Assignment #4
The Nervous System
Instructions: Please read each
section/question carefully. Answer questions in complete sentences, and
if/when you need to cite outside materials, please use footnotes. All work
is to be typed, and may be submitted either by email or in class. This
assignment is due no later than midnight Thursday July 29th. NO LATE PAPERS
ACCEPTED.
Short Answer:
2) Name the protective features ‘Mother Nature’ endowed mammals with to protect the CNS. Explain how each contributes to this function. Knowing this, do you think the use of headgear in sports, such as football, ice hockey and stunt bike riding is still necessary? Explain
3) Compare the methods by which the cerebrospinal fluid and the blood-brain barrier provide protection to the brain.
4) Would a brain tumor that destroyed the functioning of nerve cells in the medulla lead to death quicker than a tumor of the same size on the cerebral cortex? Defend your answer
5) Discuss the ventricles: where are they located, their function and how they interconnect. What cells are closely associated with their function?
Case Study A
Jalen has just touched a hot stove burner with his hand.
Q1: Summarize the events that occur as he initiates a withdrawal reflex. Describe the locations of all neurons involved.
Case Study B
A boxer is hit in the jaw very hard, his head and therefore his medulla and RAS are twisted sharply.
Q1: Why might this result in a knockout in which the boxer loses consciousness?
Q2: If the medulla were injured from the twisting, what other possible ramifications should the trainer watch for?
Case Study C
Zak was riding a motorcycle, when it was side swiped by a large pickup truck. He was thrown and landed hard about 30 feet from impact, sustaining quite a few broken bones. As his injuries healed, subsequent exams found some muscular problems.
Q1: For each of the following, state what nerve is damaged:
Unable to flex the leg [at hip]
Unable to adduct the thigh
Q2: He also has some sensory damage. For each of the following indicate which nerve is damaged:
Loss of sensation from the skin of the lateral thigh
Loss of sensation from the skin of the lateral lower leg and foot