Lecture: CNS (Brain and Spinal Cord)

Basal Nuclei are clusters of grey matter with the brains medulla (internal cerebrum). What are the 6 functions of it?

- help start/stop movements -regulate muscle tone - control subconscious and voluntary skeletal muscles -influence some cognitive processes -receive input from cerebral cortex - give output to motor proteins of cerebral cortexx via thalamus nuclei

Brain ventricles are fluid filled spaces in the brain, where are they in the brain?

-1st and 2nd lateral (left and right) -3rd midline, superior to hypothalamus -4th btw brain stem and cerebellum

Ependymal cells have _____ junctions between them that controls passage of substances from blood into CSP and is called what?

-tight -blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier

what is an example of a function of the Reticular Activating System (RAS)?

-wake up when it gets light in your room bc RAS detects it

T/F the limbic system includes parts of the cerebrum and thalamus

FALSE it contains part of the cerebrum and diencephalon

T/F the medulla oblongata controls rate and force of heart beat?

FALSE: it also controls the diameter of blood vessels

what does the common integrative area do?

allows you to make thoughts based on all sensory input

motor tracts are on what side of the spinal

anterior

What two main tracts does the spinal cord have?

ascending (sensory) and descending (motor)

The reticular formation is a broad region of what two things?

brain stem and diencephalon

what is a choroid plexus?

capillary network in the walls of the ventricles

T/F the thalamus transmits input from the cerebellum and basal nuclei to the primary motor area of the ___________

cerebrum

What are the two spinal cord enlargements?

cervical enlargement and lumbar enlargement

what do tracts allow?

communication to different parts of the brain

The RAS (reticular activating system) help with what two things?

consciousness and wakefulness

what happens when you take too much melanin?

decrease sensitivity to it and then your body makes it less and you rely on it

Where is corpus callosum?

down the middle of the cerebral hemisphere

T/F the right side of the brain receives sensory info from the right side of the body

false, opposite side of body

T/F the two hemispheres of the cerebrum and its parts are identical

false, the parts are the same, but slightly different and allow people to be good at different things

T/F the medullary rhythmicity area adjusts basic rhythm of blood flow

false: contols basic rythmycity of breathing will unconscious (sleeping)

what does the Olive do?

gives motor impulses to cerebellum

The cerebral cortex is made of what matter?

gray matter with gyri/sulci

What is a gyri (gyrus) and sulcus

gyri- surface brain sulcus- groove

what does wernicke's are allow you to do?

interpret meaning of speech -understanding what is being said

where is the specific location of the diencephalon?

its in the central core of the brain tissue from the brain stem to cerebrum and surrounds the 3rd ventricle

Where is CSF produced?

made by choroid plexus

What is the function of the diencephalon?

many sensory/motor processing btw HIGHER and LOWER brain center

What region of the cerebrum will you find tracts?

medulla and some make it to the cortex

what does the pineal glad (in the diencephalon) secrete?

melatonin

what does the premotor area control?

memory bank for complex movements like tying shoe

What does the association area in the cerebral cortex allow?

memory, personality traits, emotions and intelligence

what are pyramids? what do they do?

motor tracts -control voluntary movements of trunk and limbs

what is the tree of life in the cerebellum?

myelinated axons

What does the visual aa allow you to do?

not read, but association/ recognition

spinal cord tracts are named by what two things?

position and origin destination

sensory tracts are on what side of the spinal cord?

posterior

The precentral gyrus is in what primary area

primary motor area

The thalamus relays and processes sensory impulses to the ________ ________ ________ of the cerebrum

primary sensory area

what does the auditory aa allow you to do?

recognize a particular sound - not interpreting but knowing what a sound comes from

What does the association tract do?

run impulse between gyri of the same hemisphere

What do projection tracts do?

run impulses between cerebrum and lower CNS

what do commissural tracts do?

run impulses between gyri on opposite hemispheres

what do the cerebral peduncles do? (in midbrain of brain stem)

send nerve impules to medulla, pons and spinal cord

What is the general area of "the diencephalon"

the middle of the brain

where does the ascending tract go to in the brain?

thymus bc its the relay center of the brain. it brings signals to primary motor control center

T/F RAS maintains attention and alertness

true

T/F The cerebral cortex contains the cerebrum

true

T/F insula is embedded brain matter of the cerebrum

true

T/F the thalamus is the relay center of the brain

true

T/F there are SO many association areas in the cerebral cortex and they are the following -somatosensory aa -visual aa -auditory aa -wernicke's area -common integrative area -prefrontal cortex -premotor area -frontal eye field area

true

what does the corpora quadrigemina control? (in midbrain of brain stem)

visual reflexes and auditory relexes

what does the frontal eye field area allow?

voluntary scanning with eyes

what kind of matter composes the internal cerebrum?

white matter

what are the three structres in the midbrain of the brain stem

-cerebral peduncles -corpora quadrigemina -nuclei

Describe basal nuclei

-clusters of grey matter deep in white matter -neuronal cell bodies

What are 3 main functions of the hypothalamus?

