Central Nervous System Flashcards

Flashcards based on Chapter 12 lecture notes focusing on the Central Nervous System.

What two structures compose the Central Nervous System (CNS)?

The brain and spinal cord

What is cephalization in the context of the CNS?

Elaboration of the anterior portion of the CNS

What adult brain structure develops from the telencephalon?

Cerebrum: cortex, white matter, and basal nuclei

What adult brain structure develops from the diencephalon?

Thalamus, hypothalamus, and epithalamus

What adult brain structure develops from the mesencephalon?

Brain stem: midbrain

What adult brain structure develops from the metencephalon?

Brain stem: pons

What adult brain structure develops from the myelencephalon?

Brain stem: medulla oblongata

What adult structure is derived from the telencephalon neural canal?

Lateral ventricles

What adult structure is derived from the diencephalon neural canal?

Third ventricle

What adult structure is derived from the mesencephalon neural canal?

Cerebral aqueduct

What adult structure is derived from the metencephalon and myelencephalon neural canal?

Fourth ventricle

What are the three main parts of the brain stem?

Midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata

What is the basic pattern of the central nervous system in the spinal cord?

Central cavity surrounded by a gray matter core, external to which is white matter

What additional areas of gray matter are present in the brain compared to the spinal cord?

Cerebellum has gray matter in nuclei, cerebrum has nuclei and additional gray matter in the cortex

Where do the ventricles of the brain arise from?

Expansion of the lumen of the neural tube

Name the ventricles of the brain.

The paired C-shaped lateral ventricles,

The third ventricle found in the diencephalon

The fourth ventricle found in the hindbrain dorsal to the pins

What percentage of brain mass do the cerebral hemispheres make up?

83%

Information on cerebral hemispheres

Contain ridges (gyri) and shallow grooves (sulci). Contain deep grooves called fissures. Separated by the longitudinal fissure

What are the three basic regions of the cerebral hemisphere?

Cortex

White matter

Basal nuclei

What are gyri?

Ridges on the surface of the cerebral hemispheres

What are sulci?

Shallow grooves on the surface of the cerebral hemispheres

What are fissures?

Deep grooves that are on the surface of the cerebral hemispheres

What fissure separates the cerebral hemispheres?

Longitudinal fissure

Name the five lobes of the cerebral hemisphere.

Frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital, and insula

Which sulcus separates the frontal and parietal lobes?

Central sulcus

Which sulcus separates the parietal and occipital lobes?

Parieto-occipital sulcus

Which sulcus separates the parietal and temporal lobes?

Lateral sulcus

Which gyri border the central sulcus?

Precentral and postcentral gyri

Which surface area of the brain does the cerebral cortex represent?

Superficial gray matter

What percentage of the brain mass does the cerebral cortex account for?

40%

How does each hemisphere of the cerebral cortex act?

Contralaterally (controls the opposite side of the body)

What are the three types of functional areas in the cerebral cortex?

Motor areas, sensory areas, and association areas

What is the function of the motor areas of the cerebral cortex?

Control voluntary movement

What is the function of the sensory areas of the cerebral cortex?

Conscious awareness of sensation

What is the function of the association areas of the cerebral cortex?

Integrate diverse information

Where is the primary (somatic) motor cortex located?

Precentral gyrus

What type of movements does the primary motor cortex control?

Precise, skilled, voluntary movements

Where is the premotor cortex located?

Anterior to the precentral gyrus

What type of motor skills does the premotor cortex control?

Learned, repetitious, or patterned motor skills

Where is Broca's area typically located?

One hemisphere (usually the left)

What is the function of Broca's area?

Motor speech area that directs muscles of the tongue

Where is the frontal eye field located?

Anterior to the premotor cortex and superior to Broca's area

What does the frontal eye field control?

Voluntary eye movement

Name the cortexes that are sensory areas.

Primary somatosensory cortex, somatosensory association cortex, visual and auditory areas, olfactory, gustatory, and vestibular cortices

Where is the primary somatosensory cortex located?

Postcentral gyrus

What type of information does the primary somatosensory cortex receive?

Information from the skin and skeletal muscles

What function does the primary somatosensory cortex have?

