A&P 1 Test 4 (chapter 12 brain)

What are the 4 parts of the brain

Cerebrum, Diencephalon, Cerebellum, Brainstem

What does each part of the brain do? (Cerebrum)

Largest part of the brain, Controls thinking, reasoning, memory, speech, and voluntary movement.

What does each part of the brain do? (Diencephalon/thalamus):

Relay station for sensory information

What does each part of the brain do? (diencephalon/Hypothalamus):

Regulates body temperature, hunger, thirst, sleep, and hormone release

What does each part of the brain do? (Diencephalon/Epithalamus):

Includes the pineal gland (melatonin/ sleep-wake cycle)

What does each part of the brain do? (cerebellum)

Controls balance, coordination, posture, and fine motor movements

What does each part of the brain do? (brainstem)

Controls vital life functions (breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, swallowing, and consciousness)

What does each part of the brain do? (brainstem/midbrain):

Visual/auditory reflexes

What does each part of the brain do? (Brainstem/pons):

Relay between cerebrum and cerebellum; helps regulate breathing

What does each part of the brain do? (Brainstem/ Medulla oblongata)

controls autonomic functions (heartbeat, breathing, blood pressure)

What are the meninges? (dura mater)

The outermost, thickest, most durable layer, made of dense fibrous connective tissue.)

What are the meninges? (Arachnoid Mater)

The middle layer, thin web-like membrane,

What are the meninges? (Subarachnoid space)

below the arachnoid mater, contains CSF, cushions the brain and acts as a shock absorber

What are the meninges? (Pia mater)

The innermost and thinnest layer, Rich in blood vessels that supply the brain tissue.

What’s a Falx Cerebri?

A large, crescent-shaped fold of the dura mater that dips vertically into the longitudinal fissure. Separates the left and right hemispheres.

What’s the longitudinal fissure?

the deep groove that runs along the midline of the brain from front to back, dividing the cerebrum into the left and right hemispheres

What’s the central sulcus?

A prominent groove that runs across the top of each cerebral hemisphere, from ear to ear. Divides the frontal lobe from the parietal lobe.

What is the precentral Gyrus?

the ridge of brain tissue located in the frontal lobe, directly in front of the central sulcus.

What does the precentral gyrus do?

Responsible for controlling voluntary movement. Contains the motor homunculus.

What is the postcentral gyrus?

The ridge of brain tissue located in the parietal lobe sitting directly behind the central sulcus. located in the parietal lobe

What does the postcentral gyrus do?

Receives sensory signals from all over the body via the thalamus, processes what you’re feeling, and where on your body you’re feeling it.

What is the central sulcus?

A deep groove that runs across the top of each cerebral hemisphere. A border between the frontal lobe and the parietal lobe.

What does the Central sulcus?

the dividing line between MOVEMENT and SENSATION

Frontal Lobe

Voluntary movement, Planning & decision making, Problem solving & reasoning, Emotions and emotional regulation.

Parietal Lobe

Somatosensory processing, Proprioception, Spatial awareness &orientation, Reading & math processing

Temporal Lobe

Hearing & auditory processing, Language comprehension, Memory formation, emotion processing

Broca’s area

Controls the motor production of speech

Wernicke’s area

Comprehension of spoken and written language

Hippocampus

Converts short-term memory into long-term memory

Amygdala

Processes fear, emotions, and emotional memories

Occipital lobe

Vision & visual processing, visual memory, depth perception

What is gray matter?

Where thinking, sensing, decision-making, and motor commands actually happen.

Why is gray matter gray?

It lacks myelin; without the white coating, the tissue will appear gray.

What is white matter?

carries signals between different regions of the CNS

Where do you find gray matter (brain)?

On the outside, the cerebral cortex forms. The thin, wrinkly outer layer where all the lobes, gyri, and sulci are

Where is the white matter located? (Spine)

On the inside, Deep fiber tracts connecting the brain region

Where is gray matter located? (spinal cord)

White matter on the outside, ascending and descending tracts carrying signals up and down.

