Carries pain and temperature. It decussates immediately in the spinal cord (via the anterior white commissure) and ascends contralaterally. High-Yield Descending (Motor) Tracts
Involved in visual and auditory reflexes (colliculi) and motor control (substantia nigra).
Processes somatosensory information like touch, pressure, pain, and temperature (via the postcentral gyrus/primary somatosensory cortex). It is also involved in spatial awareness.
Regulates involuntary body functions (heart rate, digestion, respiration). Sympathetic Division: The "fight-or-flight" system. Parasympathetic Division: The "rest-and-digest" system. 2. Cellular Components of the Nervous System neuroanatomy notes pdf
Limbic system (emotion/memory), Basal ganglia (motor control). 5. Blood Supply and Ventricular System Circle of Willis: Arterial supply to the brain.
The master regulator of homeostasis. It controls the autonomic nervous system, body temperature, hunger, thirst, circadian rhythms, and regulates the pituitary gland. The Brainstem
A single long fiber that conducts action potentials away from the soma toward target cells. Carries pain and temperature
A digital PDF should always have clear typography and searchable text, allowing you to quickly look up terms like "internal capsule" or "circle of Willis" during rapid review sessions.
Three protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord: Dura Mater: The outermost, thick, leather-like layer. Arachnoid Mater: A web-like middle layer. Pia Mater:
Housed within the vertebral canal, serving as the conduit between the brain and the rest of the body. The Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) Sympathetic Division: The "fight-or-flight" system
Controls voluntary movements via skeletal muscles and transmits somatosensory information to the CNS.
Do not just look at a diagram of the spinal tracts or the Circle of Willis. Grab a blank piece of paper and draw them from memory. Label where they originate, where they cross over (decussate), and where they terminate.
The web-like middle layer. The subarachnoid space beneath it contains the CSF and major blood vessels.
Housed within the cranium, consisting of the cerebrum, brainstem, and cerebellum.