HUMB1000 Compendium 9: Nervous System Structure and Function

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the anatomy and function of the Central Nervous System (CNS), Peripheral Nervous System (PNS), and Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) based on lecture notes.

Anterior / ventral horn of grey matter

The region of grey matter in the spinal cord that contains motor neuron cell bodies.

Anterior / ventral root

The structure through which motor information leaves the spinal cord.

Posterior / dorsal root

The structure through which sensory information enters the spinal cord.

Dorsal root ganglion

A cluster of nerve cell bodies located on the posterior root of a spinal nerve.

Endoneurium

The protective connective tissue layer that surrounds individual axons in a peripheral nerve.

Perineurium

The protective connective tissue layer that surrounds groups or bundles of axons (fascicles).

Epineurium

The outermost protective layer of connective tissue that surrounds a whole peripheral nerve.

Sciatic nerve

The largest nerve in the body, formed from five different spinal cord levels, supplying the skin and muscles of the leg and foot.

Conus medullaris

The tapered, cone-shaped inferior end of the spinal cord.

Cauda equina

A collection of spinal nerve roots stretching between the end of the spinal cord and the exit points in the vertebrae, resembling a horse's tail.

Medulla oblongata

Part of the brainstem that regulates the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.

Pons

A part of the brainstem located between the midbrain and the medulla oblongata.

Midbrain

The most superior portion of the brainstem.

Diencephalon

The part of the brain between the brainstem and the cerebrum, consisting of the thalamus, hypothalamus, epithalamus, and subthalamus.

Hypothalamus

A diencephalon structure that maintains homeostasis and influences hormone release from the pituitary gland.

Thalamus

A large mass of grey matter in the diencephalon that serves as a relay station for sensory information.

Cerebellum

Part of the brain responsible for the control of balance, posture, and coordination of movement.

Frontal lobe

Cerebral lobe responsible for controlling voluntary motor commands.

Occipital lobe

Cerebral lobe primarily responsible for controlling vision.

Temporal lobe

Cerebral lobe involved in hearing and memory.

Parietal lobe

Cerebral lobe responsible for integrating sensory information.

Insula

The fifth lobe of the cerebrum, located deep within the lateral sulcus.

Grey matter

Tissue in the CNS composed of neuron cell bodies, dendrites, and axon terminals.

White matter

Tissue in the CNS composed of myelinated axons.

Corpus callosum

A thick band of white matter that connects the two cerebral hemispheres.

Central sulcus

The groove that separates the frontal lobe from the parietal lobe.

Lateral fissure / sulcus

The groove that separates the temporal lobe from the frontal and parietal lobes.

Dura mater

The thickest, toughest outermost layer of the meninges that holds the brain in place.

Arachnoid mater

The thin, wispy middle layer of the meninges.

Pia mater

The innermost layer of the meninges, bound tightly to the surface of the brain and spinal cord.

Cerebrospinal fluid ($CSF$)

A watery solution formed from blood plasma that cushions and protects the brain and spinal cord.

Choroid plexuses

Specialized ependymal cells in the ventricles that produce cerebrospinal fluid ($CSF$).

Ventricles

C-shaped or small cavities within the brain filled with cerebrospinal fluid ($CSF$).

Hippocampus

A brain region involved in the formation of new memories, as identified in the case of Patient H.M.

Dysarthria

A condition resulting in difficulty recruiting muscles needed for formulating speech.

Agenesis

A medical term referring to the failure of an organ or part to develop.

Ganglia

Collections of neuron cell bodies located outside the Central Nervous System (CNS).