Gross Anatomy of the Nervous System

Anatomical Organization of the Nervous System

Gross Anatomy of the Nervous System

Central Nervous System (CNS)

• Forebrain
• Cerebellum
• Brain stem
• Spinal Cord

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

• Motor neurons
• Sensory Neurons
• Autonomic neurons

Positioning

• Dorsal vs Ventral
    * Dorsal = top
    * Ventral = bottom
• Anterior vs Posterior
    * Anterior = front
    * Posterior = back
• Rostral vs Caudal
    * Rostral = towards the nose
    * Caudal = towards the tail

gray matter vs white matter

• gray matter
    * cell bodies, dentrites, axon terminals
    * nucleus, cortex, ganglion
• white matter
    * axons, myelin
    * tract, lenticularis, fasciculus, lemniscus, peduncle

Major Structures of the CNS

• Forebrain
    * Cerebral hemispheres
    * diencephalon
• Brainstem
    * Midbrain
    * Medulla
    * Pons
• Cerebellum
    * 2 cerebral hemispheres
• Spinal Cord

Cerebral Hemispheres

• Central sulcus
• Lateral sulcus
• Longitudinal fissure

What’s where in cerebral hemispheres

• Frontal lobe
• Central sulcus
• Parietal lobe
• Lateral sulcus
• Temporal lobe
• Occipital lobe

• Insula \n

Lec 2 Study Questions

 1. What is the evidence which suggests the role of the frontal lobe in the personality?

    
    1. Motor cortex
    2. Personality

       
       1. Phineas Gage
 2. What is the function of parietal lobe?

    
    1. Somatosensory cortex
    2. Spatial awareness
 3. What is the function of the occipital lobe?

    
    1. visual cortex
 4. What is the function of the temporal lobe?

    
    1. auditory cortex
    2. learning & memory

       
       1. events & facts
 5. What are two language areas in the brain? Be able to show them on the atlas.

    
    1. Location: bordering lateral sulcus
    2. Wernike’s area - more posterior
    3. Broca’s area - more anterior
 6. What is the function of the limbic system?

    
    1. Emotion, behavior, motivation, learning and memory, olfaction
    2. Composed of: Hippocampus, amygdala, insula
 7. What is the function of hypothalamus?

    
    1. autonomic control
 8. What is the function of the thalamus?

    
    1. relay to cortex
 9. Function of pineal gland?

    
    1. circadian rythyms

10. What are the functions of the brainstem (midbrain, pons, medulla)?

    
    1. Autonomic control
    2. Cranial nerves
    3. Long tracts
    4. Levels of consciousness (modulatory pathways & reticular activating system)

11. What is the function of the cerebellum?

    
    1. coordination
    2. limited sensory function

12. Spinal Cord

    
    1. Reflexes
    2. Long tracts