COGS 17 - Midterm 1

Dorsal

Towards the back of the body and, in the human head, toward the top

Ventral

toward the stomach, and in the human head toward the bottom

Rostral / Anterior

toward the front end

Caudal / Posterior

toward the rear end

Superior

above another part

Inferior

below another part

Lateral

toward the sides, away from the midline

Medial

towards the midline, away from the sides

Coronal Plane

plane through brain as seen from the front ("Corona" \= "Crown")

Saggital Plane

plane through brain as seen from the side (Saggitarius, the Archer)

Horizontal Plane

plane through brain as seen from above (Sometimes called the Transverse Plane)

Ipsilateral

making a connection on the same side (left/right) of the Nervous System

Contralateral

making a connection on the opposite side (left/right) of the Nervous System

What is the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)?

Nerves outside the CNS

What are the two subsystems of the PNS?

Somatic and Autonomic Nervous System

What is the Somatic Nervous System responsible for?

Interaction with external environment (Sensory/Motor)

What is the Central Nervous System (CNS)?

Spinal Cord and Brain encased in bone and 3-layered meninges

What is the Autonomic Nervous System responsible for?

Regulating internal environment (Controls internal organs)

What are the Meninges?

Three-layered support structures for the CNS

What is the Dura Mater?

Thick outer layer of the Meninges immediately under bone (Tough Matter)

What is the Arachnoid Mater?

Spider-web-like spongy layer of the Meninges (Subarachnoid Space filled with CSF) "Spider Mother"

What is the Pia Mater?

Pliant inner layer of the Meninges, conforms to brain & spine surface, includes blood vessels (Pious Mother)

What is Meningitis?

Inflammation of the Meninges

What are Ventricles?

Hollow, inter-connected cavities in the brain that produce Cerebral Spinal Fluid (CSF)

Where are the 2 Lateral and Third Ventricles located?

Forebrain

Where is the Cerebral Aqueduct located?

Midbrain

Where is the Fourth ventricle located?

Hindbrain

What is the function of CSF?

Cushion, support (float) jellylike brain, protect Cord, provides reservoir of hormones & nutrition

What is the half-life of CSF?

Approximately 3 hours

What happens if the flow of CSF from Ventricles is blocked?

Hydrocephalus ("water on the brain"); may be surgically drained

What is the Blood-Brain Barrier?

Semi-permeable barrier that provides strict controls over chemical content of brain

Why is the Blood-Brain Barrier important?

Proper functioning of Neurons depends on regulation of chemistry of intra & extra-cellular fluids; also protects brain from infection since lacks body's immune-system protection & cells can't regenerate

What does the Blood-Brain Barrier consist of?

Specialized capillaries with tight cell junctions

What is the role of Glia Cells - Astrocytes in the Blood-Brain Barrier?

Help create barrier

What molecules can passively cross the Blood-Brain Barrier?

Small uncharged and some fat-soluble molecules including thiamin (Vitamin B1), nicotine, heroin, cannabinol

What molecule require active transport to cross the Blood-Brain Barrier?

Glucose (primary nutrient)

What is the function of the Medulla?

Controls breathing, heart-rate, vomiting, coughing, and other vital reflexes

What is the function of the Pons?

Relays info between Cortex & Cerebellum and between Brain & Spinal Cord

What is the function of the Reticular Formation?

Involved in Arousal

What is the function of the Raphe System?

Involved in Sleep

What is the function of the Cerebellum?

Motor programs; Organizes online sensory input to guide movement; Modifiable by learning, timing actions, coordinated activity, shifting of attention

What is the role of the Hindbrain?

Ancient, posterior part of brain consisting of Medulla, Pons and Cerebellum

What is the Brain Stem?

Hindbrain (not including Cerebellum), together with Midbrain and Diencephalon of Forebrain

What is the Tectum?

Part of sensory pathways to brain

What is the role of the Pons and Medulla?

Include Cranial Nerves V through XII that carry sensory/motor info to/from the head

What is the function of the Midbrain?

Central structures above Hindbrain; Proportionally larger & more important in simpler brains

What molecules can pass through the Blood-Brain Barrier among fat-soluble molecules?

Thiamin (vitamin B1, req for glucose use), nicotine, heroin, cannabinol

What is the effect of some toxins on the Medulla?

Can be fatal via pathological effects on Medulla

What is the function of the Barrier in the Medulla?

Weaker than in other parts of the body, allowing some toxins to pass, trigger vomiting

What is the function of the Cerebellum in timing actions?

Critical in timing actions, including for graceful, coordinated activity

What is the function of the Cerebellum in attention?

Important in relevant shifting of attention

What are the components of Tectum?

