What does the central nervous system consist of?
The brain and the spinal cord extending from it.
What is the average weight of an adult human brain?
About 3 pounds.
What percentage of the adult brain is fat?
Approximately 60%.
What is gray matter primarily composed of?
Neuron cell bodies.
What is the main function of gray matter?
It processes information.
What is white matter primarily composed of?
Myelinated axons.
What is the main function of white matter?
It transmits information to other parts of the nervous system.
How does the brain communicate?
Through chemical and electrical signals carried by billions of neurons.
What is the largest part of the brain?
The cerebrum.
What does the brainstem connect?
The cerebrum with the spinal cord.
Which parts make up the brainstem?
The midbrain, pons, and medulla.
Where is the cerebellum located?
At the back of the head below temporal and occipital lobes and above the brainstem.
What is the main function of the cerebellum?
It coordinates voluntary muscle movements and maintains posture, balance, and equilibrium.
What are the three high-level divisions of the brain?
The cerebrum, brainstem, and cerebellum.
What is the cerebral cortex?
The folded outer gray matter covering of the cerebrum.
Which cerebral hemisphere controls the left side of the body?
The right cerebral hemisphere.
Which cerebral hemisphere controls the right side of the body?
The left cerebral hemisphere.
What is the corpus callosum?
A large, C-shaped white matter structure connecting the two cerebral hemispheres.
Where is the corpus callosum located?
In the center of the cerebrum.
How is the cerebral cortex divided?
Into two hemispheres.
What are the ridges on the cerebral cortex called?
Gyri.
What are the grooves on the cerebral cortex called?
Sulci.
What is the medulla in the brainstem?
The lowest part of the brainstem where brain meets spinal cord.
Which vital functions does the medulla regulate?
Heart rhythm, breathing, blood flow, oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, sneezing, vomiting, coughing, and swallowing.
What does the pons connect in the brainstem?
The midbrain and medulla.
How many cranial nerves originate from the pons?
Four cranial nerves.
What functions are associated with the pons' cranial nerves?
Tear production, chewing, blinking, vision focusing, balance, hearing, and facial expression.
What roles does the midbrain's neural nuclei and pathways serve?
Hearing, movement, responses to environmental changes, and coordination.
Which brain structures in the midbrain aid coordination?
The substantia nigra and basal ganglia.
What neurotransmitter is abundant in the substantia nigra?
Dopamine.
What are the three protective layers surrounding brain and spinal cord?
The dura mater, arachnoid mater, and pia mater.
What is the dura mater's structure and function?
It is a thick, tough outer layer with periosteal and meningeal layers allowing vessel passage.
What is cerebrospinal fluid?
A watery fluid cushioning the brain and spinal cord, removing waste, and delivering nutrients.
How does the pia mater differ from the arachnoid mater?
Pia mater closely follows brain contours and is rich in vessels; arachnoid mater has no nerves or vessels.
What functions is the frontal lobe involved in?
Personality, decision-making, movement, smell recognition, and speech through Broca’s area.
What roles does the parietal lobe play in brain function?
Identifying objects, understanding spatial relationships, interpreting pain and touch, and containing Wernicke’s area for language comprehension.
Which brain lobe is primarily involved in vision?
The occipital lobe.
What functions are associated with the temporal lobe?
Short-term memory, speech, musical rhythm, and some smell recognition.
Where is the hypothalamus located and what does it regulate?
Above the pituitary gland; it regulates body temperature, sleep, hunger, thirst, memory, and emotion by sending chemical messages to the pituitary.
What is the shape and location of the hippocampus, and its main functions?
Curved, seahorse-shaped beneath each temporal lobe; supports memory, learning, navigation, and spatial perception.
What is the pituitary gland's size, location, and main role?
Pea-sized behind the nose bridge; governs other glands by regulating hormones from thyroid, adrenals, ovaries, and testicles.
What functions do the amygdalae regulate?
Emotion, memory, reward, stress, and the fight-or-flight response to threats.
How many ventricles does the brain contain?
The brain contains four ventricles.
What do the brain's ventricles connect to?
They connect by passageways to the central spinal canal and space beneath the arachnoid layer.
What is the function of ventricular cerebrospinal fluid?
It cushions the CNS, removes waste, and delivers nutrients.
Which arteries supply blood and oxygen to the brain?
The vertebral and carotid arteries supply blood and oxygen.
What do the vertebral arteries do inside the skull?
They join at the brainstem to form the basilar artery and supply the rear brain.
Which arteries supply the front of the brain?
The internal carotid arteries supply the front of the brain.
What is the circle of Willis?
A loop of blood vessels near the brain's base connecting major arteries.
What is the role of the circle of Willis?
It circulates blood between front and back brain and helps arterial systems communicate.
How many cranial nerves are there?
There are 12 cranial nerves.
Where do cranial nerves 1 and 2 originate?
They originate in the cerebrum.
From where do cranial nerves 3 through 12 emerge?
They emerge from the brainstem.
What is the function of cranial nerve 1?
It is the olfactory nerve for smell.
Which cranial nerve controls pupil response and eye movements?
The oculomotor nerve (cranial nerve 3).
What functions does the trigeminal nerve serve?
It provides facial sensation and controls chewing.
Which cranial nerve controls facial movement and taste?
The facial nerve (cranial nerve 7).
What is the role of the vagus nerve?
It controls ear and digestive sensation and motor control of the heart, throat, and digestive system.
Test your knowledge with 24 questions on Brain Anatomy and Function.
1. Which structures make up the central nervous system?
2. Which pairing correctly distinguishes gray matter from white matter?
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