Unit 2: Chapter 14 eText Question

What name is given to fibers carrying information between the brain and spinal cord, and through which brain regions do they pass?

Projection fibers link the cerebral cortex to the spinal cord, passing through the diencephalon, brainstem, and cerebellum.

What are the primary functions of the limbic system?

The limbic system is responsible for processing memories and creating emotional states, drives, and associated behaviors.

Identify the components of the cerebellar gray matter.

include the cerebellar cortex and cerebellar nuclei.

What are the three divisions of the trigeminal nerve?

ophthalmic nerve (V1), the maxillary nerve (V2), the mandibular nerve (V3).

Damage to the lateral geniculate body of the thalamus would interfere with the functions of which special sense?

with the sense of sight.

What are cranial reflexes?

Cranial reflexes are automatic responses to stimuli that involve the sensory and motor fibers of cranial nerves. Both monosynaptic and polysynaptic reflex arcs occur. Cranial reflex testing is often used to assess damage to cranial nerves or to the associated processing centers in the brain.

Name the four groups of components found in the pons.

(1) sensory and motor nuclei of cranial nerves (V, VI, VII, and VIII), (2) nuclei involved with the control of respiration, (3) nuclei and tracts that process and relay information sent to or from the cerebellum, (4) ascending, descending, and transverse pontine fibers.

What would happen if the normal circulation or resorption of CSF were blocked?

CSF would continue to be produced at the choroid plexus in each ventricle, but the fluid would remain there, causing the ventricles to swell—a condition known as hydrocephalus.

Which component of the diencephalon is stimulated by changes in body temperature?

Changes in body temperature stimulate the pre-optic area of the hypothalamus,

Damage to the amygdaloid body would interfere with regulation of what division of the autonomic nervous system (ANS)?

Damage to the amygdaloid body would interfere with the sympathetic ("fight or flight") division of the autonomic nervous system (ANS).

What symptoms would you expect to observe in an individual who has damage to the basal nuclei?

Damage to the basal nuclei would result in decreased muscle tone and the loss of coordination of learned movement patterns.

If the respiratory centers of the pons were damaged, what respiratory controls might be lost?

Result in loss of ability to modify the respiratory rhythmicity centers of the medulla oblongata, which set the basic pace for respiratory movements.

Which reflex and type are you testing if you shine a light in a person's eye?

Shining a light in a person's eye tests the pupillary reflex and the consensual light reflex, which are visceral reflexes.

What part of the brain has the arbor vitae? What is its function?

The arbor vitae, which is the internal, white matter part of the cerebellum, connects the cerebellar cortex and nuclei with the cerebellar peduncles.

What brain regions make up the brainstem?

The brainstem is made up of the midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata.

What structures make up the brainstem?

The brainstem is made up of the midbrain, the pons, and the medulla oblongata.

The central sulcus divides which two lobes?

The central sulcus divides the anterior frontal lobe from the more posterior parietal lobe.

Name the four major regions of the brain.

The four major regions of the brain are the cerebrum, cerebellum, diencephalon, and brainstem.

Which portion of the lentiform nucleus is more medial and which portion is more lateral?

The globus pallidus of the lentiform nucleus is more medial and the putamen of the lentiform nucleus is more lateral.

From superficial to deep, name the layers that make up the cranial meninges.

The layers of the cranial meninges are the outer dura mater, the middle arachnoid mater, and the inner pia mater.

List the maters surrounding the brain from the deepest layer to the most superficial layer.

The maters surrounding the brain (from deepest to most superficial) are the pia mater, the arachnoid mater, and the dura mater (meningeal cranial dura and periosteal cranial dura).

A patient suffers a head injury that damages her primary motor cortex. Where is this area located?

The primary motor cortex is located in the precentral gyrus of the frontal lobe of the cerebrum.

Which primary brain vesicle is destined to form the cerebellum, pons, and medulla oblongata?

The rhombencephalon or hindbrain

After suffering a stroke, a patient is unable to speak. He can understand what is said to him, and he can understand written messages, but he cannot express himself verbally. Which part of his brain has been affected by the stroke?

The stroke has damaged Broca's area (motor speech area), located in the left cerebral hemisphere.

Which area of the midbrain controls reflexive movements of the eyes, head, and neck in response to visual stimuli?

The superior colliculi of the midbrain control reflexive movements of the eyes, head, and neck to visual stimuli, such as a bright light.

A patient is having a difficult time remembering facts and recalling long-term memories. Which part of his cerebrum is probably involved?

The temporal lobe of the cerebrum is probably involved, specifically the hippocampus and the amygdaloid body. His problems may also involve other parts of the limbic system that act as a gate for loading and retrieving long-term memories.

Identify the sensory nuclei within the corpora quadrigemina.

Two pairs of sensory nuclei make up the corpora quadrigemina: the superior colliculi and inferior colliculi.

Which senses would be affected by damage to the temporal lobes of the cerebrum?

interfere with the processing of olfactory (smell) and auditory (sound) sensations.

The medulla oblongata is one of the smallest sections of the brain, yet damage there can cause death, whereas similar damage in the cerebrum might go unnoticed. Why?

it contains many vital autonomic reflex centers, including those that control breathing and regulate heart rate and force of contraction, which affect blood pressure

How would decreased diffusion across the arachnoid granulations affect the volume of cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricles?

less CSF would reenter the bloodstream, and CSF would accumulate in the ventricles. The increased pressure within the ventricles due to accumulated CSF could damage the brain.

Many water-soluble molecules that are abundant in the blood occur in small amounts or not at all in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of the brain. Why?

the blood brain barrier regulates the movement of such molecules from the blood to the ECF of the brain.

Name the main components of the diencephalon.

the epithalamus, thalamus, and hypothalamus.

Identify the components of the medulla oblongata that are responsible for relaying somatic sensory information to the thalamus.

the gracile nucleus and cuneate nucleus