Dermatome
Area of skin, fat, and CT supplied by single nerve / spinal segment
Myotome
Area of muscle supplied by single spinal nerve / spinal segment
CNS afferent
Sensory = cortical input
Physical stimuli transformed into electrical signals travelling along neurons
Both somatic + visceral
Received through receptors -> transmitted to brain as action potentials
CNS efferent
Motor = cortical output
Generate electrical activities in our brains allowing us to interact with environment
Somatic motor -> skeletal muscles
Visceral motor -> viscera
Comes from brain -> travels through peripheral nerve -> reaches target
How does afferent signal travel?
Receive inputs from receptors, transmitted along neurons as action potentials -> transmitted to brain
How does efferent signal travel?
Output signal comes from the brain -> travels through peripheral nerve -> reaches target
White matter
Axons
Grey matter
Neuron, bodies
Basic division of the brain
Forebrain, midbrain, hindbrain
Brainstem
Midbrain, pons + medulla (hindbrain)
Brainstem functions
Keeps us alive, affects consciousness, eye movement, balance.
Aka life support. Monitors breathing + HR
Cranial nerve nuclei, intrinsic
White/grey matter difference in brain and spinal cord
Brain: grey matter on the outside, white matter on the inside
SC: grey matter on the inside, grey matter on the outside
Cerebellum function
- Fine-tunes movement, coordinates balance.
- Doesn’t decide WHAT to do (cortex does that), but ensures that movement is efficient + smooth
- error correction
- automation of process
= brain/cortex perfectionist
Thalamus
Control what info reaches the cortex
Cortex gatekeeper
Consciousness
Found on 3rd ventricle
