Week 4 - Nervous and Peripheral Nervous System

Question 1

Location of spinal cord within the vertebral column

Answer 1

• located in the vertebral foramen

Question 2

Four main divisions of the vertebral column.

Answer 2

cervical
thoracic
lumbar
sacrum
coccyx.

Question 3

At which level the spinal cord terminates

Answer 3

The spinal cord ends at the level of vertebrae L1–L2

Question 4

Structure of the PNS

Answer 4

The PNS is divided into the somatic and autonomic nervous systems.

Question 5

What does the somatic nervous system control

Answer 5

The somatic system controls voluntary activities

Question 6

What does the autonomic nervous system control

Answer 6

Receives a continual supply of sensory input from sensory receptors which monitor the internal body environment to achieve homeostasis

Question 7

Peripheral Nervous System role

Answer 7

containing all the nerves that lie outside of the central nervous system (CNS). The primary role of the PNS is to connect the CNS to the organs, limbs, and skin.

Question 8

Spinal Cord Function

Answer 8

Provides a two-way pathway for nerve impulses to travel between the brain and the body

Question 9

What are the spinal cord pathways?

Answer 9

Ascending tracts (sensory info)
Descending tracts (Motor info)

Question 10

What does the voluntary control of body movements consist of?

Answer 10

Afferent (sensory nerves) and Efferent (motor nerves)

Question 11

What does the involuntary control consist of?

Answer 11

afferent (sensory) nerves, and two efferent
(motor) nerves – the sympathetic and parasympathetic
divisions

Question 12

What can the autonomic nervous system be split into to?

Answer 12

Sympathetic and parasympathetic

divisions

Question 13

Differences between Cranial and Spinal nerves

Answer 13

• Cranial has a single nerve root, Spinal has 2 roots (dorsal and ventral)
• Cranial has 12 pairs of nerves, spinal has 31 pairs.
• the type of nerve for cranial is either mostly mixed, sensory only, or motor only. The spinal types of nerves are mostly mixed only

Question 14

Different types of vertebral columns

Answer 14

• Cervical
• Thoracic
• Lumbar
• Sacral
• Coccygeal

Question 15

How many vertebrae does the cervical column have?

Answer 15

7 vertebrae

Question 16

How many vertebrae does the Thoracic column have?

Answer 16

12 vertebrae

Question 17

How many vertebrae does the lumbar column have?

Answer 17

5 vertebrae

Question 18

How many vertebrae does the sacral column have?

Answer 18

5 fused vertebrae

Question 19

How many vertebrae does the coccygeal column have?

Answer 19

3-5 fused vertebrae

Question 20

Define a reflex and state the purpose

Answer 20

Rapid action performed without conscious thought as a response to a stimulus

Question 21

Reflex arc named in ORDER

Answer 21

• Receptor
• Sensory Neuron
• Association neuron
• Motor Neuron
• Effector

Question 22

What part of the CNS contains the integration centre of a spinal reflex?

Answer 22

Spinal Cord Grey Matter (Patella reflex)

Question 23

What part of the CNS contains the integration centre of a cranial reflex

Answer 23

Brainstem Grey Matter (Movement of eyes when reading)

Question 24

What type of involvement is the Cranial Vagus nerve (CNX)

Answer 24

Important involvement in autonomic functions (Heart, lungs, digestive systems)

Question 25

Function of the Cranial Vagus Nerve

Answer 25

Has sensory neurons that convey information about touch, pain, taste, temp, blood pressure. It is a major parasympathetic nerve

Question 26

What is the role of the parasympathetic nervous system

Answer 26

controls bodily functions when a person is at rest. Some of its activities include stimulating digestion, activating metabolism, and helping the body relax (rest and Digest)

Question 27

What is the role of the sympathetic nervous system?

Answer 27

directs the body’s rapid involuntary response to dangerous or stressful situations. A flash flood of hormones boosts the body’s alertness and heart rate, sending extra blood to the muscles. (Fight or Flight)

Question 28

Define a nerve plexus

Answer 28

A nerve plexus is a network of converging and diverging nerve fibres

Question 29

4 different nerve plexus

Answer 29

cervical
brachial
lumbar
sacral plexuses.

Question 30

Why do we test for reflexes?

Answer 30

It helps determine how effective your nervous system is by assessing the reaction between your motor pathways and sensory responses, and to see if there is any damage along the conduction pathway

Question 31

Location of the phrenic nerve

Answer 31

In C3-C5

Question 32

Function of the Phrenic nerve

Answer 32

it supplies motor and sensory nerves to the diaphragm which is 75% of our breathing control

Question 33

What would happen if you damaged the Phrenic nerve

Answer 33

You would have difficulty breathing as C3-5 keeps you alive.

Question 34

Peripheral nerves in the brachial plexus include

Answer 34

Radial nerve
Medial nerve
Ulner nerve

Question 35

Define a tract

Answer 35

Bundles of axons in the CNS

Question 36

Define a dermatome

Answer 36

An area of skin which sends most of its sensory input to the CNS from a single pair of spinal nerves

Question 37

In clinical, why do we test the dermatome?

Answer 37

• Helps to determine if any segments of the spinal cord are not functioning and which spinal nerves are affected
• Nurses test dermatomes with ice following spinal/epidural anaesthesia to check the levels at which the anaesthesia is effective

Question 38

Difference between Sensory neurons and motor neurons

Answer 38

• Neurons that carry sensory impulse from sensory organs to the central nervous system are known as sensory neurons
• A neuron that carries motor impulses from the central nervous system to specific effectors is known as motor neurons.
• Motor neurons are mainly found in muscles and glands whereas sensory neurons are found in the skin, eyes, ears, tongue and nose. Motor neuron has efferent fiber whereas sensory neuron has afferent fiber.

Question 39

Types of reflexes

Answer 39

• Somatic reflex: effector (skeletal muscle)

- Autonomic reflex: effector (smooth muscle, glands, cardiac muscle)

Question 40

Example of somatic Sensory pathway

Answer 40

• The somatosensory tracts, process information about somatic sensations such as pain, temperature, touch, position, and vibration. This information is received through receptors inside or at the surface of the body.

Question 41

Example of a motor pathway

Answer 41

• These motor pathways control muscles involved in postural tone, balance, orienting movements of the head and neck, and automatic gait-related movements.