Neuron and Glial Cell Classification

A neuron with a single process that combines the dendrite and axon.

A neuron with two processes: one axon and one dendrite extending from opposite sides of the cell body.

A neuron with one axon and multiple dendrites extending from the cell body.

A glial cell in the CNS that provides support to neurons; star-shaped.

Cells supporting neurons in the central nervous system (CNS).

Cells supporting neurons in the peripheral nervous system.

A neuron that transmits sensory information from the body to the central nervous system.

A neuron that transmits signals from the central nervous system to muscles or glands.

A protective barrier that prevents many substances in the blood from entering the CNS.

Astrocytes induce tight junctions between blood vessel cells, making the BBB more restrictive.

The way nutrients (glucose, amino acids) pass through blood vessel cells of the BBB.

Glial cells in CNS that insulate axons with myelin.

Fatty insulation around axons that speeds up nerve impulses.

Immune cells in the CNS that remove damaged cells and pathogens.

Fluid that circulates in the CNS, providing nutrients, removing waste and maintaining a stable environment.

Glial cells that filter blood to create CSF.

Glial cells in the PNS that insulate axons with myelin.

Glial cells in the PNS that support neuron cell bodies.

astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, microglia, ependymal cells

satellite cells and schwann cells

A lipid-rich layer surrounding an axon, facilitating faster signal transmission.

An axon covered by a myelin sheath, which transmits signals faster than an unmyelinated axon.

A support cell in the nervous system that produces myelin.

A major part of the brain responsible for higher-level functions.

The wrinkled outer layer of the cerebrum.

The deep groove separating the two cerebral hemispheres.

A large bundle of nerve fibers connecting the two cerebral hemispheres.

Deep brain structures involved in planning and controlling movements

A ridge on the cerebral cortex.

A groove between gyri on the cerebral cortex.

A lobe of the brain involved in processing sensory information.

A lobe of the brain involved in higher cognitive functions.

A lobe of the brain involved in processing auditory information.

A system of classifying regions of the cerebral cortex based on microscopic anatomy (cytoarchitecture).

Area 17 in the occipital lobe, responsible for initial visual processing.

Area 22 in the temporal lobe, responsible for initial auditory processing.

Area 4 in the precentral gyrus, responsible for sending signals to move muscles.

Area 6, responsible for storing learned movement algorithms, instructions for complex movements.

Specific brain regions associated with particular functions.

Brain lobe primarily responsible for visual processing.

The postcentral gyrus (areas 1, 2, and 3) responsible for touch and body senses.

The precentral gyrus, sending signals to move muscles.

Brain region primarily responsible for speech production.

Specific areas of the brain responsible for different aspects of language function, such as comprehension, production, and articulation.

Regions in the cerebral cortex where sensory information is initially processed or where motor commands originate.

Areas adjacent to primary areas that further process sensory information.

Regions where different sensory inputs are integrated or processed based on similar functions.

Regions beyond primary and association areas involved in complex tasks.

A region between the somatosensory and visual cortex involved in coordinating movement.

A patient's awareness of their surroundings, including time, place, and identity.

The ability to store and retrieve information.

A task that assesses short-term memory by having a patient recall three given words after a short interval.

Remembering events or information from the distant past.

A brain region crucial for memory formation and storage, including the hippocampus and amygdala.

The inability to form new memories after an injury or event.

Loss of memories from before an injury or event.

Memory of specific events or personal experiences.

Memory of how to perform skills or actions.

Memory that holds information briefly in the present.

Memory that stores information for extended periods.

A brain region involved in planning, decision-making, and working memory.

A mental status exam subtest where patients list words starting with a specific letter, excluding proper nouns, aiming for at least 10 words within 1 minute.

A type of cancer affecting the immune system, potentially leading to antibodies attacking the nervous system.

A brain region located near the auditory cortex, crucial for language comprehension.

A condition affecting speech and language abilities due to brain damage.

A type of aphasia where speech production is intact, but understanding of language is compromised.

A type of aphasia where understanding is intact, but speech production is impaired.

A rare type of aphasia affecting the connection between language understanding and production.

Brain regions involved in receiving and interpreting sensory stimuli.

When sensory information is processed by deeper brain regions, not consciously perceived.

A deep groove separating the temporal lobe from the parietal and frontal lobes of the brain.

A subtest of sensory perception where patients perform tasks based solely on verbal instructions without demonstration.

