Ch. 14

Regions: 

  • cerebrum 

  • cerebellum

  • diencephalon 

  • midbrain 

  • pons

  • medulla oblongata 

Neural cortex: 

  • layer of gray matter on the surfaces of the cerebrum (cerebral cortex) and cerebellum 

Ventricles: 

  • contain CSF  

Meninges: 

  • cranial meninges are continous with spinal meninges

Dura mater: 

  • folds including falx cerebri, tentorium, cerebelli, and falx cerebelli 

CSF: 

  • protects delicate neural structures 

  • support the brain 

  • transports nutrients, chemical messengers, and waste products 

Choroid plexuses

  • produces CSF 

  • reaches the subarachnoid space

  • through the lateral and median apertures

  • diffuses across arachnoid granulations

  • into superior sagittal sinus 

Blood-brain-barrier: 

  • isolates neural tissue from the general circulations 

Medulla Oblongata: 

Relays sensory information to thalamus and to other portions of the brain stem

  • Olivary nuclei, reflex center, cardiovascular, respritory rhythmicity center are all relay stations 

  • Reticular formations: begins in the medulla oblongata and extends into more superior portions of the brain stem

Pons: 

Contains nuclei and tracts that carry or relay sensory and motor information 

  • Contains sensory and motor nuclei for four cranial nerves 

  • nuclei that help control respiration 

  • nuclei and tracts linking the cerebellum with the brain stem, cerebrum, and spinal cord 

  • contain ascending, descending, and transverse tracts

Cerebellum: 

Coordinates learned and reflexive patterns of muscular activity at the subconscious level

  • Adjusts postural muscles and programs and tunes ongoing movements 

  • Two cerebellar hemispheres consist of anterior and posterior lobes the vermis and the flocculondular lobe 

  • Superior, middle, and inferior cerebellar peduncles link the cerebellum with the brain stem, diencephalon, cerebrum, and spinal cord and interconnect the two cerebellar hemisphere 

Midbrain: 

Regulates auditory and visual reflexes and controls alertness 

  • Tectum: roof of midbrain

    • Contains the corpora quadrigemina (Superior & Inferior colliculi)

  • Tegmentum: Contains the red nucleus, substantia nigra, cerebral peduncles, and headquarter of the reticular activating system

Diencephalon: 

integrates sensory information with motor output at the subconscious level 

  • Composed of the epithalamus, hypothalamus, and thalamus 

Thalamus: 

  • Final relay point for ascending sensory information and coordinates the activities of the basal nuclei and cerebral cortex

Hypothalamus: 

  • control somatic motor activities at subconscious level 

  • control autonomic function 

  • coordinate activities of the nervous system and endocrine systems 

  • secrete certain hormones 

  • produce emotions and behavioral drives 

  • coordinate voluntary and autonomic functions 

  • coordinate circadian cycles of activity 

  • regulates body temperature 

Limbic system: 

Group of tracts and nuclei that function in emotion, motivation, and memory

  • amygdaloid body, cingulate gyrus, dentate gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus, hippocampus, and fornix 

Cerebrum: 

Largest region of the brain, contains motor, sensory and association areas 

Conscious thought processes intellectual functions

  • Gyri: elavated ridges on the cortical surface 

  • Sulci: shallow depressions, seperate gyri 

  • fissures: deeper grooves 

  • Longitudinal fissure: seperates the two cerebral hemispheres 

  • Central sulcus: seperates the frontal and parietal lobes 

White Matter:

  • of the cerebrum contains association fibers, commissural fibers, and projection fibers 

Basal Nuclei:

  • Caudate nucleus, globus pallidus, and putamen control muscle tone and coordinate learned movement patterns and other somatic motor activities

Primary Motor Cortex:

  • Precentral gyrus

  • directs voluntary movements

Primary Sensory Cortex:

  • Postcentral gyrus

  • receives somatic sensory information from touch, pressure, pain, vibrations, taste, and temperature receptors

Association areas:

Control our ability to understand sensory information and coordinate a motor response

  • Somatic sensory association

  • Visual association area

  • Premotor cortex

General interpretive area:

  • Receives information from all the sensory association areas

Speech Center:

  • regulates the patterns of breathing and vocalization needed for normal speech

Prefrontal Cortex:

  • Coordinates information from the secondary and special association areas of the entire cortex and preforms abstract intellectual functions

Electroencephalogram:

  • Alpha waves - healthy resting adults

  • Beta Waves - concentrating

  • Theta waves - Children

  • Delta Waves - during sleep

Cranial Nerves:

Olfactory nerve I: Smell / sensory

Optic nerve II: Visual / Sensory

Oculomotor nerves III: extrinsic eye muscles / Motor

Trochlear nerves IV: superior oblique muscle / motor

Trigeminal nerves V: Oblique, maxillary, mandibular innervation / Motor & Sensory

Abducens nerve VI: Lateral rectus muscle of eye / Motor

Facial Nerves VII: muscles of scalp and face / Motor

Vestibulocochlear nerve VIII: Contain the vestibular branch, balance, position, and movement and cochlear branch, hearing /

Glossopharyngeal nerves IX: Innervate tongue and pharynx & swallowing /

Vagus nerves X: Innervate thorax and abdomen /

Accessory nerves XI: Swallowing muscles, pectoral girdle /

Hypoglossal nerves XII: tongue movements /