Week 3 SDL and Practical Session: Brain, meninges and blood supply Flashcards
Explain the significance of the cephalic flexure in terms of anatomical labels
- the axis of the adult brain bends at an angle of about 100* between the midbrain and the diencephalon (the cephalic flexure)
- the terms dorsal and ventral are used as though the flexure did not exist and the CNS was still a straight tube
- therefore, in the spinal cord and brainstem, ‘dorsal’ means posterior, but in the forebrain, ‘dorsal’ means superior
What does grey matter consist of?
consists of neuronal cell bodies, neuropil (dendrites and unmyelinated axons), glial cells (astrocytes and unmyelinated axons), synapses and capillaries
What does white matter consist of?
- found in deeper tissues of the brain
- contains nerve fibres (axons) covered with myelin, giving its white colour
What is the difference between white and grey matter?
grey matter contains numerous cell bodies and few myelinated axons
What is the cortex made up of?
- grey matter
- makes up 90% of visible surface of brain
- 10mm thick and folded into sulci (grooves) and gyri (ridges) to increase surface area
What is a nucleus?
collection of nerve cell bodies (neurones) within the CNS
What is a tract?
- made of white matter
- bundle of axons connecting nuclei of the CNS
What is a ganglion?
- grey matter
- collection of nerve cell bodies within the PNS e.g dorsal root ganglia and some in the CNS which have a capsule e.g basal ganglia
Which subdivisions of the brain make up the forebrain/ cerebrum?
telencephalon (which contains cerebral hemispheres) and diencephalon (which contains thalamus and hypothalamus)
What is the function of the pre-central gyrus and where is it located?
- located in the frontal lobe
- primary motor cortex is responsible for executing voluntary movements
What is the function of the post-central gyrus and where is it located?
- located in the parietal lobe
- primary sensory cortex is responsible for receiving sensory information
what is the corpus callosum composed of?
white matter - collection of axons that link the neurones
What is the function of the corpus callosum?
enables both sides of the brain to communicate and send signals to eachother
Which structures are made from the telencephalon?
- cerebral cortex
- hippocampus
- amygdala
- olfactory bulb
- basal ganglia
Which structures are made from the diencephalon?
- thalamus
- subthalamus
- hypothalamus
- epithalamus
Which structures are made from the mesencephalon?
tectum cerebral aqueduct tegmentum cerebral peduncles midbrain
What structures are made from the metencephalon?
pons and cerebellum
What structures are made from the mylencephalon?
medulla
What are the 3 meninges that enclose the brain and spinal cord?
- dura mater: thick, dense, fibrous layer of connective tissue composed mostly of collagen
- arachnoid mater - spider-web appearance, thin and transparent
- pia mater - thin, translucent, mesh-like