BIOL 203 Exam 3 (lecture 12-16)

what are the major divisions of the human brain

cerebrum, cerebellum, and brainstem

what does a lateral view of the brain show

a view of the side of the brain

what does a superior view of the brain show

a view of the top of the brain

what does a midsagittal section of the brain show

a view of the side of the brain if you cut right through the middle and looked at it

what does an inferior view of the brain show

a view of the underside of the brain that shows the cerebrum, brainstem, and cerebellum

what is the main function of the brainstem

connects the brain with the spinal cord

what is the prosencephalon

the embryonic forebrain and gives rise to 2 major regions

what are the major anatomical structures of the forebrain

cerebrum and diencephalon

what is the cerebrum responsible for

higher cognitive functions, conscious perception, voluntary movement, memory, language

what is included in the diencephalon

the thalamus, hypothalamus, and epithalamus

what is the diencephalon responsible for

sensory relay, homeostasis, autonomic and endocrine regulation

what order do the anatomical layers protecting the brain go in

scalp → skull → periosteal dura → meningeal dura → arachnoid → subarachnoid space → pia → brain

what does the subarachnoid space entail

CSF-filled space under the arachnoid mater, trabeculae cross the space

what does the dura mater entail

the tough outer meningeal layer

what does the arachnoid mater entail

middle meningeal layer (thin)

what does the pia mater entail

thin, delicate; follows the contours of the gyri and sulci

what is the MAIN function of gray matter

processing

what is the MAIN function of white matter

communication

what does gray matter contain

many neuronal cell bodies, dendrites, synapses, and glial cells

what does white matter contain

bundles of axons, many surrounded by myelin

explain the detailed functions of gray matter

• major site of information processing and integration

• in the cerebrum, forms the cerebral cortex

• also forms deep gray matter nuclei

explain the detailed functions of white matter

• carries signals between different CNS regions

• in the cerebrum, lies mainly deep to the cerebral cortex

• its lighter appearance is largely due to lipid-rich myelin

describe the appearance of gray matter

central H-shaped region containing neuron cell bodies

describe the appearance of white matter

outer region containing ascending and descending tracts

what does gray matter form

cerebral cortex (outer layer) and basal nuclei (deep gray matter structures)

what does white matter form

inner region containing nerve fiber tracts

what are pyramidal neurons

the principal excitatory projection neurons of the cerebral cortex

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