Central Nervous System - Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key CNS anatomy and functional terms from the lecture.

Central nervous system (CNS)

The brain and spinal cord; the center of information integration and processing.

Brain

Part of the CNS located in the skull; processes information and coordinates responses.

Spinal cord

Part of the CNS extending from the brainstem down the spine; transmits signals and mediates many reflexes.

Meninges

Three protective layers surrounding the brain: pia mater, arachnoid mater, and dura mater.

Pia mater

The soft, innermost meningeal layer that adheres to the brain.

Arachnoid mater

The web-like middle meningeal layer; contains projections to the pia mater and the subarachnoid space where CSF flows.

Dura mater

The tough outer meningeal layer; provides strong protection and sits beneath the skull.

Meningitis

Inflammation or infection of the meninges.

Cerebrum

The largest part of the brain, divided into lobes; involved in thought and conscious processing.

Cerebellum

“Little brain”; coordinates movement, maintains tone and balance, and fine-tunes motor activity.

Brain stem

Bottom part of the brain consisting of the midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata; houses cranial nerves and vital autonomic functions.

Gray matter

CNS regions rich in neuron cell bodies; site of information processing and integration.

White matter

CNS regions rich in myelinated axons; acts as highways for rapid signal transmission.

Cortex

The outer layer of the cerebrum composed mainly of gray matter; site of conscious processing.

Frontal lobe

Brain lobe containing the motor cortex; initiates voluntary movement and higher functions.

Motor cortex

Region of the frontal lobe controlling voluntary motor activity.

Parietal lobe

Brain lobe containing the somatosensory cortex; processes bodily sensations.

Somatosensory cortex

Region of the parietal lobe that processes touch, temperature, pain, and other sensations.

Occipital lobe

Brain lobe containing the primary visual cortex; processes visual information.

Temporal lobe

Brain lobe containing the auditory cortex; processes sounds.

Cerebellum functions

Maintains tone, posture, and balance; fine-tunes movements based on sensory input.

Midbrain

Upper part of the brainstem; contains nuclei for certain cranial nerves and basic sensory processing.

Pons

Middle part of the brainstem; relays signals and houses cranial nerve nuclei.

Medulla oblongata

Lower part of the brainstem; controls vital autonomic functions like breathing and heart rate.

Cranial nerves

Nerves that emerge from the brainstem and control head/neck functions (face, senses, speech, etc.).

Reflexes

Involuntary, rapid responses that often bypass conscious brain processing; protect the body (e.g., blink, cough, jaw jerk).

Spinal cord regions

Cervical (neck), thoracic, lumbar, sacral, and coccygeal divisions of the spinal cord.

Peripheral nerves

31 pairs of nerves that emerge from the spinal cord and innervate the body.

Neurons

Primary signaling cells of the nervous system that transmit electrical and chemical signals.

Glial cells

Supporting cells in the nervous system that support and protect neurons.

Sensory information types

Touch, taste, tickle, temperature, pain, pressure, sight, sound, stretch, and concentration (as listed in the notes).

Integration

The process of making sense of sensory information in the brain/spinal cord to decide on a response.