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1. Describe the different parts of the Central Nervous System (CNS). How does CNS interact with the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS).
Included in the CNS is the brain and the spinal cord. In the CNS the main role of the brain is to control most of the bodily functions that include things we use daily such as movement, sensations, thoughts, awareness, speech, and memory. The spinal cord is connected to a part of the brain that is called the brainstem. In the CNS the spinal cords function is to carry signals back and forth between the brain and the PNS.
In the Peripheral Nervous System there are collections of nerves that exit the brain and the spinal cord to travel to designated areas of the body. The function of the PNS allows sensory cells to carry messages to the CNS, whereas the function of the CNS processes the information collected by the PNS and forms a response to send to the rest of the body. Interaction between the Central Nervous System and Peripheral Nervous System is the path of impulses that happens between the brain and spinal happening in the PNS.
2. Describe the different arterial branches of the cerebral circulation. Explain what functions in the brain would be lost by occlusion of the different blood vessels due to any condition?
There are three different arterial branches of the cerebral circulation; anterior cerebral artery, middle cerebral artery, and the anterior choroidal artery. According to our textbook notes the anterior cerebral arteries surface branches supply cortex and white matter of inferior frontal lobe and the medial surface of the frontal and parietal lobes, middle cerebral arteries surface branches provide cortex and white matter of hemispheric convexity, and anterior choroidal arteries provide anterior hippocampus and posterior limb of the internal capsule.
When cerebral circulation is impaired due to the closure of a blood vessel, your brain can become damaged because not enough oxygen and glucose are being reached to your brain. Some conditions associated with impaired cerebral circulation include stroke and cerebral hemorrhage. A stroke is when a blood clot blocks the flow of blood in your cranial artery resulting in brain tissue in that area to die. If brain tissue dies because of a stroke it can impair the functions of the part of your brain it normally would control such as your speech, movement, and memory. A cerebral hemorrhage is an internal bleeding in your cranial cavity. When your arterial walls are weakened it can burst, causing blood to be released into your cranial cavity. If a cerebral hemorrhage occurs, it can lead to brain damage and even death.