Exhibits spatial discrimination

Where is the somatosensory association cortex located?

Posterior to the primary somatosensory cortex

What does the somatosensory association cortex integrate?

Integrates sensory information

Where is the primary visual cortex located?

Extreme posterior tip of the occipital lobe

What is the function of the primary visual cortex?

Receives visual information from the retinas

Where is the visual association area located?

Surrounds the primary visual cortex

What is the function of the visual association area?

Interprets visual stimuli (color, form, and movement)

Where is the primary auditory cortex located?

Superior temporal lobe

What does the primary auditory cortex receive?

Information related to pitch, rhythm, and loudness

Where is the auditory association area located?

Posterior to the primary auditory cortex

Name Association Areas of the brain.

Prefrontal cortex, language areas, general (common) interpretation area, visceral association area

Where is the prefrontal cortex located?

Anterior portion of the frontal lobe

What is the prefrontal cortex involved with?

Intellect, cognition, recall, and personality

Where are language areas located?

Large area surrounding the left (or language-dominant) lateral sulcus

What are the functions of the Wernicke's area?

Sounding out unfamiliar words

Where is the general (common) interpretation area located?

Found in one hemisphere usually the left

What does the general interpretation area integrate?

Incoming signals into a single thought

Where is the visceral association area located?

Cortex of the insula

What is the visceral association area involved in?

Conscious perception of visceral sensations

What is lateralization in cortical function?

Each hemisphere has abilities not shared with its partner

What hemisphere does cerebral dominance typically designate?

Hemisphere dominant for language

What does the left hemisphere control?

Language, math, and logic

What does the right hemisphere control?

Visual-spatial skills, emotion, and artistic skills

What is cerebral white matter composed of?

Deep myelinated fibers and their tracts

What are the three types of cerebral white matter?

Commissures, association fibers, and projection fibers

What do commissures connect?

Corresponding gray areas of the two hemispheres

What do association fibers connect?

Different parts of the same hemisphere

What do projection fibers connect?

Enter the hemispheres from lower brain or cord centers

What are basal nuclei?

Masses of gray matter found deep within the cortical white matter

What are functions of basal nuclei?

Influence muscular activity

Regulate attention and cognition

Name the three paired structures that consist of the Diencephalon.

Thalamus, hypothalamus, and epithalamus

What does the diencephalon enclose?

Third ventricle

What is the function of the thalamus?

Sorts and edits incoming information

Where is the hypothalamus located?

Below the thalamus

What function does hypothalamus mainly have in the body?

Regulates blood pressure and rate and force of heartbeat.

Name the Endocrine Functions of the Hypothalamus.

Releasing hormones control secretion of hormones by the anterior pituitary.

Where is the epithalamus located?

Most dorsal portion of the diencephalon; forms roof of the third ventricle

What does the pineal gland secrete?

Melatonin

Name the regions of the Brain Stem.

Midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata

What does the brain stem control?

Automatic behaviors necessary for survival

Where is the midbrain located?

Between the diencephalon and the pons

Where is the pons located?

Bulging brainstem region between the midbrain and the medulla oblongata

What is the function of the pons?

Connect higher brain centers and the spinal cord

Relay impulses between the motor cortex and the cerebellum

Where is the medulla oblongata?

Most inferior part of the brain stem

What is the function of the Medulla Oblongata?

Relays sensory information

Mediate and maintain equilibrium

Where is the cerebellum located?

Dorsal to the pons and medulla

What percentage of the brain's mass does the cerebellum make up?

11%

What is the function of the cerebellum?

Provides precise timing and appropriate patterns of skeletal muscle contraction

Name two Functional Brain Systems.

Limbic system, Reticular formation

What structures are within the limbic system?

Rhinencephalon, amygdala, hypothalamus, and anterior nucleus of the thalamus

What does the amygdala deal with?

Anger, danger, and fear responses

What does the cingulate gurus play a role in?

Expressing emotions via gestures and resolves mental conflict

List the three broad columns of the Reticular Formation.

Raphe nuclei, Medial (large cell) group, Lateral (small cell) group

Name the three connective tissue membranes that make up the Meninges.

Dura mater, arachnoid mater, and pia mater