A task within the gnosis subtest where patients identify objects solely based on touch while blindfolded.

A task within the gnosis subtest where patients identify numbers or letters written on their hand with a dull pointer.

A subtest of sensory perception that involves two tasks: stereognosis and graphesthesia.

The ability to evaluate situations and make informed decisions.

The ability to think conceptually and make connections between ideas.

The primary motor cortex, located in the most posterior part of the frontal lobe.

A railroad worker who suffered a severe prefrontal cortex injury, leading to personality changes.

A surgical procedure that severs connections to the prefrontal cortex, once used to treat certain psychiatric disorders.

A language deficit characterized by difficulty using verbs.

A language deficit characterized by difficulty using nouns.

A brain region deep within the cerebral cortex, associated with V impairment.

Brain regions associated with N impairment.

Language that describes actions and processes.

A condition where the corpus callosum is surgically severed, resulting in two hemispheres that operate independently.

The left hemisphere of the brain controls language functions in most individuals.

Despite left hemisphere language dominance, most people are right-handed.

Severe changes in personality and mood can result from damage to the prefrontal cortex.

A series of tests assessing cognitive functions related to the cerebrum, notably the cerebral cortex.

A structure in the temporal lobe vital for forming new memories.

A structure in the temporal lobe associated with emotional responses.

A C-shaped structure in the basal nuclei that runs along the cerebrum, involved in planning and initiating movement.

A structure in the basal nuclei located mainly in the frontal and parietal lobes, working with the caudate to control movement.

A layered structure in the basal nuclei that lies medial to the putamen, involved in regulating movement.

A collective term for the caudate and putamen, the main input region of the basal nuclei.

A pathway within the basal nuclei that promotes movement by disinhibiting the thalamus.

A pathway within the basal nuclei that inhibits movement by reinforcing the normal inhibition of the thalamus.

A brain structure that releases dopamine, influencing the activity of the basal nuclei and thus movement.

The removal of an inhibitor, leading to increased activity of the target neuron, as in the direct pathway of the basal nuclei.

A relay center in the brain that receives information from the basal nuclei and sends it to the cortex, playing a role in movement control.

Dopamine, released by the substantia nigra, modulates the activity of the basal nuclei, influencing the balance between the direct and indirect pathways and ultimately, the likelihood of movement occurring. This is how the basal nuclei help initiate and control movements.

The direct pathway, through a shorter route, promotes movement by disinhibiting the thalamus, while the indirect pathway, through a longer route, inhibits movement by reinforcing the normal inhibition of the thalamus.

The major structures of the basal nuclei are the caudate, putamen, and globus pallidus. Together, the caudate and putamen form the striatum, which receives input from the cortex. The globus pallidus has two segments, internal (GPi) and external (GPe), which are involved in regulating movement.

The brain stem controls vital functions like breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure.

Cranial nerves connect the brain stem to the head and neck, carrying sensory information and motor commands.

The midbrain has two parts: the tectum (roof) and the tegmentum (floor), each with different roles.

The inferior colliculus, part of the tectum, processes auditory information sent to the brain.

The superior colliculus, part of the tectum, integrates sensory information from sight, sound, and touch.

The tegmentum, found throughout the brain stem, controls functions like heart rate and breathing.

The pons, meaning 'bridge' in Latin, connects the cerebellum to the brain stem.

The medulla, a key part of the brain stem, regulates important functions including breathing and heart rate.

The reticular formation, found throughout the brain stem, influences sleep, wakefulness, and alertness.

The cerebellum, meaning 'little brain', coordinates movements and balance.

The cerebellum compares motor commands from the brain with sensory feedback to keep movements smooth.

The cerebellum receives information from the brain and periphery, and sends output to the brain stem to refine movements.

The spinal cord acts as a highway carrying messages between the brain and the rest of the body.

Ascending pathways in the brain stem carry sensory information from the body to the brain.

Descending pathways in the brain stem carry motor commands from the brain to the body.

The idea that people are either 'left-brained' or 'right-brained' is an oversimplification. While there is some specialization, many functions are distributed across the brain.

The concept that certain brain functions are primarily associated with one side of the brain, like language on the left and spatial reasoning on the right.

Individuals who have had their corpus callosum surgically severed to treat severe epilepsy. This disconnects communication between the brain hemispheres.

Damage to the right side of the brain can affect the use of language, particularly figurative aspects like humor, irony, and metaphors.

