Brain Flashcards

  1. What are the 4 major anatomical regions of the brain?
/ Cerebrum, Diencephalon, Brain stem, and Cerebellum
  1. What are the two regions in the diencephalon?
/ Thalamus and hypothalamus
  1. What are the three regions of the brain stem?
/ Midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata
  1. Why is proper nutrition important to the brain, and what is the main nutrient it requires?
/ The brain is one of the few organs that can only use glucose to get ATP as its energy source. Therefore, without some sugar in our bloodstream, the brain will die.
  1. What region of the brain is responsible for logical thought and conscious awareness?
/ Cerebrum
  1. What region of the brain is responsible for the highest sensory and motor activity?
/ Cerebrum
  1. What is the purpose of having gyri and sulci in the brain?
/ The gyri and sulci increase the surface area, and the surface is where the information processing is.
  1. What structure separates the two cerebral
  2. hemispheres?
/ Longitudinal fissure
  1. What is the largest portion of the brain?
/ CEREBRUM is the largest portion of the brain
  1. What is the second largest portion of the brain?
/ Cerebellum is the second largest portion of the brain
  1. Is the CEREBRUM made of grey matter or white matter?
/ Cerebrum is made of grey matter
  1. What is grey matter made up of?
/ Grey matter is made of cell bodies, dendrites, neuroglia, and unmyelinated axons.
  1. What is white matter made up of?
/ White matter is made of myelinated axons
  1. What are the two halves of the cerebrum called?
/ CEREBRAL HEMISPHERES.
  1. What area connects the right and left halves of the brain?
/ CORPUS CALLOSUM
  1. What would be the effect of cutting the corpus callosum?
/ The right cerebral hemisphere cannot communicate directly with the left hemisphere. It does not interfere with vision or hearing, and does not cause paralysis. However, it does interfere with being able to speak for a while after the surgery.
  1. What disorder has problems with communication between the right and left halves of the brain?
/ Autism is a neurological disease that includes problems with communication between the right and left cerebral hemispheres.
  1. What does the left side of the brain control?
/ Critical thinking. NOTE: planning and judgment are NOT in the left side of the brain…that is the entire frontal lobe.
  1. What does the right side of the brain control?
/ Emotions
  1. What part of the brain sorts out all the unnecessary sensory information?
/ THALAMUS
  1. What region of the brain provides homeostatic control over the body?
/ Hypothalamus
  1. What part of the brain that exerts more control over autonomic functioning than any other part?
/ The hypothalamus
  1. What is the main visceral control center of the brain?
/ hypothalamus.
  1. What does the hypothalamus control?
/ Temperature, autonomic nervous reflexes, glucose and hormone levels, and the visceral reflexes (digestion, sweating, hunger, thirst, and sleep). It does NOT control blood pressure directly.
  1. What are the three parts of the brain stem?
/ Brain stem: PONS, MIDBRAIN, and MEDULLA OBLONGATA
  1. What part of the brain controls automatic behaviors, such as fight-or-flight?
/ MIDBRAIN
  1. What part of the brain controls visual and
  2. audio REFLEXES?
/ The CORPORA QUADRAGEMINI
They send the information to the MIDBRAIN for processing
  1. What part of the brain is involved in addictions and in initiating body movement? Where is it located?
/ The SUBSTANTIA NIGRA, which is in the MIDBRAIN
  1. What neurotransmitter does it secrete?
/ Substatia nigra secretes DOPAMINE
  1. Damage to the substantia nigra causes
/ PARKINSON’S DISEASE
  1. What are two symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease?
/ Trouble starting movements
Pill-rolling tremor at rest
  1. What part of the brain relays sensory information between the cerebellum and cerebrum?
/ PONS
  1. What part of the brain controls autonomic functions such as breathing, blood pressure, and heart rate?
/ MEDULLA OBLONGATA (note: it does NOT control hunger and sleep)
  1. What part of the brain plays a role in rousing and maintaining consciousness? Where is it located?
/ RETICULAR FORMATION.
