Neuroscience Fundamentals Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards generated from lecture notes on neuroscience, covering divisions of the nervous system, major CNS segments, spinal cord functions, axon tracks, gray matter, nerve roots, and brainstem structures.

CNS (Central Nervous System)

Comprises the brain, brainstem, cerebellum, and spinal cord.

PNS (Peripheral Nervous System)

Comprises the somatic system (voluntary) and the autonomic system (involuntary).

Somatic System

The voluntary part of the PNS, including somatic sensory and skeletomotor components.

Autonomic System

The involuntary part of the PNS, including parasympathetic, sympathetic, and enteric systems.

Enteric Nervous System

The NS of the gut, part of the autonomic system.

Cerebrum

A major segment of the CNS, involved in analyzing and integrating sensory and motor information.

Brainstem

A major segment of the CNS, comprising medulla, pons, and mesencephalon, with ascending/descending tracts and cranial nerve nuclei.

Cerebellum

A major segment of the CNS, involved in processing and coordination.

Spinal Cord

A major segment of the CNS, serving as the chief input-output of sensory and motor signals between the body (below the neck) and the nervous system.

Afferent Signals (Sensory)

Signals mediating general sensations (touch, pressure, vibrations, motions, pain) from the limbs, neck, and trunk that ascend through the spinal cord to the brain.

Efferent Signals (Motor)

Motor signals for voluntary movements originating in the brain and descending through the spinal cord to skeletal muscles.

Cauda Equina

Literally 'horse's tail', refers to the function of the lower trunk's spinal nerves.

Posterior Fasciculus (Dorsal Columns)

A major axon track in the spinal cord, primarily transmitting information upwards, important for touch and proprioception.

Lateral Axon Track

A major axon track in the spinal cord, involved in motor info descending.

Anterior Axon Track

A major axon track in the spinal cord, containing both sensory and motor pathways.

Gray Matter (Spinal Cord)

Contains all cell bodies of motor, sensory neurons, and interneurons, segregated into dorsal horn, ventral horn, and intermediate zone.

Dorsal Horn

The sensory area within the gray matter of the spinal cord.

Ventral Horn

The motor area within the gray matter of the spinal cord.

Intermediate Zone

The area within the gray matter of the spinal cord containing interneurons.

Spinal Nerves

Formed by the union of dorsal (sensory) and ventral (motor) roots from each spinal segment, linking the body to the CNS; they are mixed nerves.

Cranial Nerve Nuclei

Located in the brainstem, these nuclei are essential components for various functions.

Reticular Formation

An essential brainstem circuitry involved in cardiopulmonary regulation, digestion, motivation, swallowing, and breathing.

Central Pattern Generators (CPG)

Brainstem systems that interact to produce stereotyped, patterned, and coordinated activity.

Pyramid Decussation

A major pathway in the ventral view of the brainstem where axons (cortical spinal pathway) cross, important for skilled hand movement.

Cerebral Peduncle

A stack of axons visible in the ventral view, containing cortical spinal pathways and involved in contralateral connections for limb movement.

Rhombon Fossa

A diamond-shaped region on the dorsal view of the brainstem, part of the ventricular system.

Superior Colliculus

A structure on the dorsal view of the brainstem involved in visual processing.

Inferior Colliculus

A structure on the dorsal view of the brainstem involved in auditory processing.