Spinal Cord Protective Structures

* White matter is one of the two components of the central nervous system, and it consists of glial cells and myelinated axons that transmit signals from one region of the cerebrum to another as well as in between the cerebrum and lower brain centers. Grey matter contains neural cell bodies. Unlike white matter, it is mostly made up of myelinated axon tracts. Tracts are bundles of fibers that connect to different parts of the CNS. Roots receive information sent by neurons. Spinal nerves refer to a mixture of spinal nerves, which carry

The posterior cerebral arteries arise at this confluence, as do two small bridging arteries, the anterior and posterior communicating arteries. Cojoining the two major sources of cerebral vascular supply via the circle of Willis presumably improves the chances of any region of the brain continuing to receive blood if one of

Write a brief description of the three slides (Neuron, Spinal Cord Smear and C.S of Myelinated Nerve Fibers) as though you were explaining it to someone who cannot see the slide.

The brain is a soft, delicate, non-replaceable and spongy mass of tissue. Brain is considered as a kernel part of the body and has a very complex structure. The brain consists of mainly two types of tissues: gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM). The brain also contains a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that consists of enzymes, glucose, salts, and white blood cells. The brain is divided into three major parts, the hindbrain (including the cerebellum and the brain stem), the midbrain, and the forebrain (including the diencephalon and the cerebrum).The body is made up of many

Correspondingly, there are two pathways that transports blood to the brain called internal carotid artery and vertebral artery. The internal carotid artery has three layers call the tunica adventitia, tunica media, and tunica intima. Tunica intima is made up of smooth muscle cells and elastin. The basilar artery forms and it branches out to the posterior cerebral arteries. The posterior cerebral arteries form the internal carotid arteries and when they connect they make cerebral arterial circle ( circle of willis). The middle cerebral arteries branch out two separate arteries called the anterior cerebral arteries. Each of these arteries are the force that direct the blood flow to the brain. There are three tiny vascular systems that work together to profuse the deep brain. Which are the pial, subependymal, and lenticulostriate arteries. The small area of white matter that depends on blood flow is called the subcortical “shed water” area. The subcortical is more prone than other areas of the brain to have ischemia. The leading cause of ischemia is the fibrin builds up and this cause a narrowing of the lumen. Which does not allow the flow of red blood cells and deprives the white matter of tissue of oxygen. The tissue then losses density and produces white matter lesions. The neurons become demyelinated which leads to loss of cognitive ability.

Extradural, subdural, and subarachnoid hemorrhages are best understood by reviewing the anatomy of the meninges. The meninges are divided into three layers: the dura mater, arachnoid layer, and pia mater. The dura mater lines the inner surfaces of the skull and forms partial divisions in the cortex of the brain. The dura mater is attached to the skull, particularly at the cranial sutures of the bones that make up the skull. In infants and small children this attachment has not yet taken place. The space between the skull and the dura mater is the extradural space. A hemorrhage into this space is referred to as an extradural hemorrhage. These hemorrhages are usually the result of a tear in a meningeal artery.

The spinal cord and the brain are the main parts of the central nervous system. The spinal cord is aligned from the base of the brain, through the back, which allows the body to move and have sensation. The spinal cord contains dendrites, supporting cells, and axons, long nerve fibers, that attach to the brain to carry out messages. The axons have sheaths of insulation called myelin and the dendrites receive signals from other dendrites. Dendrites actually make

In the Washington Post article "Scientists find the brain's missing ‘pipes’," the author, Amy Ellis Nutt, explains the discovery of microscopic lymphatic vessels located in the brain of a mouse found by scientists at the University of Virginia. In general terms, lymphatic vessels function as the body's immune cell distributor and the main transporter of tissue fluids that were once believed to be found virtually anywhere in the body, but not within the brain area. However, this recent scientific revelation validates that these vessels might be the ‘missing’ physical link which connects the brain to the immune system. The fact that sufficient advances in microscopy for the task has only been available recently, combined with the difficulty in

The three main tissues that support and protect the CNS are commonly known as the meninges. They protect by preventing direct circulation of blood through the cells of the brain and spinal cord. These layers have elasticity within the tissues coating the CNS. In order the layers are the dura mater, the arachnoid layer, and pia mater. The last two layers have cerebrospinal fluid within which acts as a shock absorber to the brain. The cerebrospinal fluid transports hormones, white blood cells and nutrients to the cells of the

Dorsal cavity is located toward the backside of the body and it made of the cranial portion of the skull and vertebral column. The cranial cavity contains the brain where the vertebral column contains the spinal cord, which is an extension of the brain. The ventral cavity is located toward the front of the body and it is divided to two sections by the diaphragm muscle into upper (thoracic cavity) and lower (abdominopelvic cavity). The thoracic cavity has a two cavity inside it the pleural cavity that hold the lungs and the pericardial cavity that contains the heart. The thoracic cavity also contains the trachea, bronchi, and esophagus. The abdominopelvic cavity contains the stomach, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, the spleen, kidneys, and the

There are a few body cavities that makeup and help separate, protect, and support internal organs. These vital organs provide essential function to sustain life. Without them, death could be the result. The first cavity is the dorsal body cavity and it is known for having two other cavities known as the cranial and the vertebral cavities. The cavity known as the cranial cavity, is formed by cranial bone. The organ that it holds, which is very complex and important in my opinion, is the brain. The brain is very important because it is the controller of the body. Daily functions such as thinking, digesting, storing information couldn’t be done without the help of the brain. The cranial cavity is superior to the next cavity which is the vertebral

The majority of the vessels that supply the brain with blood derive from the cerebral atrial circle. The cerebral atrial circle is also known as the circle of Willis and it is found at the base of the brain around the pituitary gland. The circle of Willis is composed of arteries and crucial to cerebral circulation; the arteries which comprise the circle are as follows: the anterior cerebral artery, the anterior communicating artery, the internal carotid artery, the posterior cerebral artery, the posterior communicating artery, and the basilar artery. The internal carotid and vertebral arteries carry blood to the brain. In the cranial cavity the vertebral arteries bind to form a basilar artery which forms the right and left of the cerebral

(nerve cells). It has many folds or convolutions, creating a large surface area allowing many brain

     The cranium and the Cranial Meniges surround and protect the brain. The Cranial meninges are continuous with the Spical meninges. Both have the same basic

That layer of cells forms a barrier between the capillaries and the cells and fluid of the brain.