BIO 141 Unit 4 Study Guide
Chapter 12: The Central Nervous System
1. What are the major areas of the brain and their functions?
● Cerebrum: higher functions; Diencephalon: homeostasis, relays info; Brainstem:
basic life functions; Cerebellum: coordination.
2. From which embryonic structure does nervous tissue develop?
● Neural tube.
3. What are the three primary brain vesicles present at four weeks gestation?
● Prosencephalon, mesencephalon, rhombencephalon.
4. Which brain regions develop from each secondary brain vesicle?
● Telencephalon and diencephalon from prosencephalon; mesencephalon remains;
metencephalon and myelencephalon from rhombencephalon.
5. How do gray matter and white matter dif+fer in composition and distribution?
● Gray matter: neuron cell bodies, outer cortex and basal nuclei; White matter:
myelinated axons, inner areas.
6. Can you identify and describe the function of sulci, gyri, lobes, and fissures?
● Sulci: grooves (central, parieto-occipital); Gyri: ridges (precentral = motor,
postcentral = sensory); Lobes: frontal (motor, decision), parietal (sensory),
occipital (vision), temporal (hearing), insula (taste, emotion); Fissures:
longitudinal (hemisphere divide), lateral (temporal lobe).
7. What are the key anatomical structures of the cerebrum and their functions?
● Gray matter: cerebral cortex (conscious thought), basal nuclei (movement); White
matter: corpus callosum (connect hemispheres), fornix (limbic), association (same
side), commissural (between hemispheres), projection (cortex to lower).
8. In which cerebral lobe is each of the following areas located?
● Primary motor: frontal; Broca’s: frontal; Auditory: temporal; Visual: occipital;
Somatosensory: parietal.
9. What are the functions of various cerebral cortical areas?
● Primary motor: voluntary movement; Premotor: learned movement; Broca's:
speech production; Wernicke's: speech understanding; Auditory cortex: hearing;
Visual cortex: vision; Somatosensory cortex: touch; Olfactory: smell; Gustatory:
taste; Vestibular: balance.
10.What is the function of the limbic system?
● Emotion, memory.
11.What is the function of the hippocampus?
● Memory formation.
12.Can you identify and explain the functions of structures in the diencephalon?
● Thalamus: relay station; Hypothalamus: homeostasis, controls pituitary;
Mammillary bodies: memory; Pineal gland: melatonin.
13.Where is the cerebellum located and what are its functions?
● Coordination, balance.
14.What are folia and arbor vitae in the cerebellum?
, ● Folia: cerebellar folds; Arbor vitae: white matter tree.
15.What is the function of cerebellar peduncles?
● Connect cerebellum to brainstem.
16.What are the three regions of the brainstem?
● Midbrain, pons, medulla oblongata.
17.Can you identify structures associated with the brainstem on an image?
● Midbrain, pons, medulla oblongata.
18.What are the functions of specific brainstem structures?
● Substantia nigra: dopamine, movement; Medulla: autonomic control; Pons:
bridge; Colliculi: visual/auditory reflexes; Pyramids: motor tracts.
19.What is the function of the reticular activating system (RAS)?
● Consciousness and alertness.
20.What is cerebral lateralization and how do hemispheres differ?
● Left = logic/language, Right = emotion/art.
21.What brain changes occur in Alzheimer’s disease?
● Neurofibrillary tangles, amyloid plaques, brain shrinkage.
22.What structures protect the brain?
● Skull, meninges, CSF, blood-brain barrier.
23.What are the meninges and their locations?
● Dura (outer), arachnoid (middle), pia (inner).
24.Where are the subarachnoid, subdural, and epidural spaces?
● Subarachnoid (CSF), subdural (potential), epidural (fat).
25.What is the function of dural venous sinuses?
● Venous blood drainage.
26.What are complications of subdural or subarachnoid hematomas?
● Pressure, brain damage.
27.What complications can result from meningitis?
● Infection, increased pressure.
28.Where are the cranial dural septa located?
● Falx cerebri: between cerebral hemispheres; Falx cerebelli: between cerebellar
hemispheres; Tentorium cerebelli: separates cerebrum/cerebellum.
29.What are the four brain ventricles and their locations?
● Lateral (cerebrum), third (diencephalon), fourth (brainstem/cerebellum).
30.What cells line brain ventricles and their function?
● Ependymal cells: circulate CSF.
31.How is CSF formed, circulated, and removed?
● Made in choroid plexus → ventricles → subarachnoid space → arachnoid villi →
dural sinuses.
32.What are the functions of CSF?
● Cushions, nutrients, waste removal.
33.What happens if CSF flow is blocked?
● Hydrocephalus: fluid buildup.
34.What makes up the blood-brain barrier?
● Endothelial cells, astrocytes, tight junctions.