A condition where a person struggles to understand or express the emotional content of speech due to right-side brain damage.

The region of the brain located between the cerebrum and the rest of the nervous system; it acts as a relay station for information.

A region in the diencephalon that regulates essential bodily functions like homeostasis, the autonomic nervous system, and the endocrine system.

The central stalk connecting the brain to the spinal cord, composed of the midbrain, pons, and medulla.

Part of the brain stem that coordinates sensory information from the visual, auditory, and somatosensory systems.

A part of the brain stem that serves as the main connection between the cerebellum and other brain regions.

The lowermost part of the brain stem, controlling vital functions such as breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure.

The hypothalamus regulates the autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary functions like heart rate, digestion, and breathing.

The spinal cord retains the tube-like structure of the neural tube during development, whereas the brain expands and forms vesicles.

The anterior midline groove on the surface of the spinal cord.

The posterior midline groove on the surface of the spinal cord.

Axons enter the spinal cord through this root, located on the posterior side.

Axons exit the spinal cord through this root, located on the anterior side.

Posterior regions of the spinal cord handle sensory information, anterior regions handle motor commands.

The ventral region of the developing neural tube, which forms the anterior part of the spinal cord and gives rise to motor neurons.

The dorsal region of the developing neural tube, which forms the posterior part of the spinal cord and gives rise to sensory neurons.

The spinal cord is divided into cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral regions, each corresponding to the vertebrae at that level.

A bundle of spinal nerves that extends below the end of the spinal cord, resembling a horse's tail.

The gray matter of the spinal cord is shaped like an 'H' in cross-section, with distinct horns: posterior, anterior, and lateral.

The posterior horn of the spinal cord is responsible for processing sensory information.

The anterior horn of the spinal cord sends out motor signals to skeletal muscles.

The lateral horn, only found in certain regions, is involved in the sympathetic nervous system, controlling things like 'fight or flight' responses.

Motor neurons, especially those controlling large muscles, can be very large, with long axons reaching to the target muscle.

Nerves that emerge from the spinal cord and extend outward to the body, responsible for sensory and motor functions.

The opening between adjacent vertebrae through which spinal nerves exit the vertebral column.

A complex network of nerve fibers where axons from different spinal nerves reorganize to form systemic nerves.

A plexus formed by axons from C1-C5 spinal nerves, supplying nerves to the posterior neck, head, and diaphragm.

A plexus formed by axons from C4-T1 spinal nerves, giving rise to nerves of the arms.

A plexus formed by axons from T12-L4 spinal nerves, supplying nerves to the pelvic region and anterior leg.

A plexus formed by axons from L4, L5, and S1-S4 spinal nerves, supplying nerves to the posterior leg.

A major nerve from the sacral plexus formed by the tibial and fibular nerves, extending across the hip joint.

Nerves directly connected to the brain, primarily responsible for sensory and motor functions of the head and neck.

Nerves carrying sensory information from the body to the brain.

Nerves carrying motor commands from the brain to muscles.

Nerves containing both sensory and motor fibers, performing both functions.

A memory aid or technique used to remember information, often using rhymes or acronyms.

A traditional mnemonic rhyme for remembering the names of cranial nerves.

Clusters of sensory neuron cell bodies located outside the brain and spinal cord.

The first cranial nerve responsible for smell, transmitting sensory information from the nose to the brain.

The second cranial nerve responsible for vision, transmitting sensory information from the eyes to the brain.

The third cranial nerve responsible for controlling eye movements and pupil size.

The fourth cranial nerve responsible for controlling the superior oblique muscle, which rotates the eye.

The first cranial nerve (CN I), responsible for the sense of smell.

The second cranial nerve (CN II), responsible for vision.

The third cranial nerve (CN III), responsible for eye movements, pupil constriction, and lifting the upper eyelid.

The fourth cranial nerve (CN IV), responsible for eye movement, specifically downward and inward rotation.

The sixth cranial nerve (CN VI), responsible for eye movement, specifically outward rotation.

The fifth cranial nerve (CN V), responsible for facial sensations and controlling the muscles of chewing.

The seventh cranial nerve (CN VII), responsible for facial expressions, taste sensation, and saliva production.

The eighth cranial nerve (CN VIII), responsible for hearing and balance.

The mnemonic "Some Say Marry Money But My Brother Says Brains Beauty Matter More" helps remember the functions of each cranial nerve.