Anatomy and Physiology: Muscular and Nervous Systems

Comprehensive practice flashcards reviewing the anatomical structures of the muscular and nervous systems, covering feline dissection, human models, bone landmarks, and neuroanatomy.

Sarcomere

The repeating structural and functional subunit of a myofibril responsible for muscle contraction, bordered by Z discs.

Actin

The primary contractile protein found in thin filaments of a skeletal muscle sarcomere.

Myosin

The motor protein that comprises the thick filaments within a skeletal muscle sarcomere.

Tropomyosin

A regulatory filament protein that blocks the myosin binding sites on actin molecules when the muscle is relaxed.

Troponin

A regulatory protein complex that displaces tropomyosin upon binding calcium ions, exposing the myosin binding sites on actin.

Motor End Plate

The specialized folded region of the muscle fiber sarcolemma that forms the postsynaptic component of a neuromuscular junction with a somatic motor neuron.

Sarcolemma

The phospholipid bilayer plasma membrane surrounding an individual skeletal muscle fiber.

Endomysium

The delicate connective tissue layer that directly encloses each individual skeletal muscle fiber.

Genioglossus

An extrinsic fan-shaped muscle of the tongue that originates on the superior mental spine of the mandible and depresses and protracts the tongue.

Geniohyoid

A narrow muscle superior to the mylohyoid that extends from the mental spine of the mandible to the hyoid bone, pulling the hyoid anterosuperiorly.

Quadriceps Femoris

The large anterior thigh muscle complex comprising the rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, and vastus intermedius, which extends the leg at the knee.

Hamstrings

The posterior thigh muscle group consisting of the biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus that flexes the knee and extends the hip.

Gastrocnemius

The superficial two-headed posterior calf muscle that originates from the femoral condyles and plantarflexes the foot.

Soleus

A broad, flat posterior calf muscle deep to the gastrocnemius that plantarflexes the foot.

Tibialis Anterior

A muscle located on the anterior lateral surface of the tibia that dorsiflexes and inverts the foot.

Cat Trapezius Group

The three separate muscles composing the feline trapezius complex: clavotrapezius, acromiotrapezius, and spinotrapezius.

Cat Deltoid Group

The three separate feline shoulder muscles: clavodeltoid, acromiodeltoid, and spinodeltoid.

Latissimus Dorsi

A broad, triangular muscle of the lower and middle back that extends, adducts, and medially rotates the humerus.

Serratus Anterior

A fan-shaped lateral chest muscle that protracts and stabilizes the scapula against the thoracic wall.

Triceps Brachii

The three-headed extensor of the forearm at the elbow, consisting of a long head, lateral head, and medial head.

Biceps Brachii

A two-headed anterior arm muscle (short head and long head) that flexes and supinates the forearm and flexes the arm at the shoulder.

Brachialis

A major elbow flexor situated deep to the biceps brachii, originating on the humerus shaft and inserting onto the coronoid process and tuberosity of the ulna.

Brachioradialis

A superficial muscle on the lateral side of the forearm that originates from the lateral supracondylar ridge of the humerus and inserts near the styloid process of the radius.

Rectus Abdominis

A pair of long, vertical muscles that run down the anterior abdomen, separated by the linea alba and interrupted by tendinous intersections.

External Oblique

The largest and outermost of the three flat lateral abdominal wall muscles, running inferomedially.

Transversus Abdominis

The innermost layer of the flat abdominal wall muscles, oriented horizontally to compress abdominal contents.

Splenius Capitis

A strap-like muscle of the posterior neck extending obliquely upward to the mastoid process and occipital bone, acting to rotate and extend the head.

Gluteus Maximus Origin

The posterior aspect of the ilium, dorsal surface of the sacrum and coccyx, and sacrotuberous ligament.

Origin of Semitendinosus

The ischial tuberosity of the pelvis.

Adductor Longus Insertion

The middle third of the linea aspera on the posterior aspect of the femur.

Pes Anserinus Insertion Site

The proximal anteromedial surface of the tibia, receiving the conjoint insertions of the gracilis, sartorius, and semitendinosus.

Origin of Supraspinatus

The supraspinous fossa on the posterior surface of the scapula.

Medial Border of Scapula Insertions

The insertion landmarks along the vertebral margin of the scapula for the levator scapulae, rhomboid minor, and rhomboid major.

Greater Tubercle of Humerus Insertions

The proximal bony facets of the humerus where the tendons of the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and teres minor insert.

Intertubercular Sulcus Insertions

The groove on the proximal humerus where pectoralis major inserts laterally, latissimus dorsi inserts on the floor, and teres major inserts medially.

Dura Mater

The thick, tough, and fibrous outermost meninx surrounding the brain and spinal cord.

Arachnoid Membrane

The middle avascular, web-like meninx situated between the dura mater and the pia mater.

Pia Mater

The delicate, highly vascular innermost meningeal layer that adheres tightly to the surface of the brain and spinal cord.

Longitudinal Fissure

The deep sagittal groove that separates the right and left cerebral hemispheres.

Transverse Fissure

The prominent horizontal cleft that separates the occipital lobes of the cerebrum from the cerebellum.

Cerebral Cortex

The outermost convoluted layer of gray matter of the cerebrum, consisting of neuronal cell bodies and synapses.

Corpus Callosum

The prominent C-shaped commissural nerve tract beneath the cerebral cortex that facilitates communication between both hemispheres.

Arbor Vitae

The branching, tree-like pattern of white matter tracts found within the cerebellum.

Thalamus

The paired oval mass of gray matter in the diencephalon that acts as the sensory relay station for signals ascending to the cerebral cortex.

Hypothalamus

The ventral diencephalic structure situated beneath the thalamus that links the nervous and endocrine systems and regulates homeostasis.

Pre-central Gyrus

The ridge situated in the frontal lobe directly anterior to the central sulcus that functions as the primary somatomotor cortex.

Post-central Gyrus

The ridge in the parietal lobe immediately posterior to the central sulcus that functions as the primary somatosensory cortex.

Optic Chiasm

The X-shaped junction on the ventral surface of the brain where fibers from the medial halves of the retinas decussate.

Sciatic Nerve

The major nerve originating from the sacral plexus that traverses the posterior compartment of the thigh and branches into the tibial and common fibular nerves.

Conus Medullaris

The tapered, cone-shaped inferior terminus of the spinal cord proper, situated around lumbar vertebrae L1-L2.

Cauda Equina

The bundle of lumbar and sacral spinal nerve roots extending inferiorly through the vertebral canal below the conus medullaris.

Filum Terminale

The slender fibrous extension of pia mater that descends from the conus medullaris to anchor the spinal cord to the coccyx.

Dorsal Root Ganglion

The swelling on the dorsal root of each spinal nerve that houses the unipolar cell bodies of sensory afferent neurons.

Choroid Plexus

A vascular network of ependymal cells located within the ventricles of the brain that secretes cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).