Chapter 12: The Central Nervous System
1. What are the major areas of the brain and their functions?
● Cerebrum: higher functions; Diencephalon: homeostasis, relays info; Brainstem:
basic life functions; Cerebellum: coordination.
2. From which embryonic structure does nervous tissue develop?
● Neural tube.
3. What are the three primary brain vesicles present at four weeks gestation?
● Prosencephalon, mesencephalon, rhombencephalon.
4. Which brain regions develop from each secondary brain vesicle?
● Telencephalon and diencephalon from prosencephalon; mesencephalon remains;
metencephalon and myelencephalon from rhombencephalon.
5. How do gray matter and white matter dif+fer in composition and distribution?
● Gray matter: neuron cell bodies, outer cortex and basal nuclei; White matter:
myelinated axons, inner areas.
6. Can you identify and describe the function of sulci, gyri, lobes, and fissures?
● Sulci: grooves (central, parieto-occipital); Gyri: ridges (precentral = motor,
postcentral = sensory); Lobes: frontal (motor, decision), parietal (sensory),
occipital (vision), temporal (hearing), insula (taste, emotion); Fissures:
longitudinal (hemisphere divide), lateral (temporal lobe).
7. What are the key anatomical structures of the cerebrum and their functions?
● Gray matter: cerebral cortex (conscious thought), basal nuclei (movement); White
matter: corpus callosum (connect hemispheres), fornix (limbic), association (same
side), commissural (between hemispheres), projection (cortex to lower).
8. In which cerebral lobe is each of the following areas located?
● Primary motor: frontal; Broca’s: frontal; Auditory: temporal; Visual: occipital;
Somatosensory: parietal.
9. What are the functions of various cerebral cortical areas?
● Primary motor: voluntary movement; Premotor: learned movement; Broca's:
speech production; Wernicke's: speech understanding; Auditory cortex: hearing;
Visual cortex: vision; Somatosensory cortex: touch; Olfactory: smell; Gustatory:
taste; Vestibular: balance.
10.What is the function of the limbic system?
● Emotion, memory.
11.What is the function of the hippocampus?
● Memory formation.
12.Can you identify and explain the functions of structures in the diencephalon?
● Thalamus: relay station; Hypothalamus: homeostasis, controls pituitary;
Mammillary bodies: memory; Pineal gland: melatonin.
13.Where is the cerebellum located and what are its functions?
● Coordination, balance.
14.What are folia and arbor vitae in the cerebellum?
, ● Folia: cerebellar folds; Arbor vitae: white matter tree.
15.What is the function of cerebellar peduncles?
● Connect cerebellum to brainstem.
16.What are the three regions of the brainstem?
● Midbrain, pons, medulla oblongata.
17.Can you identify structures associated with the brainstem on an image?
● Midbrain, pons, medulla oblongata.
18.What are the functions of specific brainstem structures?
● Substantia nigra: dopamine, movement; Medulla: autonomic control; Pons:
bridge; Colliculi: visual/auditory reflexes; Pyramids: motor tracts.
19.What is the function of the reticular activating system (RAS)?
● Consciousness and alertness.
20.What is cerebral lateralization and how do hemispheres differ?
● Left = logic/language, Right = emotion/art.
21.What brain changes occur in Alzheimer’s disease?
● Neurofibrillary tangles, amyloid plaques, brain shrinkage.
22.What structures protect the brain?
● Skull, meninges, CSF, blood-brain barrier.
23.What are the meninges and their locations?
● Dura (outer), arachnoid (middle), pia (inner).
24.Where are the subarachnoid, subdural, and epidural spaces?
● Subarachnoid (CSF), subdural (potential), epidural (fat).
25.What is the function of dural venous sinuses?
● Venous blood drainage.
26.What are complications of subdural or subarachnoid hematomas?
● Pressure, brain damage.
27.What complications can result from meningitis?
● Infection, increased pressure.
28.Where are the cranial dural septa located?
● Falx cerebri: between cerebral hemispheres; Falx cerebelli: between cerebellar
hemispheres; Tentorium cerebelli: separates cerebrum/cerebellum.
29.What are the four brain ventricles and their locations?
● Lateral (cerebrum), third (diencephalon), fourth (brainstem/cerebellum).
30.What cells line brain ventricles and their function?
● Ependymal cells: circulate CSF.
31.How is CSF formed, circulated, and removed?
● Made in choroid plexus → ventricles → subarachnoid space → arachnoid villi →
dural sinuses.
32.What are the functions of CSF?
● Cushions, nutrients, waste removal.
33.What happens if CSF flow is blocked?
● Hydrocephalus: fluid buildup.
34.What makes up the blood-brain barrier?
● Endothelial cells, astrocytes, tight junctions.
