BIO gross anatomy

Anatomy of CNS

  • Meninges- protective layer of CNS, 3 layers, cerebral spinal fluid between layers

  • Meningitis- an acute inflammation of the meninges, high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness, deafness, death, and severe neck pain

  • Gray matter- cell bodies & some short unmyelinated axons

  • White matter- myelinated axons, white & greasy

  • Ventricles: space filled with cerebral spinal fluid, cushions & protects

  • Spinal cord: brain stem-> lumbar region, central canal filled with cerebral spinal fluid

Spinal cord

  • Primary Function: Helps brain & nerves communicate


Brain

  • Primary Function: Main organ of the nervous system

  • Cerebrum- folded & grey, 2 hemispheres, corpus callosum

  • Gyrus= hill

  • sulcus= groove

  • Frontal Lobe: Motor primary area precentral gyrus, larger area

  • Broca’s area speech production

  • Parietal lobe: primart sensory area= postcentral gyrus, pain movement, heat

  • Occipital lobe= vision

  • Temporal Lobe= auditory area (Wernicke’s area), hearing

  • Brain waves- electrical activity of the brain

  • Alpha waves- awake but eyes are closed

  • Beta waves- awake while looking at something

  • Theta waves- newborns (awake) & sleeping adults, faster while awake (newborns) & stressed out (adults)

  • Delta waves: slowest cycle, seen during adult sleep, sign of brain damage if seen in awake adult

  • Sleeping behavior is more genetic than environmental


2 categories of sleep

  1. Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep: “dream sleep”, increased heart rate: metabolism & neuron activity & memory systems, 90 mins

  2. Non REM sleep: everything else, decreased heart rate & metabolism & neuron activity

  • Limbic system: functional grouping- emotion, behavior, motivation, long-term memory, SMELL

  • Short-term memory (working memory)- amount of neurotransmitters released, preexisting neurons & synapses

  • Long-term memory- permanent structural & functional changes, new synapse established