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Brain and Cranial Nerves - Anatomy & Physiology

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Terms in this set (29)

  • Origin of the brain during embryological development
    The ectoderm folds to form the neural tube; the anterior portion becomes the brain, and the posterior portion becomes the spinal cord.
  • Primary brain vesicles and their derivatives
    Diencephalon forms thalamus, hypothalamus, epithalamus; telencephalon forms cerebrum; mesencephalon forms midbrain; metencephalon forms pons and cerebellum; myelencephalon forms medulla.
  • Three main protective coverings of the brain
    Cranial bones, meninges (dura mater, arachnoid, pia mater), and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
  • Functions of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
    Provides mechanical protection, chemical protection, and circulation of nutrients and waste products.
  • Blood-brain barrier (BBB) components
    Tight junctions of endothelial cells, continuous basement membrane, and astrocyte processes form the BBB to protect brain cells.
  • Medulla oblongata functions
    Regulates vital reflexes like heart rate, respiratory rate, vasoconstriction, and non-vital reflexes such as swallowing and coughing.
  • Pons role in the brain
    Connects spinal cord with brain, relays voluntary movement impulses to cerebellum, contains nuclei for cranial nerves V-VII, and helps control respiration.
  • Midbrain key features
    Connects pons and diencephalon, contains visual and auditory reflex nuclei (corpora quadrigemina), and nuclei for cranial nerves III and IV.
  • Reticular formation functions
    Regulates muscle tone, alerts cortex to sensory signals (RAS), and maintains consciousness and awakening from sleep.
  • Cerebellum functions
    Coordinates skeletal muscle contractions, maintains muscle tone, posture, and balance by comparing motor output to sensory feedback.
  • Thalamus function
    Acts as a relay station for all sensory impulses except smell, and registers conscious recognition of pain and temperature.
  • Hypothalamus major roles
    Controls autonomic nervous system, links nervous and endocrine systems, regulates emotions, body temperature, hunger, thirst, and sleep-wake cycles.
  • Cerebrum structure
    Largest brain part with gray matter cortex containing gyri and sulci, and underlying white matter connecting brain regions.
  • Cerebral lobes
    Frontal, parietal, occipital, temporal lobes, and the insula (deep to other lobes).
  • Types of cerebral white matter fibers
    Association fibers connect gyri in the same hemisphere; commissural fibers connect hemispheres; projection fibers connect cerebrum with other brain parts and spinal cord.
  • Basal nuclei function
    Paired gray matter masses that help control muscular movements.
  • Limbic system functions
    Involved in emotions, behavior, memory, and modifying emotional responses.
  • Primary sensory areas of cerebral cortex
    Receive impulses from sense organs for touch, pain, temperature, vision, hearing, taste, and smell.
  • Primary motor area location and function
    Located in precentral gyrus; controls voluntary skeletal muscle movements.
  • Electroencephalogram (EEG) uses
    Records brain waves to diagnose epilepsy, tumors, trauma, metabolic abnormalities, and confirm brain death.
  • Brain lateralization: left hemisphere functions
    Controls right-handed movements, spoken and written language, and numerical/scientific skills.
  • Brain lateralization: right hemisphere functions
    Controls left-handed movements, musical/artistic awareness, spatial perception, insight, imagination, and mental imagery.
  • Short-term vs long-term memory
    Short-term memory lasts seconds to hours and involves electrical/chemical events; long-term memory lasts days to years and involves anatomical and biochemical synaptic changes.
  • Acetylcholine (ACh) in the brain
    Neurotransmitter that can stimulate or inhibit depending on receptor; principal neurotransmitter at neuromuscular junction.
  • Gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) role
    An amino acid neurotransmitter involved in brain neuron inhibition.
  • Parkinson's disease cause and symptoms
    Degeneration of dopamine-producing neurons causes dopamine-ACh imbalance, leading to involuntary muscle contractions and movement difficulties.
  • Multiple sclerosis (MS) pathology
    Progressive destruction of CNS myelin sheaths disrupting nerve impulse transmission.
  • Cranial nerves count and naming mnemonic
    12 pairs named by distribution and order of brain attachment; mnemonic: Oh, Oh, Oh, The, Texture, And, Flavor, Of, Very, Good, Vegetables, AH.
  • Cerebrovascular accident (CVA)
    Common brain disorder known as stroke caused by interrupted blood flow to the brain.