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Neuroanatomy Basics
Intro to Neuroanatomy
84
Anatomy
Undergraduate 1
09/26/2012

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Cards

Term
a nerve cell, which transmits electrical and chemical information throughout the body
Definition
neuron
Term
part of the neuron that receives information from the axons of other nerve cells
Definition
dendrite
Term
part of the neuron that carries messages away from one neuron to the dendrites of another
Definition
axon
Term
contains the nucleus and other parts of the cell needed to sustain its life
Definition
cell body/soma
Term
a fatty covering around the axon that speeds neural impulses
Definition
myelin sheath
Term
the branched end of the axon that contains neurotransmitters
Definition
terminal buttons
Term
bubblelike containers of neurotransmitters, located at the end of an axon
Definition
vesicles
Term
chemicals in the endings of nerve cells that send information across the synapse
Definition
neurotransmitters
Term
the junction point of two or more neurons; a connection is made by neurotransmitters.
Definition
synapse
Term
brain and spinal cord
Definition
central nervous systems CNS
Term
all other nerves (besides brain and spinal cord)
Definition
peripheral nervous system
Term
controls voluntary movement
Definition
somatic nervous system
Term
controls involuntary movements
Definition
autonomic nervous system
Term
covers the lower brain and controls mental processes such as thought
Definition
cerebral cortex
Term
contains the motor strip and frontal association area
Definition
frontal lobes
Term
area that interprets visual information
Definition
occipital lobes
Term
area responsible for hearing and some speech functions
Definition
temporal lobes
Term
major division of the brain
Definition
lobe
Term
one-half of the two halves of the brain; controls the opposite side of the body
Definition
hemispheres
Term
cerebrum
Definition
-largest part of brain

-divided into lobes: frontal, parietal, occipital, and the temporal

-responsible for thought, action, perception, imagination, judgment, and decision making

-critical in complex thought and learning
Term
corpus callosum
Definition
-communicates between 2 hemispheres of brain

-located in longitudinal fissure of the brain

-tells each half of the brain what the other is doing
Term
frontal lobe
Definition
-it's the lobe in the front

-forms anterior portion of each cerebral hemisphere

-deals w/ higher intellectual processes

-"home to personality"

-left lobe deals with language and logic

-right= "artsy fartsy"
Term
parietal lobe
Definition
-posterior to frontal lobe

-reception and evaluation of most sensory info: touch, taste, pressure, pain, and temperature

-deals with verbal expression of thoughts, feelings, and ideas
Term
cerebral cortex
Definition
-deals with attention, memory, language, and thought

-has motor areas and association areas

-covers brain
Term
basal nuclei
Definition
-synthesize the neurotransmitter dopamine

-act as a series of four "circuits"
Term
thalamus
Definition
-the switching station for sensory input

-top of brainstem

-superior to hypothalamus

-involved in motor function and receives all sensory signals except for smell, which goes straight to the cerebal cortex
Term
hypothalamus
Definition
the control center for hunger, thirst, fatigue, anger, and body temperature
Term
dura mater
Definition
-the outermost covering of the brain

-made of connective tissue

-one of the meninges
Term
meningis
Definition
-protective membranes surrounding the CNS

-3 layers: dura mater, arachnoid mater, pia mater
Term
cerebellum
Definition
-contains more than 50% of the neurons in your brain

-determines body position, contains the superior (how to get there), inferior (where body is), and medial (where you want to be) peduncles
Term
pons
Definition
-on brainstem

-posterior and inferior to midbrain

-controls arousal

-works with medulla oblongata to control breathing and sleep
Term
midbrain
Definition
-controls basic unconscious body function

-joins brainstem with higher parts of brain

-reflex functions

-has visual and auditory reflex centers
Term
brainstem
Definition
-the lower part of the brain

-continuous with spinal cord

-medulla oblongata, pons, and midbrain are all adjoined to it
Term
limbic system
Definition
-includes the hypothalamus, hippocampus, amygdala and other nearby areas

-responsible for our "emotional life"

-critical in memory formation
Term
ventricles
Definition
-interconnected cavities in the cerebral hemispheres and brainstem

-continuous with the central canal in the spine

-filled with CSF
Term
what is gray matter
Definition
cell body
Term
what is white matter
Definition
axons
Term
why do axons appear whiter than cell bodies?
Definition
myelinated axons have a high fat content which makes them appear white
Term
what is the corpus collosum
Definition
a large axon tract that is an interconnecting pathway between the left and right hemispheres.
Term
what is the thalamus involved in?
Definition
relay of both sensory and motor information
Term
what does the hippocampus play a role in?
Definition
memory formation
Term
what sits on top of the midbrain?
Definition
thalamus
Term
1. Front of Brain

2. Back of brain

3. Top half of brain

4. Bottom half of brain
Definition
1. anterior

2. posterior

3. dorsal

4. ventral
Term
cerebellum
Definition
(little Brain) - resonsible for:

