Neuroanatomy Basics Practice Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards generated from the lecture notes covering basic neuroanatomy, divisions of the nervous system, spinal cord structures, brainstem components, diencephalon, telencephalon, ventricles, and meninges.

Sagittal Plane

A plane of section that separates the left side of the brain or body from the right side.

Coronal Plane

A plane of section (also termed frontal plane) that separates rostral structures from caudal structures.

Horizontal Plane

A plane of section that separates dorsal structures from ventral structures.

Afferent Nerves

Nerves that carry sensory signals toward the central nervous system.

Efferent Nerves

Nerves that carry motor signals away from the central nervous system.

Ganglion

A cluster of neuronal cell bodies located within the peripheral nervous system.

Nucleus

A group of neuronal cell bodies located within the central nervous system.

Sympathetic Nervous System

A division of the autonomic nervous system active during emergencies that mediates fight-or-flight responses.

Parasympathetic Nervous System

A division of the autonomic nervous system active when calm that controls digestion, growth, and energy storage.

Dorsal Root

The pathway through which sensory afferents enter the spinal cord, containing cell bodies situated in the dorsal root ganglia outside the cord.

Ventral Root

The pathway through which motor efferents exit the spinal cord, with cell bodies located in the ventral horn.

Neural Tube Divisions

The developmental divisions originating from the neural tube, giving rise to the spinal cord, rhombencephalon (myelencephalon and metencephalon), mesencephalon, and prosencephalon (diencephalon and telencephalon).

Dermatome

An area of skin supplied by sensory nerve fibers from a single spinal nerve.

Topographic Representation

A systematic, point-to-point map or reflection of an original source or body surface within the nervous system.

Spinal Enlargements

Expanded cervical and lumbar regions of the spinal cord that accommodate the extensive sensory and motor innervation needed for the limbs.

Medulla (Myelencephalon)

The hindbrain structure that serves as the crossover point for major ascending sensory and descending motor pathways, contains reticular formation, and holds critical nuclei controlling heart rate, respiration, and vomiting.

Reticular Formation

A network of brainstem structures involved in regulating sleep, arousal, and attention.

Cranial Nerve I (Olfactory)

A purely sensory cranial nerve responsible for smell.

Cranial Nerve II (Optic)

A purely sensory cranial nerve responsible for vision.

Cranial Nerve V (Trigeminal)

A cranial nerve providing sensory input from the face and teeth, as well as motor control for jaw muscles involved in chewing.

Cranial Nerve VIII (Vestibulocochlear)

A sensory cranial nerve dedicated to hearing and balance.

Cranial Nerve X (Vagus)

A cranial nerve providing both sensory and motor functions to visceral internal organs.

Pontine Nuclei

Nuclei in the pons that serve as a major relay between descending cortical axons and the cerebellum, receiving over 90% of cerebrocerebellar axons.

Cerebellum

A metencephalic structure containing a cortex and deep nuclei, dedicated to motor control, complex coordinated movement, balance, and muscle tone.

Tectum

The dorsal region of the mesencephalon containing the superior and inferior colliculi, which process visual and auditory information and control orienting reflexes.

Tegmentum

The ventral region of the mesencephalon comprising the substantia nigra and red nucleus, both involved in motor control.

Thalamus

A primary diencephalic sensory and cortical relay center containing distinct nuclei, including the lateral geniculate nucleus (vision) and ventral lateral nucleus (motor).

Posterior Pituitary Hormones

Hormones Oxytocin and Vasopressin synthesized by the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei of the hypothalamus and released directly into capillaries in the posterior pituitary.

Anterior Pituitary Portal System

A hypophyseal portal system that conveys hypothalamic factors from the median eminence to control the secretion of tropic hormones by anterior pituitary cells.

Amygdala

A telencephalic limbic structure primarily responsible for emotional memory.

Hippocampus

A telencephalic structure of the limbic system crucial for declarative memory of events and facts.

Basal Ganglia

A group of subcortical telencephalic structures—including the caudate, putamen, and globus pallidus—involved in sensorimotor integration and associated with Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases.

Corpus Callosum

A prominent white matter commissure connecting the two cerebral hemispheres.

Cerebral Cortex

The convoluted outer layer of gray matter covering the cerebrum, organized into gyri and sulci, spanning approximately 220,000 sq mm.

Cortical Column

The fundamental structural unit of the cerebral cortex, measuring 0.2 to 1.0 mm in width across the cortical depth.

Choroid Plexus

Vascular tissue found within the brain ventricles responsible for producing cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).

Meninges

The three protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord, consisting of the dura mater, arachnoid membrane, and pia mater.

Subarachnoid Space

The fluid-filled space situated between the arachnoid membrane and pia mater that contains cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).