EXERCISE 8: Brain and Cranial Nerves - Part III

DO NOT EXPLOIT.

alar plate

developmental region of the spinal cord that gives rise to the posterior horn of the gray matter.

amygdala

nucleus deep in the temporal lobe of the cerebrum that is related to memory and emotional behavior.

anterior column

white matter between the anterior horns of the spinal cord composed of many different groups of axons of both ascending and descending tracts

anterior horn

gray matter of the spinal cord containing multipolar motor neurons, sometimes referred to as the ventral horn

anterior median fissure

deep midline feature of the anterior spinal cord, marking the separation between the right and left sides of the cord

ascending tract

central nervous system fibers carrying sensory information from the spinal cord or periphery to the brain

basal forebrain

nuclei of the cerebrum related to modulation of sensory stimuli and attention through broad projections to the cerebral cortex, loss of which is related to Alzheimer’s disease

basal nuclei

• nuclei of the cerebrum (with a few components in the upper brain stem and diencephalon) that are

• responsible for assessing cortical movement commands and comparing them with the general state of the individual through broad modulatory activity of dopamine neurons;

• largely related to motor functions, as evidenced through the symptoms of Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases

basal plate

developmental region of the spinal cord that gives rise to the lateral and anterior horns of gray matter

Broca’s area

region of the frontal lobe associated with the motor commands necessary for speech production and located only in the cerebral hemisphere responsible for language production, which is the left side in approximately 95 percent of the population

Brodmann’s areas

mapping of regions of the cerebral cortex based on microscopic anatomy that relates specific areas to functional differences, as described by Brodmann in the early 1900s

cauda equina

bundle of spinal nerve roots that descend from the lower spinal cord below the first lumbar vertebra and lie within the vertebral cavity; has the appearance of a horse’s tail

caudate

nucleus deep in the cerebrum that is part of the basal nuclei; along with the putamen, it is part of the striatum

central sulcus

surface landmark of the cerebral cortex that marks the boundary between the frontal and parietal lobes

cerebral cortex

outer gray matter covering the forebrain, marked by wrinkles and folds known as gyri and sulci

cerebrum

region of the adult brain that develops from the telencephalon and is responsible for higher neurological functions such as memory, emotion, and consciousness

cerebellum

region of the adult brain connected primarily to the pons that developed from the metencephalon (along with the pons) and is largely responsible for comparing information from the cerebrum with sensory feedback from the periphery through the spinal cord

cerebral hemisphere

one half of the bilaterally symmetrical cerebrum

corpus callosum

large white matter structure that connects the right and left cerebral hemispheres

descending tract

central nervous system fibers carrying motor commands from the brain to the spinal cord or periphery

direct pathway

connections within the basal nuclei from the striatum to the globus pallidus internal segment and substantia nigra pars reticulata that disinhibit the thalamus to increase cortical control of movement

disinhibition

disynaptic connection in which the first synapse inhibits the second cell, which then stops inhibiting the final target

dorsal (posterior) nerve root

axons entering the posterior horn of the spinal cord

epithalamus

region of the diecephalon containing the pineal gland

frontal eye field

region of the frontal lobe associated with motor commands to orient the eyes toward an object of visual attention

frontal lobe

region of the cerebral cortex directly beneath the frontal bone of the cranium

ganglion

localized collection of neuron cell bodies in the peripheral nervous system

globus pallidus

nuclei deep in the cerebrum that are part of the basal nuclei and can be divided into the internal and external segments

gray matter

regions of the nervous system containing cell bodies of neurons with few or no myelinated axons; actually may be more pink or tan in color, but called gray in contrast to white matter

gyrus

ridge formed by convolutions on the surface of the cerebrum or cerebellum

hippocampus

gray matter deep in the temporal lobe that is very important for long-term memory formation

hypothalamus

major region of the diencephalon that is responsible for coordinating autonomic and endocrine control of homeostasis

indirect pathway

connections within the basal nuclei from the striatum through the globus pallidus external segment and subthalamic nucleus to the globus pallidus internal segment/substantia nigra pars compacta that result in inhibition of the thalamus to decrease cortical control of movement

inferior colliculus

half of the midbrain tectum that is part of the brain stem auditory pathway

inferior olive

nucleus in the medulla that is involved in processing information related to motor control

kinesthesia

general sensory perception of movement of the body

lateral column

white matter of the spinal cord between the posterior horn on one side and the axons from the anterior horn on the same side; composed of many different groups of axons, of both ascending and descending tracts, carrying motor commands to and from the brain

lateral horn

region of the spinal cord gray matter in the thoracic, upper lumbar, and sacral regions that is the central component of the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system

lateral sulcus

surface landmark of the cerebral cortex that marks the boundary between the temporal lobe and the frontal and parietal lobes

limbic cortex

collection of structures of the cerebral cortex that are involved in emotion, memory, and behavior and are part of the larger limbic system