1. motor coordination

2. balance
Term
thalamus
Definition
Relay site for sensory processes
Term
corpus callosum
Definition
Connects the hemispheres
Term
hypothalamus
Definition
Definition 9
Implicated in hunger and thirst, temperature regulation, reproduction behaviors and aggression
Term
occipital lobe
Definition
Visual processing
Term
parietal lobe
Definition
auditory processing language comprehension object recognition
Term
frontal lobe
Definition
motor control reasoning, language production inihitory control, working memory
Term
basal ganglia
Definition
voluntary motor control
Term
limbic system
Definition
Critical for emotions and memory

Emotions = lamygdala

Memory = hipocampus
Term
brain stem
Definition
Definition 16
regulates reflex activities that are critical to survival such as heart rate and respiration
Term
Meninges are three protective membranes covering the brain and spinal chord, list them in order of the outermost layer to the inner (including the term referring to the space between 2 and 3):
Definition
1. dura mater
2. arachnoid membrane
sub-arachnoid space
3. pia mater
Term
Now describe these membranes
-dura mater
-arachnoid membrane
-sub-arachnoid space
-pia mater
Definition
DM: the tough outer most layer
AM: spiderweb-like layer
SS: interval between the AM and PM that contains blood vessels and is filled by CSF
PM: layer closest to the brain, thin and mesh like, attached to the brain by astrocytes
Term
List and Describe the subdivisions on the Peripheral Nervous System
Definition
-autonomic nervous system: responsible for monitoring conditions in the internal environment and bringing about appropriate changes in them
-somatic nervous system: responsible for voluntary control of body movements through skeletal muscles, and sensory reception of external stimuli
Term
In the spinal chord signals leave _______ and return _________.
Definition
-ventrally
-dorsally
Term
Brain matter is white or gray. Gray matter is primarily composed of ________ while white is primarily composed of _________.
Definition
-cell bodies
-myelinated axons
Term
sensory neurons enter the spinal chord through the _______ _______, while motor neurons enter the spinal chord through the ________ ________.
Definition
-dorsal root
-ventral root
Term
List the four lobes of the cerebral cortex and what they regulate
Definition
-occipital: vision (damage = blindbness)
-parietal: somatasensory (sense of body outline = perception)
-temporal: hearing + balance/equilibrium
-frontal: primary motor cortex (tells you what to do)/prefrontal cortex (decides to do it)
Term
The ______ fissure seperates the frontal and temporal lobe, while the _______ fissure separates the frontal and parietal
Definition
-lateral
-central
Term
What are the 2 basic cells of the nervous system?
Definition
neurons
glial cells
Term
What cells are found inside the CNS?
Definition
glial cells
Term
what are neurons?
Definition
cells specialized for the reception, conduction, and transmission of electrochemical signals
Term
what are glial cells?
Definition
support cells that provide nutrients, clear waste, and provide a physical matrix

also participate in neurotransmission by sending signals to neurons and receiving signals from them, control the establishment and maintenance of synapses, and form circuits and may contribute to synaptic plasticity
Term
Ventral horns of the spinal cord are _________ and dorsal horns are _________.
Definition
motor; sensory
Term
what is the thalamus?
Definition
relay center for sensory information (touch, vision, hearing)
Term
what does the hypothalamus do?
Definition
controls all aspects of motivated (pleasure/pain) and regulatory behavior
Term
what is considered the master gland?
Definition
hypothalamus (closely involved in regulation and secretion of hormones)
Term
what is the cerebellum
Definition
conspicuous bulbous structure protruding from the posterior brain

"little brain"
Term
What is the cerebellum involved in?
Definition
aspects of learning and coordination of skilled or smooth movement (posture, walking, equilibrium)
Term
What structures make up the brainstem?
Definition
thalamus
hypothalamus
reticular formation
cerebellum
medulla
Term
What roles does the limbic system have?
Definition
three-layer cortical structure covering the periphery of the brainstem on the ventral surface of the lateral ventricles
Term
What is the hippocampus involved in?
Definition
learning and memory (along with the fornix, mammillary bodies, and cingulate gyrus)
Term
What is the majority of the cerebral cortex surface called?
Definition
neocortex
Term
What cells makes up the cerebral cortex?
Definition
glia (support cells)
cell bodies
dendrites
interconnecting axons of neurons
Term
What type of functions are done in the left hemisphere?
Definition
analytical (extraction of elements that make up a whole)

ex: good at recognizing serial events
Term
What type of functions are done in the right hemisphere?
Definition
synthesis (putting isolated elements together to perceive a whole)
Term
What is the corpus callosum?
Definition
band of axons that connects the two cerebral hemispheres
Term
What is the basal ganglia?
Definition
collection of subcortical nuclei in the forebrain

lies beneath the anterior portion of the lateral ventricles
Term
What is the frontal lobe for?
Definition
initiating thought
Term
What is the parietal lobe for?
Definition
sensory, integration
Term
What is the temporal lobe for?
Definition
speech, learning
Term
What is the occiptal lobe for?
Definition
vision
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