Week One Flashcards
Peripheral Nervous System Divisions
- Somatic Nervous System
- afferent nerves
- efferent nerves - Austonomic Nervous System
- sympathetic nerves
- parasympathetic nerves
Sulcus
Fold or crease in the cortex.
Gyrus
Mounds in the cortex.
Dorsal
Towards the top of the skull
Ventral
Towards the bottom of the brain
Anterior
Towards the front
Posterior
Towards the back
Lateral
Towards the outside surface of the brain
Medial
Towards the centre of the brain
Divisions of the forebrain
telencephalon and the diencephalon.
- Telencephalon contains the cerebral cortex, limbic system and basal ganglia. - Diencephalon contains the thalamus and hypothalamus.
Midbrain
Contains the 2 pairs of colliculi- superior and inferior colliculi.
Hindbrain
Hindbrain contains the medulla, pons, cerebellum and reticular formation.
Neural Tube
Neural tube grows to form the CNS.
Neural Crest
Develops into the PNS.
Medulla
Contains circuits of neurons that contain functions that are vital to survival (heart rate, respiration etc.).
Pons
Includes a bridge of fibres that connect the brainstem with the cerebellum, also contains several clusters of nuclei (one is the reticular formation which affects alertness).
Cerebellum
A relatively large structure located behind the brain stem, critical to co-ordination.
Superior Colliculi
Relays visual information and is important for eye movements and visual attention.
Inferior Colliculi
Relays auditory information and is important for auditory attention.
Colliculi Appearance
These colliculi appear as small bumps on the back of the brain stem.
Thalamus
Relay station for all sensory information and filters and organises this sensory input.
Hypothalamus
- Located below the thalamus.
- Regulates basic biological drives also controls the autonomic nervous system and involved in body temperature.
- Also contains the pituitary gland which is attached to the base of the hypothalamus.
- Pituitary gland releases hormones into the body and controls other glands.
Basal Ganglia
Group of structures crucial for planning and producing movement.
Limbic System
- A loosely connected network of structures, plays an important role in learning and memory and in expression of emotion.
- Hippocampus is involved in memory, particularly new memories and learning.
- Amygdala is located in front of the hippocampus and processes emotional information, particularly learning fear responses.
Cerebral Cortex
- Outer layer of the cerebral hemispheres.
- Bulge in the cortex is called a gyrus and a grove called a sulcus.
Occipital Lobe
- Located in the back of the brain.
- Primary visual cortex.
Parietal Lobe
- Located behind the central sulcus.
- Concerned with perception of stimuli related to touch, pressure, temperature and pain.
Temporal Lobe
- Below the lateral fissure.
- Concerned with perception and recognition of auditory stimuli and memory.
Frontal Lobe
- Located in front of the central sulcus.
- Concerned with reasoning, planning, parts of speech and movement, emotions and problem solving.
Cerebral Ventricles
- Inside the brain is a series of chambers filled with cerebrospinal fluid, these form the ventricular system.
- CSF is a shock absorber and exchanges materials including nutrients between blood vessels and brain tissue.
Meninges
- The protective sheaths around the brain and spinal cord.
- Consists of three layers; dura mater, arachnoid membrane, pia mater.
Vascular System
- The brain consumes more than 20% of the body’s energy.
- The blood brain barrier is a protective mechanism that may have evolved to help protect the brain from infections and toxins, also makes the delivery of drugs to the brain more difficult.
Subarachnoid Space
Gap between the pia mater and arachnoid called the subarachnoid space (filled with CSF).
