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SI BIOS 1300
Chapter 13 (50-133)
1. What is the pons? Describe the neucli (involved with respiration) and tracts.
Links cerebellum with mesencephalon, diencesphalon, cerebrum, and spinal cord. Sensory
and motor nuclei of cranial nerves 5-8 (innervation of jaw, anterior face, one occulomotor
and inner ear). *Apneustic center (inspiration) and pneumotaxic center (inhibits apneustic)
modify respiratory rhythmicity center activity (action on medulla oblongata). Process and
relay information to and from cerebellum. Ascending, descending, and transverse tracts transverse fibers (axons) link nuclei of pons with opposite cerebellar hemisphere.
2. What is the arbor vitae of the cerebellum? What are Purkinje fibers?
"Tree of Life." Highly branched, internal white matter. Cerebellar nuclei are embedded in
arbor vitae and relay information to Purkinje cells. Purkinje cells are large, branched cells
found in cerebellar cortex that receive input from up to 200,000 synapses.
3. What are the tectum of the mesencephalon? What senses are they associated with?
Tectum is two pairs of sensory nuclei. Superior colliculus (visual) and inferior colliculus
(auditory).
4. What are cerebral peduncles? What do they contain?
Nerve fiber bundles on ventrolateral surfaces. Contain descending fibers to cerebellum and
motor command fibers.
5. What structure in the mesencephalon is important for Parkinson's disease?
Substantia nigra.
6. What gland is found in the epithalamus? What does it do?
Part of the diencephalon. Pineal gland found in posterior part, and it secretes melatonin.
7. Describe the thalamus.
Filters ascending sensory information for primary sensory cortex. Relays information
between basal nuclei and cerebral cortex. Third ventricle separates left and right thalamus.
Interthalamic adhesion is projection of gray matter extends into ventricle from each side.
8. Name five functions of the hypothalamus.
Provides subconscious control of skeletal muscle, controls autonomic function, coordinates
activities of nervous and endocrine systems, secretes hormones (ADH by supraoptic nuclei
and oxytocin by paraventricular nucleus), produces emotions and behavioral drives (feeding
center (hunger), thirst center (thirst), parental behavior, sexual behavior), regulates body
temperature (preoptic area of hypothalamus), and controls circadian rhythms (day-night
cycles in suprachiasmatic nucleus).
9. Is the limbic system a morphological or functional grouping? What are its functions?
Functional grouping. Establishes emotional states, links conscious functions of cerebral
cortex with autonomic functions of brain stem, and facilitates memory storage and retrieval.
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10. Where are the important sulci and fissure located in the brain?
Central sulcus, lateral sulcus, and longitudinal fissure.
11. Where are the four lobes of the brain located?
Frontal, parietal, occipital, and temporal lobes.
12. Describe the white matter of the cerebrum.
Association fibers are connections within one hemisphere. Commissural fibers are bands of
fibers connecting two hemispheres such as the corpus callosum and anterior commissure.
Projection fibers link cerebral cortex with diencephalon, brain stem, cerebellum, and spinal
cord.
13. What is the basal nuclei? What are its functions?
Masses of gray matter embedded in white matter of cerebrum. It directs subconscious
activities. Functions included involvement with subconscious control of skeletal muscle tone
and coordination of learned movement patterns (walking, lifting). *Nuclei is a group of
neurons that have similar function and morphology.
14. Explain the difference between the pre and postcentral gyrus.
Precentral gyrus is primary motor cortex that directs voluntary movements. Postcentral gyrus
is primary somatosensory cortex that receives somatic sensory information (touch, pressure,
pain, vibration, taste, and temperature).
15. What are sensory association areas? Monitor and interpret arriving information at sensory
areas of cortex. Visual association cortex is occipital lobe. Auditory association cortex is
temporal lobe.
16. Describe the difference in function and location of Broca’s and Wernicke’s area.
Broca’s area is an integrative area associated with general interpretive area that coordinates
all vocalization functions. Wernicke’s area is present only in dominant hemisphere, receives
information from all sensory association areas, and coordinates access to complex visual and
auditory memories (general interpretive area).
17. Compare the left and right hemispheres of the brain.
Left is dominant; reading, writing, and math, decision making, and speech and language.
Right hemisphere is senses (touch, smell, sight, taste, feel) and recognition (faces, voice
inflections).
18. Describe two ways to monitor brain activity.
Electroencephalogram (EEG) is when electrodes are placed on skull and patterns of electrical
activity (brain waves) are printed out. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
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19. Name the 12 pairs of cranial nerves (in order) and describe their primary function and origin.
1. Olfactory- special sensory (smell); receptors of olfactory epithelium.
2. Optic- special sensory (vision); retina of eye.
3. Oculomotor- motor (eye movements); mesencephalon.
4. Trochlear- motor (eye movements); mesencephalon.
5. Trigeminal- mixed (to face); ophthalmic branch (sensory) is orbital structures/nasal
cavity/skin of forehead/upper eyelid/eyebrow/part of nose, maxillary and mandibular branch
(sensory) is inside mouth, and mandibular (motor) is pons.
6. Abducens- motor (eye movements); pons.
7. Facial- mixed (to face); sensory (taste receptors on anterior 2/3 tongue) and motor (motor
nuclei of pons).
8. Vestibulocochlear- special sensory (vestibular branch (balance and equilibrium) and
cochlear (hearing); receptors of inner ear.
9. Glossopharyngeal- mixed (to head and neck); sensory (posterior 1/3 tongue, part of
pharynx, and palate carotid arteries) and motor (motor nuclei of medulla oblongata).
10. Vagus- mixed (parasympathetic to thorax and abdomen); sensory (part of pharynx,
diaphragm, visceral organs of thoracic and abdominopelvic cavities) and motor (motor
nuclei in medulla oblongata).
11. Accessory- motor (to muscles of neck and upper back); motor nuclei of spinal cord and
medulla oblongata.
12. Hypoglossal- motor (tongue movements); motor nuclei of medulla oblongata.