The nervous system part 2

Question 1

What protects the brain?

Answer 1

The skull

Question 2

What protects the spinal cord?

Answer 2

Vertebra
Meninges
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)

Question 3

What are the three connective tissue layers in the meninges?

Answer 3

Dura mater (outer most) - Innermost layer = meningeal, outermost (touching skull) = periosteal
Arachnoid mater - spider web appearance
Pia Mater (inner most) - very delicate like cling film

Question 4

What is CSF?

Answer 4

Formed by the ependymal cells of the choroid plexuses
- Forms a cushion
- Helps nourish the brain
- A filtrate of blood plasma
Moves freely through ventricles and spinal chord

Question 5

The brain is broadly split into what 3 regions?

Answer 5

• Forebrain
• Midbrain
• Hind brain

Question 6

What are the three main functional areas of the brain?

Answer 6

• Motor
• Sensory
• Association

Question 7

What are the responsibilities of the frontal lobe?

Answer 7

Goal orientated behaviour
Concentration
Short term
Recalled memory
Thinking of thoughts emotions

Question 8

What is the parietal lobe responsible for?

Answer 8

Sensory input

Question 9

What controls motor activity?

Answer 9

Controlled mainly by posterior part of the frontal lobes called the primary (somatic) motor cortex and the premotor cortex anterior to this.

Question 10

Sensory areas in the brain

Answer 10

• Concerned with conscious awareness of sensation
• Found mainly in the parietal, temporal and occipital lobes
• Particularly the primary somatosensory cortex (post central gyrus) and the somatosensory association cortex posterior to this

Question 11

The grey matter of the brain

Answer 11

• 6 layers
• Made up of nerve cell bodies, dendrites and unmyelinated sheaths
• Billions of neurons
• Where the computing of the brain takes place

Question 12

Basal ganglia

Answer 12

Help plan, organise and coordinate movements and posture

Question 13

What is the diencephalon?

Answer 13

The inter brain
Contains thalamus, hypothalamus and epithalamus

Question 14

Roles of the thalamus

Answer 14

The relay station for information coming into the cerebral cortex (effectively gateway)
- mediates sensation
- motor activities
- cortical arousal
- learning and memory

Question 15

Roles of hypothalamus

Answer 15

hypo = beneath
- autonomic control centre
- centre for emotional response
- Regulate; body temperature, food intake, water balance, thirst and sleep-wake cycles
- Controls the endocrine system

Question 16

Role of epithalamus

Answer 16

With hypothalamic nuclei regulates the sleep-wake cycle and aspects of mood

Question 17

Role of the mid brain

Answer 17

Hearing and visual reflex

Question 18

Role of the brain stem

Answer 18

Provide pathways for nerve fibres running between higher and lower neural centres

Question 19

Role of pons

Answer 19

Contains relay nuclei between cerebrum and cerebellum
The pneumotaxic center (respiratory cenre)

Question 20

Role of the medulla oblongata

Answer 20

Cardiovascular centre and vasomotor centre
Respiratory centre
Reflex centre for vomiting, coughing, sneezing and swallowing

Question 21

Role of reticular formation

Answer 21

• Runs through middle of brain cell
• Role is to govern the arousal of the brain on the whole

Question 22

Role of the cerebellum

Answer 22

Muscle coordination
Maintenance of equilibrium and posture