Superior Colliculus and Inferior Colliculus

What does the superior colliculus consist of

Vision including "blindsight"

What does the inferior colliculus consist of?

audition

What is Tegmentum?

Major motor pathways below Tectum

What are the components of Forebrain?

Diencephalon and Telencephalon

What is Thalamus?

Paired central structures atop midbrain, primary source of input to Cerebral Cortex

What are the functions of Thalamus?

Most sensory and motor systems have nuclei here, project to visual, auditory, motor etc. cortex. Other nuclei involved in arousal of cortex, intrinsic neurons for information processing within Thalamus

What is Hypothalamus?

Small structure with many nuclei, just ventral to Thalamus, oversees Feeding, Fighting, Fleeing, Sex, Temp and Clock

What are the functions of Hypothalamus?

Via neural and hormonal connections to Autonomic Nervous System, controls Endocrine systems via affect on adjacent Pituitary Gland, produces releasing hormones that flow via veins to Anterior Pituitary stimulating that gland to release, produces other hormones sent via axons to Posterior Pituitary, then circulate in bloodstream

What is Limbic System?

Surrounding most of the above-mentioned structures, involved in Motivational and Emotional behavior, includes Hippocampus, Amygdala, Cingulate Gyrus, Olfactory Bulb and others

What is Hippocampus?

Posterior and inferior to the Thalamus/Hypothalamus, named after its seahorse shape

What is the Amygdala?

Almond-shaped structure in temporal lobe for memory and spatial mapping

What is the Cingulate Gyrus?

Limbic cortex for emotional expression and evaluation

What is the Olfactory Bulb?

Receives input from olfactory receptors and interacts with Limbic System for emotional-memory-evoking capacity of smell

What is the Basal Ganglia?

Sub-cortical structures for motor control and learning

What does the Basal Ganglia consist of?

Involved in the control of movement, especially planned sequential behaviors, mediated by memory and emotion- Involved in task-setting, implicated in deficits like Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder & ADD-

What does the degeneration of Midbrain neurons lead to?

whose axons reach Basal Ganglia \=\> Parkinson's Disease,with its symptoms of tremors, rigidity of limbs, poor balance & difficulty in initiating movements

What is the basal forebrain?

cortical area just anterior to hypothalamus

What is the Cerebral Cortex?

Outermost structure covering most of brain

How many layers does the Cerebral Cortex have?

6

What are the bulges and folds of the Cerebral Cortex called?

Gyri and Sulci/Fissures

What divides the Parietal and Frontal Lobes?

Central Sulcus

What divides the Temporal and Frontal Lobes?

Lateral Sulcus

What are the four lobes of the Cerebral Cortex?

Occipital, Temporal, Parietal, Frontal

What is the function of the Occipital Lobe?

Visual Processing

What is the primary projection area of the Occipital Lobe?

V1 or Striate

What are the separate pathways of the Occipital Lobe?

Color, Detail, Motion, Depth, etc.

What is the function of the Temporal Lobe?

Higher Visual, Audition, Emotion & Language Comprehension

What is the primary auditory projection area of the Temporal Lobe?

A1

What is Wernicke's Area?

Language comprehension area in the left hemisphere

What is the function of the Inferior Temporal?

Higher Visual area along 'Who/What' pathway, including Face Cells

What is the function of the Medial Temporal?

Part of the 'Where/How' pathway, includes many Motion Sensitive cells

What is the function of the Anterior Temporal?

Implicated in Emotional expression and interpretation, especially Right Hemisphere

What is the function of the Parietal Lobe?

Higher Visual, Somatosensory Processing and Spatial Mapping

What is the primary projection area of the Parietal Lobe?

S1 for Somatosensory info

What is the Penfield Map?

Map of body surface along the Postcentral Gyrus

What are Canonical Cells?

Respond to 'affordances' of object (how it can be handled, used)

What is the Mirror Cell System?

Reacts when see self or other do action, part of Premotor Cortex

What is the frontal lobe responsible for?

Motor cortex, language production, and strategy

What is the precentral gyrus?

Motor cortex, map of body for motor control

What are premotor areas responsible for?

Preparing to act, planning

What are mirror cells responsible for?

Respond to seeing self or other perform manual tasks

What is Broca's area?

Specialized for language production

What is the prefrontal cortex responsible for?

Planning, self-control, most developed in humans

What happens when there is damage to the prefrontal cortex?

Deficits in emotional expression, social inhibition, planning, impulse control

What is the corpus callosum?

A bundle of axons communicating between the two hemispheres of the cerebral cortex

What is the corpus callosum made of?

White matter of the brain, connecting the grey matter

What is the percentage of white matter in the brain?

66% by volume

What is the Spinal Cord made of?

31 segments with sensory and motor nerves