Chapter 13 Brain and Cranial Nerves

Parahippocampal gyrus

located on the medial side of the temporal lobe

The most conspicuous nuclei...

mammillary bodies appear as bulges on the ventral surface of the diencephalon

The cerebellar cortex also contains...

mossy fibers, which are afferent axons that branch extensively within the cerebellum

The vagus nerve is sensory for

taste from the root of the tongue

Purkinje cells receive...

200,000 synapses, are inhibitory neurons, and are the only cerebellar cortex neurons that send axons to the cerebellar nuclei

The medulla oblongata (medulla) is about...

3 cm long

The subarachnoid space is filled with

CSF

Various nuclei in the limbic system

anterior nuclei of the thalamus, the habenula in the epithalamus, and the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus

Purkinje cells

are the largest and probably the most interesting cells in the CNS

Specifically, the spinal cord...

blends into the medulla oblongata

Cingulate gyrus

certain cerebral cortical areas located along inner surface of the longitudinal fissure above the corpus collosum

Structurally, the limbic system consists of

certain cerebral cortical areas including the: cingulate gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus, various nuclei, dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, parts of the basal nuclei (amygdala), hypothalamus-mammillary bodies, olfactory cortex, and tracts connecting the various cortical areas and nuclei, such as the fornix (connects hippocampus to thalamus mammillary bodies)

The term limbic refers to...

deep portions of the cerebrum that form a ring around the diencephalon

The most superficial of the meninges is a thick, tough membrane called the

dura mater

The hypothalamus is a central controller of the

endocrine system, because it regulates the pituitary glands secretion of hormones, which influence functions as diverse as metabolism, reproduction, response to stressful stimuli, and urine production

The olfactory and optic nerves are

exclusively sensory and are involved in the special senses of smell and vision

The gray matter of the spinal cord..

extends as a continuous mass in the center of the cord

The part of the diencephalon directly connected to the pituitary gland is the

hypothalamus

The medulla oblongata is the most.....

inferior part of the brainstem and is continuous inferiorly with the spinal cord

The hypothalamus is the most...

inferior portion of the diencephalon and contains several small nuclei and tracts

Most muscles of the soft palate, pharynx, and larynx are

innvervated by the vagus nerve

In the medulla oblongata the gray matter...

is organized into discrete nuclei, clusters of gray matter composed mostly of neuron cell bodies

The cerebellar cortex contains more...

neurons than the entire cerebral cortex

Damage to the laryngeal branches of the vagus nerve can interfere with

normal speech

Mammillary bodies are involved in

olfactory reflexes and emotional responses to odors and memory

The subdural space contains

only a very small amount of serous fluid

The third meningeal layer, the

pia mater is bound very tightly to the surface of the brain

Posterior to the central sulcus is the

postcentral gyrus which is the primary somatic sensory cortex

Anterior to the central sulcus is the

precentral gyrus which is the primary motor cortex

The medulla oblongata contains....

sensory and motor tracts, cranial nerve nuclei, and related nuclei

The vagus nerve, like the facial and glossopharyngeal nerves is

somatic motor, sensory, and parasympathetic in function and has both sensory and parasympathetic ganglia

The general pattern of the gyri is similar in all normal human beings, but

some variations exists between individuals and even between the two hemispheres of the same cerebrum

About 80%-90% of the CSF is produced by

specialized ependymal cells within the lateral ventricles, with the remainder produced by similar cells in the third and fourth ventricles

The cerebellar cortex contains several cell types

stellate, basket, granule, Golgi, and Purkinje cells

Between the arachnoid mater and the pia mater is the

subarachnoid space which contains weblike strands of the arachnoid mater and the blood vessels supplying the brain

The space between the arachnoid mater and the dura mater is the

subdural space

The grooves on the surface of the cerebrum are called

sulci

Specialized ependymal cells...

support tissue, and the associated blood vessels are collectively called the choroid plexuses

The major relay station for sensory input that projects to the cerebral cortex is the

thalamus

A funnel shaped stalk...

the infundibulum extends from the floor of the hypothalamus and connects it to the pituitary gland

The cranial nerve involved in chewing food is the

trigeminal (V)

The choroid plexuses are formed by invaginations of the

vascular pia mater into the ventricles, thus producing a vascular CT core covered by ependymal cells

Several medullary nuclei function as centers for...

vital reflexes, such as those involved in regulating heart rate, blood vessel diameter, respiration, swallowing, vomiting, hiccuping, coughing and sneezing

The next meningeal membrane is the very thin...

wispy arachnoid mater