Where is gray matter located? (spinal cord)

Found on the inside, forms a distinctive butterfly or H-shape

Gray matter horns (Dorsal posterior)

Receive sensory information

(ventral anterior) horns

Sends out motor commands

Commissural Tracts (Direction)

left - right hemispheres.

Commissure Tracts (function)

Connect corresponding regions of the two hemispheres so they can communicate and coordinate,

Association Tracts (direction)

Front to back (within the SAME hemisphere)

Association tracts (function)

Connects different regions or lobes within ONE hemisphere so they can work together

Projection Tracts (direction)

Up and down (cerebral cortex → lower brain structure & spinal cord)

Projection Tracts (function)

Carry signals between the cortex and everything below it.

Primary sensory cortex (somatosensory cortex)

Receives and processes somatic sensation and proprioception from the opposite side of the body. (Parietal lobe)

Primary motor cortex

Initiates and controls voluntary skeletal muscle movement on the opposite side of the body. Frontal lobe

Visual cortex (primary visual cortex)

Receives and processes visual information from the eyes. Occipital lobe

Primary auditory cortex

Receives and processes sound information. Temporal lobe

Broca’s area (Broca’s center)

Controls motor production of speech. Frontal lobe

Wernicke’s Area (Wernicke’s Center)

Responsible for comprehension of spoken and written language. Temporal lobe

What are the two arteries that supply the brain with blood?

Internal Carotid artery, Vertebral arteries

Which structure actually makes the CSF? 

The Choroid Plexus

Where in the brain is CSF made? 

In the ventricles

What is the flow of CSF from the lateral ventricles of the brain to the superior sagittal sinus, naming all structures involved?

Lateral ventricles → Intraventricular foramen → Third ventricle → Cerebral aqueduct → Fourth ventricle → Median/lateral apertures -→ Subarachnoid space → Arachnoid granulations → Superior sagittal sinus

What is an epidural hematoma?

A collection of blood that accumulates between the skull and the dura mater

What is a subdural hematoma?

a collection of blood that accumulates between the dura mater and the arachnoid mater.

What is the function of the basal nuclei?

to help regulate and fine-tune voluntary movement.

Which inhibitory neurotransmitter is located here?

GABA

Where is it produced? (GABA)

in the basal nuclei

What are the three parts of the diencephalon?

Thalamus, hypothalamus, epithalamus

What is the function of each part of the diencephalon? (Thalamus)

Sensory relay station, Filters & sorts of sensory input, motor relay, consciousness & alertness.

What is the function of each part of the diencephalon? (hypothalamus)

Body temp, water balance/thirst, Hunger, sleep-wake cycle, autonomic nervous system, emotions, endocrine control, hormone production

What is the function of each part of the diencephalon? (Epithalamus)

Melatonin production, Sleep regulation, connection to the limbic system, and choroid plexus attachment.

What are the three parts of the brain stem?

Midbrain, Pons, Medulla Oblongata

What is the function of the cerebral peduncles?

Carry motor and sensory information between the cerebrum and the brainstem/spinal cord.

What is the function of the substantia nigra?

to produce dopamine, a neurotransmitter essential for smooth, controlled voluntary movement.

What is the function of the corpora quadrigemina?

Visual and auditory REFLEX centers (autonomic reflexes).

What are the major vital centers in the pons and medulla oblongata? (pons)

Pneumotaxic Center, apneustic Center

What are the major vital centers in the pons and medulla oblongata? (Medulla oblongata).

Dorsal Respiratory Gorup, Ventral Respiratory Group, Cardioinhibitory Center, Vasomotor center

What ae the fucntions of the cerebellum?

Coordination of Voluntary movement, Balance and Equilibrium, Muscle tone regulation, Motor leaning, Speech coordination.

What is Ataxia? 

A lack of voluntary coordination of muscle movements

What is the limbic system?