It is located throughout the brainstem
  1. What does melatonin do in humans?
/ Allows circadian rhythms (sleep cycles; what time of day you feel like sleeping or waking)
  1. What part of the brain makes melatonin?
/ Pineal gland (pineal body)
  1. What part of the brain is the BIOLOGICAL CLOCK and is responsible for jet lag?
/ PINEAL GLAND (pineal body)
  1. What is the second largest portion of the brain? What’s its function?
/ The CEREBELLUM is the second largest portion of the brain, and is responsible for being able to balance.
  1. The PRIMARY MOTOR CORTEX contains what type of neurons?
/ PRIMARY MOTOR CORTEX : UPPER MOTOR NEURONS
  1. What does the PRIMARY MOTOR ASSOCIATION AREA do?
/ Leaned motor skills and
Planning movement
  1. What area of the brain contains the motor homunculus?
/ PRECENTRAL GYRUS
  1. What is the motor homunculus?
/ A drawing of a man that represents how many neuron cell bodies we have that innervate each region of our body.
  1. Are all body parts equally represented by cell density in the motor area in proportion to their size in the body?
/ No. For instance, the lips and hands are drawn large to represent the many cells in the motor area that innervate those regions.
  1. What area of the brain receives signals for touch, temperature, pressure, and pain?
/ PRIMARY SOMATOSENSORY CORTEX
  1. What area of the brain interprets signals for touch, temperature, pressure, and pain?
/ SOMATOSENSORY ASSOCIATION AREA
  1. The center for vision in the cerebral cortex is located in which lobe of the brain?
/ occipital lobe
  1. What area of the brain receives signals from the eyes by way of CN II?
/ PRIMARY VISUAL CORTEX
  1. What area of the brain interprets signals from the eyes?
/ VISUAL ASSOCIATION AREA
  1. What is the effect of damage to Brodmann areas 18 and 19?
/ Damage to Brodmann areas 18 and 19 causes inability to recognize what one sees
  1. What area of the brain receives signals from sounds from the cochlear nerve?
/ PRIMARY AUDITORY CORTEX
  1. What area of the brain interprets signals from sounds?
/ AUDITORY ASSOCIATION AREA
  1. What region of the brain allows for speech? Stroke in this area can cause what?
/ Broca’s area
Stroke here can cause aphasia (unable to speak)
  1. What region of the brain allows for understanding of words?
/ Wernicke’s area
  1. Where is the primary gustatory (taste) cortex?
/ In the insula of the temporal lobe of the cerebrum
  1. Which lobe coordinates PLANNING AND JUDGMENT?
  1. What procedure was done to people who were overly aggressive?
  1. Do neurons regenerate?
/ Frontal lobe
Frontal lobotomy
No
  1. What part of the brain controls memory of events?
  1. Where are memories stored in the brain?
/ HIPPOCAMPUS
They are stored throughout the brain, especially in the cerebral cortex and cerebellum.
  1. What is anterograde amnesia?
/ can’t remember anything new
  1. What is retrograde amnesia?
/ can’t remember the past
  1. What is a stroke?
  1. What is the most likely cause of amnesia?
/ Something which deprives an area of the brain of oxygen; usually from a blood clot or hemorrhage in the brain (broken blood vessel)
Stroke
  1. What is dementia?
  1. What is Alzheimer’s Disease?
/ Dementia is loss of memory. It is a symptom, not a disease
Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common form of dementia.
  1. In what system of the brain is memory, emotion, and smell linked?
/ The LIMBIC SYSTEM
  1. The mammillary bodies are part of what region of the brain?
  1. What is the function of the mammillary bodies?
  1. How can you damage the mammillary bodies, and what disorder does it cause?
/ They are part of the diencephalon (thalamus and hypothalamus area). They are also part of the limbic system.
They relay recognition memory and add the sense of smell to memories.
