Human Physiology (Biol 236)
Outline

It is to be understood that you will have read the corresponding sections of the textbook for lecture topics that we have covered!

Chapter 4, part 2 Outline (Physiology of CNS) Updated 2/20/23
• Know the 6 brain regions (cerebrum, diencephalon, midbrain, pons, medulla, and cerebellum)

Cerebrum:
• Know the cortexes of each of the FIVE cerebral lobes & what they do.
> frontal lobe - primary motor cortex (also known as the precentral gyrus), prefrontal cortex, and Broca's area
> parietal lobe - sensory cortex (also known as the postcentral gyrus), part of wernike's area
> temporal lobe - auditory and olfactory cortexes, and part of wernike's area
> occipital lobe - visual cortex, part of wernike's area
> Insula lobe - gustatory cortex
• Know the functions of the broca's and wernike's areas
• Know aphasias
• Know how the organization of gray matter and white matter differes in the brain and spinal cord.
• Know the difference between non-REM and REM sleep. What neurotransmitter inhibits awareneness and skeletal muscle movement during REM?
• Know the basal cerebral ganglia (also known as basal cerebral nuclei) involved in movement - claustrum, putamen, globus pallidus, and caudate nucleus.
• Know the basal cerebral ganglia involved in the limbic system - amygdala, cingulate gyrus, septal nuclei, as well as limbic functions of thalamus and hypothalamus.
• What are the 3 brain meninges?
• What is the blood brain barrier?
• What is the significance of the brain's heavy demand for oxygen and glucose with respect to potential damage by a stroke?
• What is the damage associated with a cerebral hemorrhage or hematoma?
• What is a coup-contrecoup injury?

Diencephalon:
• What is are the main functions of the following within the diencephalon:
- thalamus
- hypothalamic nuclei: the preoptic, anterior, ventromedial, lateral, suprachiasmatic, supraoptic, and paraventricular.

Midbrain:
• With respect to the midbrain what are the functions of the following?
- superior colliculus
- inferior colliculus
- red nucleus
- substantia nigra

Pons:
• What are the autonomic respiratory centers of the pons?

Medulla:
• What are the 3 autonomic regulatory centers of the medulla oblongata? What are some other functions of the medulla?

• What is the RAS? In what brain regions is it found? What are important neurotransmitters that are excitatory and inhibitory?

• Know example of the ascending tract is (for sensory info traveling up spinal cord to brain)
• Know example of the descending tract is (for motor info traveling down from brain to spinal cord)

• Go over Brain Imaging techniques in PowerPoint (X-ray, CT scan, MRI, PET, EEG)

• Regarding spinal cord organization:
- spinal cord regions (cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral, and coccygeal)
- location of white matter in spinal cord versus in the brain
- dorsal horn and its functions?
- ventral horn and its functions?
• Know what the dermatome regions (cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral) and what parts of body they provide sensory perception.
• What is the role of the dermatome and the chicken pox virus and "shingles"?
- chicken pox virus lies dormant in the dermatome in affected individuals. Becomes active later in life. Causes painful rash & blisters, usually on one side of body in thoracic region.

- terms (ischemia, stroke, subdural hematoma, coup-contracoup brain injury)

Read Clinical Apps (see online or within powerpoint):
Cerebellar ataxia (Clinical app within powerpoint)
Role of substantia nigra of the midbrain and Huntington's disease
Caudate nucleus and Parkinson's (Clinical app within powerpoint)
Babinski reflex and corticospinal motor tract (Clinical app within powerpoint)

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