Meninges & Brain Protection
The outermost protective layer of the brain, also known as the "tough mother."
What is the dura mater?
The "janitors" of the CNS, responsible for phagocytosis during infections.
What are microglia?
The division of the nervous system consisting of the brain and spinal cord.
What is the central nervous system (CNS)?
This structure is the second-largest in the brain and is responsible for coordination, posture, and balance.
What is the cerebellum?
This is the largest and uppermost portion of the brain, divided into two hemispheres.
What is the cerebrum?
The protective membrane with a web-like structure.
What is the arachnoid membrane?
The star-shaped neuroglia that forms the blood-brain barrier and provides structural support.
What are astrocytes?
This nervous system controls involuntary bodily functions, such as heart rate and digestion.
What is the autonomic nervous system?
The three main parts of the brainstem.
What are the pons, medulla oblongata, and midbrain?
This part of the brain is responsible for hearing and balance, often referred to as the "input" lobe.
What is the temporal lobe?
The space between the arachnoid membrane and the pia mater that contains cerebrospinal fluid.
What is the subarachnoid space?
The type of neuroglia that produces cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and lines brain ventricles.
What are ependymal cells?
The two branches of the autonomic nervous system.
What are the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems?
This is the "bridge" connecting the midbrain to the medulla.
What is the pons?
The primary "output" center of the brain, responsible for personality, morals, and voluntary muscle movement.
What is the frontal lobe?
The type of cell in the PNS that helps regenerate injured neurons by forming a neurilemma.
What is a Schwann cell?
The type of glial cell that produces the myelin sheath in the central nervous system.
What are oligodendrocytes?
This part of the nervous system consists of 12 cranial nerve pairs and 31 spinal nerve pairs.
What is the peripheral nervous system (PNS)?
The part of the brainstem that controls heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration.
What is the medulla oblongata?
The major "input" lobe, responsible for understanding speech and memory of events.
What is the parietal lobe?
The small gaps between myelinated segments of an axon that aid in impulse transmission
What are the Nodes of Ranvier?
The structure of a neuron responsible for transmitting impulses away from the cell body.
What is the axon?
The part of the autonomic nervous system that dilates pupils, increases heart rate, and decreases digestion activity.
What is the sympathetic nervous system?
This part of the diencephalon relays sensory information to the cerebral cortex, except for smell.
What is the thalamus?
This lobe processes visual images and helps the brain interpret what is seen.
What is the occipital lobe?