Chapter 13 Central Nervous System Lab

Dural sinuses

Located between the 2 dural layers. All deoxygenated blood from the brain drains into the dural sinuses, which in turn drain into veins exiting the head and neck.

Frontal lobe

Located in front of the central sulcus. Concerned with reasoning, planning, parts of speech and movement, emotions, and problem-solving.

Cauda Equina

fills the remainder of the vertebral column to the sacrum and exits out of the appropriate foramina to become spinal nerves.

Cerebral cortex

The 2 millimeters' s outer layer of gray matter that covers the cerebral hemispheres. It consists of neurons' cell bodies , axons, and dendrites. The cerebral cortex is responsible for higher functions of the nervous system, including voluntary activity and the senses of hearing, vision, and touch. It is the center of learning, language, and memory.

Basal Nuclei

The basal ganglia (or basal nuclei) are a group of nuclei of varied origin in the brains of vertebrates that act as a cohesive functional unit . They are situated at the base of the forebrain and are strongly connected with the cerebral cortex, thalamus, and other brain areas. The basal ganglia are associated with a variety of functions, including voluntary motor control, procedural learning relating to routine behaviors or "habits" such as bruxism, eye movements, and cognitive, emotional functions.

Medulla oblongata

The lowest part of the brain and the lowest portion of the brainstem. The medulla oblongata is connected by the pons to the midbrain and is continuous posteriorly with the spinal cord, with which it merges at the opening (foramen magnum) at the base of the skull.

Pia mater

The thinnest, innermost meninx is the pia mater. the pia mater clings to the surface of the cerebral hemispheres and is richly supplied with blood vessels.

ventricles

Ventricles are sets of communicating cavities within the brain. These structures are responsible for the production, transport and removal of cerebrospinal fluid, which bathes the central nervous system.

Vermis

A narrow, worm-like structure found in the brains between the hemispheres of the cerebellum; it is the site of termination of the spinocerebellar pathways that carry subconscious proprioception.

Nerve roots:posterior or dorsal root

A posterior branch of each spinal nerve turns toward the posterior to innervate muscles and skin of the back.

Cerebral Hemispheres

By means of a prominent groove, called the longitudinal fissure, the brain is divided into two halves called hemispheres. The cerebral hemisphere is one half of the cerebrum, the part of the brain that controls muscle functions and also controls speech, thought, emotions, reading, writing, and learning. The right hemisphere controls the muscles on the left side of the body, and the left hemisphere controls the muscles on the right side of the body.

Cerebral lobes

Each cerebral hemisphere is divided into four lobes by sulci and gyri. The sulci (or fissures) are the grooves and the gyri are the "bumps" that can be seen on the surface of the brain. The folding created by the sulci and gyri increases the amount of cerebral cortex that can fit in the skull. These are frontal lobe, parietal lobe, temporal lobe, occipital lobe, insula.

Filum terminale

It is a delicate strand of fibrous tissue, proceeding downward from the apex of the conus medullaris. It is one of the modifications of pia mater. It gives longitudinal support to the spinal cord.

arachnoid matter

It is interposed between the two other meninges, the more superficial and much thicker dura mater and the deeper pia mater, from which it is separated by the subarachnoid space. The delicate arachnoid layer is attached to the inside of the dura and surrounds the brain and spinal cord.

Hypothalamus

It is located on the anterior and inferior aspect of the diencephalon. It is a deceptively small structure that contains the nuclei whose neurons carry out many of the body's homeostatic functions including: helping to regulate the endocrine system; monitoring the sleep-wake cycle; controlling thirst, hunger, and body temperature and helping to monitor the autonomic nervous system.

Epithalamus

It is located on the posterior and superior aspect of the diencephalon. It is contains and endocrine organ called the pineal gland, which secretes the hormone melatonin that helps to regulate the sleep-wake cycle.

Pons

It is part of the brainstem, known as the hindbrain. It is located in the lower part of the brainstem. The pons contains nerve bundles that function to carry movement and sensory messages between the brain and the body. It coordinates movement and balance in the head, neck and body and plays a primary role in sleeping, dreaming, digestion, swallowing, breathing, eye movement and heartbeat.

Arbor Vitae

It is the cerebellar white matter, so called for its branched, tree-like appearance. In some ways it more resembles a fern and is present in both cerebellar hemispheres. It brings sensory and motor information to and from the cerebellum. The arbor vitae is located deep in the cerebellum.

Conus medullaris

It is the tapered, lower end of the spinal cord. It occurs near lumbar vertebral levels 1 (L1) and 2 (L2), occasionally lower. The upper end of the conus medullaris is usually not well defined.

Occipital Lobe

Located at the back of the brain, behind the parietal lobe and temporal lobe. Concerned with many aspects of vision.

Parietal Lobe

Located behind the central sulcus. Concerned with perception of stimuli such as touch, pressure, temperature and pain.

Temporal Lobe

Located below the lateral fissure. Concerned with perception and recognition of auditory stimuli (hearing) and memory (hippocampus).

corpus callosum

The brain is divided into the right and left hemisphere, and the two halves are connected by the corpus callous. The corpus callosum is the largest collection of white matter within the brain. It contains over 200 million axons (nerve fibers that carry electrical impulses from neurons' cell bodies) by rough estimate. This neural tissue facilitates communication between the two sides of the brain.

Cerebellum

The cerebellum is located behind the top part of the brain stem (where the spinal cord meets the brain) and is made of two hemispheres (halves). The cerebellum receives information from the sensory systems, the spinal cord, and other parts of the brain and then regulates motor movements. The cerebellum coordinates voluntary movements such as posture, balance, coordination, and speech, resulting in smooth and balanced muscular activity. It is also important for learning motor behaviors.

nerve roots: anterior or ventral root

consists of axons from motor neurons whose cell bodies are found within the gray matter of the spinal cord. A ventral root and a dorsal root unite to form a spinal nerve, which passes outward from the vertebral canal through an intravertebral foramen (bone opening).

Lateral Horn

contains cell bodies of autonomic neurons.

Posterior horn

contains the cell bodies of the sensory neurons. These neurons receive input from sensory axons in the peripheral nervous system. These sensory axons are found in bundles called the posterior or dorsal root.

Anterior horn

contains the cells bodies of motor neurons. The axons of the neurons of the anterior horn exit the spinal cord and for the ventral root, which eventually becomes part of the spinal cord.

Thalamus

it is a large egg shaped mass of gray matter and white matter that compromises 80% of the diencephalon. It is a major integration and relay center that edits and sorts information going into and out of the cerebrum.

Funiculi: anterior, lateral and posterior funiculi

surrounding the spinal gray matter is the spinal white matter, which can be divided into 3 funiculi or columns: anterior, posterior and lateral funiculi. Each funiculi contains myelinated axons that are grouped into bundles called tracts.

Midbrain

the most superior portion of the brainstem is the midbrain. The midbrain is a portion of the central nervous system associated with vision, hearing, motor control, sleep/wake, arousal (alertness), and temperature regulation.

Dura mater

the outermost meninx is the thick, leathery, double layered dura mater. The superficial dura layer is fused to the skull, and the deeper layer is continuos with the dura mater of the spinal cord .These layers are fused and form 3 regions: falx cerebri, falx cerebelli, and tentorium cerebelli.

Gray matter horns

the spinal cord consists of a butterfly shaped core of gray matter, which surrounds the CSF filled central canal. The gray matter is divide into horns: anterior, lateral and posterior horns.

Brainstem

the third major portion of the brain is the brainstem. It influences the automatic functions of the body, such the rhythm for breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, and certain reflexes.