LAB Exam 1 Review Flashcards

Main Regions of the Brain

  • Four main regions:
    • Cerebrum: Largest part; responsible for higher brain functions, including thinking and voluntary muscle movement.
    • Diencephalon: Contains thalamus and hypothalamus; regulates sensory information and autonomic functions.
    • Brainstem: Connects brain to spinal cord; controls vital functions such as heart rate and breathing.
    • Cerebellum: Coordinates voluntary movements; maintains balance and posture.

Cerebral Lobes

  • Five cerebral lobes:
    • Frontal Lobe:
    • Functions: Motor control, decision-making, personality.
    • Parietal Lobe:
    • Functions: Processes sensory information such as touch and temperature.
    • Temporal Lobe:
    • Functions: Involved in processing auditory information and memory.
    • Occipital Lobe:
    • Functions: Responsible for vision.
    • Insula:
    • Functions: Involved in consciousness and emotion regulation.

Brain Structures and Functions

  • Longitudinal fissure:
    • Separates the cerebral hemispheres.
  • Corpus Callosum:
    • Connects the two hemispheres, allowing communication between them.
  • Choroid Plexus:
    • Produces cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
  • Cerebral Aqueduct:
    • Located in the midbrain; connects the 3rd and 4th ventricles.

Cranial Nerves and Functions

  • CN I (Olfactory):
    • Function: Smell.
  • CN II (Optic):
    • Function: Vision.
  • CN VII (Facial):
    • Function: Controls facial expression.
  • CN X (Vagus):
    • Function: Parasympathetic control of organs.

Spinal Cord Anatomy

  • Central Canal:
    • Filled with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
  • Three horns of spinal gray matter:
    • Anterior Horn: Contains motor neurons.
    • Posterior Horn: Contains sensory neurons.
    • Lateral Horn: Contains autonomic neurons.
  • Funiculi in the spinal cord:
    • White matter columns: Anterior, Posterior, Lateral.

Reflex Arc Components

  • Five components of a reflex arc:
    1. Receptor: Detects stimulus.
    2. Sensory Neuron: Transmits the signal to the spinal cord.
    3. Integration Center: Processes the information (may involve interneurons).
    4. Motor Neuron: Sends signal to the effector.
    5. Effector: Muscle or gland that executes the response.

Types of Reflexes

  • Monosynaptic reflex:
    • Involves one synapse (e.g., knee-jerk reflex).
  • Ipsilateral reflex:
    • Response occurs on the same side of the body.
  • Contralateral reflex:
    • Response occurs on the opposite side of the body.

Comparative Anatomy

  • Sheep Brain vs. Human Brain:
    • Sheep brain is smaller, more horizontally oriented, with larger olfactory bulbs compared to humans.

Meninges Structure

  • Layers of meninges (from outer to inner):
    1. Dura Mater: Tough outer layer.
    2. Arachnoid Mater: Middle layer, web-like structure.
    3. Pia Mater: Innermost layer, adheres closely to the brain.