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Brain Structure and Function
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Brain Structure and Function
Brain Structure and Function
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1
Question
What is the structure of the brain made up of?
Answer
The brain is made up of neurons, glia, and other supporting cells.
2
Question
What chemically protects the brain?
Answer
The brain is chemically protected by the BBB (Blood-Brain Barrier).
3
Question
What fluid does the brain float in?
Answer
The brain floats in a pool of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
4
Question
What is the blood supply requirement for the brain?
Answer
The brain requires a large supply of blood, continuously receiving 20% of blood from the heart.
5
Question
What can the brain store as fuel?
Answer
The brain can store a small amount of fuel, usually glucose.
6
Question
What happens if there is an interruption in blood supply to the brain?
Answer
An interruption can lead to brain damage.
7
Question
What is the central nervous system (CNS) composed of?
Answer
The CNS consists of the brain and spinal cord.
8
Question
What does the peripheral nervous system (PNS) consist of?
Answer
The PNS consists of cranial nerves, spinal nerves, and peripheral ganglia.
9
Question
What are the basic anatomical directions in relation to the neuraxis?
Answer
1. Anterior - front 2. Posterior - back 3. Rostral - towards the nose and mouth 4. Caudal - toward the back 5. Dorsal surface - top of the head and the back 6. Ventral surface - belly 7. Superior - above 8. Inferior - below 9. Lateral - side 10. Medial - middle 11. Ipsilateral - structures on the same side of the body 12. Contralateral - structures on the opposite side of the body.
10
Question
What are the three ways the nervous system is sliced?
Answer
1. Frontal sections - coronal cut dividing the brain from front and back halves. 2. Horizontal sections - cuts the middle of the brain into top and bottom halves. 3. Sagittal sections - divides the brain into two symmetrical left and right halves.
11
Question
What are the three layers of the meninges?
Answer
1. Dura Mater - outer layer that is durable, thick, tough, and flexible but unstretchable. 2. Arachnoid membrane - soft and spongy, lies beneath the dura mater and is closely attached to the brain and spinal cord. 3. Pia mater - smaller blood vessels of the brain and spinal cord are connected here, surrounding every surface.
12
Question
What is the subarachnoid space?
Answer
The subarachnoid space is the area between the arachnoid membrane and pia mater, filled with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
13
Question
What is the function of the ventricular system?
Answer
The ventricular system consists of ventricles, which are a series of hollow, interconnected chambers that produce and are filled with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
14
Question
What is CSF produced by?
Answer
CSF is produced by a special tissue with a rich blood supply called the choroid plexus.
15
Question
What happens in obstructive hydrocephalus?
Answer
If obstruction remains and nothing is done to reverse it, fatal brain damage will occur. A surgeon places a shunt tube in a lateral ventricle to allow CSF to escape to the abdominal cavity where it is absorbed into the blood supply.
16
Question
What structures does the forebrain consist of?
Answer
The forebrain consists of the telencephalon (which includes the cerebral cortex, limbic system, and basal ganglia) and the diencephalon (which contains the thalamus and hypothalamus).
17
Question
What are the four lobes of the cerebral cortex?
Answer
1. Frontal Lobe 2. Parietal Lobe 3. Temporal Lobe 4. Occipital Lobe.
18
Question
What does the primary visual cortex do?
Answer
The primary visual cortex receives visual information and is contained in the occipital lobe.
19
Question
What is the function of the primary auditory cortex?
Answer
The primary auditory cortex is located in the temporal lobes and processes auditory information.
20
Question
What is the role of the primary somatosensory cortex?
Answer
The primary somatosensory cortex receives information from body senses and is located in the parietal lobe.
21
Question
What is the function of the motor cortex?
Answer
The motor cortex, specifically the primary motor cortex, is involved with the control of movement.
22
Question
What does the autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulate?
Answer
The ANS regulates smooth muscle, cardiac muscle, and glands.
23
Question
What are the two divisions of the autonomic nervous system?
Answer
The two divisions of the ANS are the sympathetic division and the parasympathetic division.
24
Question
What does the sympathetic division of the ANS involve?
Answer
The sympathetic division involves the expenditure of energy from reserves stored in the body and coordinates fight or flight responses.
25
Question
What is the purpose of the parasympathetic division of the ANS?
Answer
The parasympathetic division is involved with increases in the body's supply of stored energy and is often referred to as the rest and relax response.
26
Question
What does a CT scan utilize to image the brain?
Answer
A CT scan utilizes X-ray techniques to image the structure of the living brain.
27
Question
What does MRI stand for?
Answer
MRI stands for Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
28
Question
What do MRI techniques use to study the brain?
Answer
MRI techniques use a magnetic field passing through the patient's head instead of X-rays.
29
Question
What occurs to hydrogen nuclei in a magnetic field during MRI?
Answer
The nuclei of spinning hydrogen atoms align themselves with the magnetic field.
30
Question
What is a modification of MRIs that can visualize small fibers and fiber tracts?
Answer
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).