-controls ANS -production of hormones -regulation of eating/drinking -control of body temp -regulation of circadian rhythms and state of consciousness

the descending tract has what two pathways?

-direct (cerebral cortex and voluntary movements) -indirect (brain stem automatic movements)

what does the limbic system do? (2)

-draws from both sides of brain to recall memories and the emotions with them -olfaction

What is the BBB (Blood Brain Barrier) created by?

-endothelial cells of the CNS -astrocytes the press up against capillaries

what does the somatosensory aa allow you to do? what does it store?

-evaluate an object by touch -stores past somatic sensory experiences

what does the Pons do? (in midbrain of brain stem)

-has sensory and motor tracts that allow it to send/receive voluntary movements from the cerebral cortex to the cerebellum -controls breathing

what is the function of the cerebellum?

-helps with gracefulness AKA makes smooth and coordinated skeletal muscle contractions -maintains posture and balance

what does the highly folded surface of the cerebellum allow?

-increases surface area of outer grey matter surface to allow a greater amount of neurons

The brain stem acts as a relay center for processing and controlling . . .

-involuntary reflexes for seeing and hearing -govern reflexes vital to life

spinal cord functions include what 3 things?

-maintain homeostasis -nerve impulse propagation -information integration (spinal reflexes)

What are the three functions of CSF?

-mechanical protection -chemical protection -circulation of nutrients

What three parts of the brain are in the brain stem?

-midbrain -pons -medulla oblongata

What cannot pass the BBB?

-most antibiotics -toxins -proteins

what is the function of the thalamus in the diencephalon

-movement control -maintain conscious -pain perception -memory -learning -cognition

The hypothalamus in the diencephalon has the main function of?

-one of major regulators of homeostasis by controlling release the hormones from the pituitary

What does the sensory area in the cerebral cortex allow?

-perception of sensory information AKA: conscious awareness

what is the prefrontal cortex concerned with?

-personality -complex learning abilities -intuition

what 3 parts of the brain are in the diencephalon?

-pineal gland -thalamus -hypothalamus

the medulla oblongata in the brain stem has what two strucutres?

-pyramids -the Olive

what are the two descending motor functions of RAS?

-regulate posture -maintain muscle tone

what do the nuclei do? (in midbrain of brain stem)

-releases dopamine (neurotransmitter) -helps control subconscious muscle activity

what are the three areas of the cerebral cortex?

-sensory areas -motor areas -association areas

What are the 4 ways your body protects the CNS

-skull and vertebrae -CSF -Meninges -Blood brain barrier

What does melatonin do?

-sleep -controls development

What are the 5 primary sensory regions in the cerebral cortex?

-somatosensory area - visual area -auditory -gustatory -olfactory

what is the function of broca's area and where is it?

-speech/moves muscles for pronunciation - in primary motor area

What are the two main regions of the cerebrum?

-Cortex (outer) -internal (medulla)

What are the two function of the BBB?

-Limit diffusion of material in and out of the brain -To protect

what allows pyramids to connect opposite sides of the body to opposite sides of the brain

-the cross at decussations before reaching the spinal cord

what malfunctions happen in the brain when you're in a coma or have narcolepsy

-RAS malfunctions

what can diffuse into the brain through the BBB?

-anything with a receptor -O2 -CO2 -Glucose -most anesthetics -alcohol

What does blood bring to and away from the brain and spinal cord?

-brings nutrients and oxygen -takes waste and CO2

what are Tracts? (cerebrum) What kind of matter?

-bundles of myelinated nerve axons -white matter

What are the three kinds of white matter tracts in the cerebrum?

Association tracts, commissural tracts and projection tracts

what are two other regions of cerebrum?

Basal nuclei and Tracts

What _____ area is in the primary motor area?

Broca's area

What does the motor area in the cerebral cortex allow?

Commands skeletal muscles to move

What lobes are in the cerebrum?

Frontal, temporal, occipital, parietal

The cauda equina is a collection of spinal nerve roots that hang from the ____ ______

spinal cord

ascending tract contains ...

spinothalamic tract and posterior column

What starts blood flow to the brain

the circle of willis