the brain and spinal cord

what are the 4 main parts that makes up the central nervous system?

cereal hemisphere
medulla oblongata
cerebellum

spinal cord

what is the cerebal hemisphere in charge of?

voluntary movement

interpret sensory information

responsible for learning and memory

what is the cerebellum in charge of?

coordinate and controls precise, smooth movement

what is the medulla oblongata in charge of?

involuntary movement eg heart beating and breathing

3 points of CT scans

1. shows structure (anatomy) by taking x-rays and put to make 3D images

2. radioactive tracer may highlight blood vessels / tumours

3. detect damage, tumours / abnormal structure in brain

6 points of PET scans

1. radioactive form of glucose

2. high glucose updates areas

3. show chances of damage and disease in parts of body

4. shows real-time changes

5. shows function or activity

6. scanner detects radioactivity

what’s special about the capillaries in brain that makes it difficult to treat damage and disease in it?

they’re less leaky than normal ones because of their tightly joined cells

this is called blood-brain barrier because it

prevents many substances from passing into brain, so most drugs do not reach brain tissue, making treatment hard

what’s special about the brain that makes it difficult to treat damage and disease in it?

it’s protected by skull

making it hard to access for surgery

what’s special about neurones that makes it difficult to treat damage and disease in it?

they are specialised cells

so they can’t divide to replace damaged or diseased cells

what’s special about spinal cord that makes it difficult to treat damage and disease in it?

it consists delicate tissue and a complex network of blood vessels

so many treatment must be avoided to not cause further harm