Bio 201 - Human Anatomy and Physiology 1 - Chapter 11

Flashcards about the central nervous system, meninges, ventricles, cerebrospinal fluid, and the brain.

What are the components of the central nervous system (CNS)?

Brain and spinal cord

What is the function of meninges?

Membranes that protect the brain and spinal cord.

What are the three layers of the meninges?

Dura mater, arachnoid mater, and pia mater

What fluid is contained within the subarachnoid space?

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)

What produces cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)?

Choroid plexus in the ventricles of the brain.

List the four ventricles of the brain.

Two lateral ventricles, third ventricle, fourth ventricle

What are some of the main functions of the brain?

Sensory processing, motor commands, higher mental functions, coordinating muscular movements, and regulating visceral activities

From what three vesicles does the brain form?

Forebrain (prosencephalon), midbrain (mesencephalon), and hindbrain (rhombencephalon)

What major structures develop from the forebrain?

Cerebrum, basal nuclei, and diencephalon

What major structures develop from the hindbrain?

Cerebellum, pons, and medulla oblongata

What are the four major portions of the brain?

Cerebrum, diencephalon, cerebellum, and brainstem

Name the five lobes of the cerebral hemispheres.

Frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital, and insula

What is the cerebral cortex?

Thin layer of gray matter that makes up the outermost layer of the cerebrum

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

Interpreting impulses from sensory organs

What are the key functions of association areas of the cerebral cortex?

Analyze and interpret sensory experiences; provide memory, reasoning, verbalization, judgement, and emotions

What is the function of the primary motor area of the cortex?

Control voluntary muscles

Which side of the brain is dominant in most people?

Left hemisphere

What skills are typically controlled by the dominant hemisphere?

Language skills of speech, writing, reading; verbal, analytical, and computational skills

What is long-term potentiation?

Increase in neurotransmitter release and effectiveness of synaptic transmission upon repeated stimulation

What neurotransmitter do basal nuclei produce?

Dopamine

What are the major components of the diencephalon?

Thalamus and hypothalamus

What is the function of the thalamus?

Gateway for sensory impulses ascending to the cerebral cortex

What is the function of the hypothalamus?

Maintains homeostasis by regulating visceral activities

What are the three major components of the brainstem?

Midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata

What is the function of the reticular formation?

Filters incoming sensory information and arouses the cerebral cortex into a state of wakefulness

What are two types of sleep?

Non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep

What are the recordings of fluctuating electrical changes in the brain called?

Brain waves, commonly recorded from an electroencephalogram (EEG)