?
Predominated by unmyelinated dendrites and soma (cell body). Grey matter is superficial in the brain and deep in the spinal cord.
What are the main functions of the cerebrum ?
- conscious thought and intellect
- movement
- memory
- sensation
4 sections of the cerebrum and their functions
- frontal (motor)
- parietal (proprioception)
- Temporal (seeing)
- Occipital (hearing)
What separates the two hemispheres of the cerebrum ?
longitudinal fissure
What separates the frontal and parietal lobe ?
Central suculus
What are the two gyrus’s in the cerebrum ?
Precentral gyrus (site of primary motor cortex). Postcentral gyrus (site of primary sensory cortex)
What are the three regions of the cerebral hemisphere ?
- Cerebral cortex (outer grey matter)
- Inner white matter
- Basal nuclei (grey matter located deep within the white matter)
What does contralateral mean for the brain?
Each hemisphere receives/sends from/to the contralateral side of the body
3 Main different functions of the cerebral cortex:
- motor areas - controlled voluntary movement
- sensory areas - awareness of sensation
- Association areas - multiple inputs and outputs
3 types of white matter
- association fibers - connect different parts of the same hemisphere
- commissural fibers - connect grey areas of two hemispheres (e.g. corpus callosum and dorsal/ventral fibers)
- projection fibers - vertical tracts that connect the cerebral cortex with subcortical structures
What are basal nuclei and their functions ?
Grey matter found deep within the white matter. Involved in control of skeletal muscle, cognition and emotion, and receive input from entire cerebral cortex
3 parts of the diencephalon
- thalamus, relay and processing for sensory information
- hypothalamus, emotion, hormones, body temp, autonomic
- epithalamus, sleep and melatonin
3 parts of the brain stem
- mid brain
contains nuclei for visual/auditory information and controls reflexes - pons
ascending, descending and transverse tracts involved in respiration - medulla oblongata
most inferior, joins spinal cord at the foramen magnum of skull. Autonomic reflexes; swallowing, hiccup, heart rate etc.
Cerebellum function:
equilibrium, balance and coordination
- spheres are connected by vermis
- connected to brain stem via cerebellar pendules
- happens subconsciously
What is the spinal cord and its main function ?
- cylindrical extension of the medulla oblongata
- enclosed in vertical column
- The spinal cord provides two communication from the bran and body and is the major reflex center, initiated and completed at the spinal cord.
How do the spinal nerves connect to the spinal cord ?
Through the dorsal root (sensory) and ventral root (motor)
3 important parts in the cord :
- conus medullaris
- cauda equina
- filum terminale
where does the spinal cord end ?
L1-L2 at conus medullaris
the 3 meninges and their function/role :
- dura mater, composed of 2 layers, the outer layer is fused to the periosteum. The dura venous sinuses to collect blood and the dura folds to anchor
- Arachnoid matter, loose connective tissue, the trabeculae attaches to pia. The LSF in subarachnoid space provides fluid for cushioning
- Pia mater, follows the contour of sulci and gyri, is rich will small blood vessels that drain venous blood to dura
In the spinal cord, what else do they have?
epidural space surrounds the dura of the spinal cord
