The Central Nervous System

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to the Central Nervous System as presented in the lecture notes.

Central Nervous System (CNS)

Composed of the brain and spinal cord, responsible for integration and interpretation of sensory information.

Gray Matter

Contains dendrites, cell bodies, and axon terminals; all synapses are found here.

White Matter

Contains myelinated axons, primarily in fiber tracts, and passes messages between different areas of gray matter.

Cerebral Cortex

Outer layer of gray matter in the brain, involved in self-awareness, sensation, communication, and voluntary movement.

Gyri

Ridges found on the surface of the cerebral hemispheres.

Sulci

Shallow grooves that divide the cerebral hemispheres into lobes.

Limbic System

System in the brain responsible for emotions and memory, includes structures such as the amygdaloid body and cingulate gyrus.

Hypothalamus

Main visceral control center in the body, regulating autonomic nervous system functions, emotions, body temperature, and more.

Broca’s Area

Specialized motor speech area responsible for directing muscles involved in speech production; typically found in the left hemisphere.

Diencephalon

Part of the CNS located beneath the cerebral hemispheres, consisting of the thalamus, hypothalamus, and epithalamus.

Cerebellum

Region of the brain that manages coordination and balance, as well as cognitive functions related to thinking and emotion.

Blood-Brain Barrier

Protective barrier formed by tight junctions in brain capillaries, regulates movement of substances into and out of the CNS.

Primary Motor Cortex

Area of the brain that allows for conscious control of skilled voluntary movements.

Somatosensory Cortex

Area that receives sensory input from general sensory receptors in the skin.

Motor Homunculus

Spatial representation of the body in the primary motor cortex, with larger body parts represented by more neurons.

Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF)

Liquid surrounding the brain and spinal cord, providing protection and buoyancy to CNS structures.

Association Fibers

White matter tracts connecting different areas within the same cerebral hemisphere.

Cranial Nerves

Nerves associated with the brain stem that are responsible for innervating the head.

Conus Medullaris

Tapered, cone-shaped structure at the end of the spinal cord.

Reflex Arc

Pathway that controls reflex actions, involving sensory input and motor response.

Alzheimer's Disease

Degenerative brain disorder characterized by memory loss and cognitive decline due to senile plaques.

Parkinson's Disease

Degenerative disorder caused by the degeneration of dopamine-releasing neurons, leading to tremors and motor control issues.