They are damaged by thiamine (vitamin B) deficiency or by alcohol. The disorder is Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (anterograde amnesia)
  1. What does the fornix do?
/ Carries signals from the hippocampus to the mammillary bodies
  1. What part of the brain controls balance and coordination?
/ CEREBELLUM
  1. What is the tough meningeal layer called?
  1. What meningeal layer is between the dura mater and pia mater?
  1. Which one of the meninges follows the brain surface into a cerebral sulcus?
/ dura mater.
ARACHNOID MATER
pia mater
  1. Where is Cerebrospinal fluid located?
/ Ventricles and subarachnoid space
  1. The subaracbnoid space lies between
  2. what two layers of meninges
/ arachnoid and pia
  1. What type of injection is between L3 and
  2. L4, above the dura mater, so only the
  3. nerves are affected?
/ An epidural.
  1. What makes CEREBRAL SPINAL FLUID?
/ Ependymal cells in the choroid plexus, which is in the ventricles.
  1. Where is CSF located?
/ Ventricles and the subarachnoid space.
  1. What are the functions of CSF?
/
  1. Allows the brain to float.
  2. It cushions.
  3. Acts as the lymphatic system of the brain (it doesn’t have one).

  1. What causes HYDROCEPHALY?
/ This is usually congenital, caused by a blockage of the cerebral aqueduct. Can be caused by a tumor in adults
  1. What two types of organisms cause MENINGITIS? Which one is worse?
/ Can be caused from virus (not that bad) or bacteria (can be fatal).
  1. What is the main symptom of meningitis?
/ The main symptom is a headache
  1. What test is done to diagnose meningitis?
  2. What is infection of the brain called and how is it caused?
/ SPINAL TAP
ENCEPHALITIS
It can be caused by mosquito-borne
illnesses, or bacteria
  1. Define subdural or subarachnoid hemorrhage
/ The dura and arachnoid mater both have lots
Of blood vessels, which might rupture
Potentially fatal – blood accumulates and squeezes the brain. Tx = drill a hole
  1. Name the main ventricles of the brain, and which is largest?
/ Lateral ventricle (largest)
Third ventricle
Cerebral Aqueduct
Fourth ventricle
  1. Define CSF:What fluid is it similar to?
  2. Where is it made?
  3. What structure makes it?
  4. What type of capillaries does it come out of, and to where does it spread
/ Similar to plasma be/c it is derived from plasma
Made in the 3rd and 4th ventricle by the CHOROID PLEXUS
There are fenestrated capillaries there; the fluid spreads into the subarachnoid space
  1. Define closed head injury
/ Brain hits inside of the skull
  1. What are four ways that aging affects the nervous system?
/ Decline in sensory functions, motor function, short term memory, and insomnia
  1. What machine is used to measure brain wave activity?
/ EEG (electroencephalogram)
  1. What are the 4 types of brain waves?
/ Alpha
Beta
Theta
Delta
  1. What are alpha waves?
/ Active during wakeful relaxation (meditation, prayer)
  1. What are beta waves?
/ Active when learning, thinking
  1. What are theta waves?
/ Active when just falling asleep
  1. What are delta waves?
/ Active during deep sleep
  1. What are two main therapies for brain tumors?
/ Gamma knife radiation therapy
Tumor-starving medicines (Avastin)
  1. What does Avastin do?
/ Blocks VEGF (Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor)
  1. What is VEGF?
/ A chemical our cells make that causes blood vessels to grow toward the cell to feed it. This chemical is made in excess by cancer cells which need excess nutrients.
  1. What part of the brain is first affected by alcohol?
/ Cerebellum
  1. What does alcohol do to a fetus
/ Fetal alcohol syndrome (most common cause of mental retardation in the USA)
  1. What are some problems with nicotine?
/ It is highly addictive. It also increases the heart rate and blood pressure. Withdrawal symptoms include headache, irritability, and insomnia.
  1. What effect does cocaine have on the brain?
/ Depletes dopamine (causes Parkinson’s symptoms)
  1. What are the withdrawal symptoms of heroin?
/ sweating, shakes, abdominal cramps, and an increasein heart rate
  1. What are some negative effects of marijuana on the nervous system?
/ alteration in vision, judgment, and motor coordination