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LAB REPORT #6: Nervous System

BIOLOGY II Standard for the Pre-Health Sciences – Durham College

/40 marks

EVALUATION NOTES

Read before submitting:


 The pre-lab quiz and the lab report are worth 5% of your final mark.
 This lab report should be submitted online via DC Connect.
 For full marks, all lab reports are due in the DC Connect assignments folder by
11:59pm on the due date established by your instructor. Late submissions will be
penalized 10% per day up to a maximum of 5 days. After that a mark of 0 will be
assigned.

PART 1 – OVERVIEW OF THE CNS

1. (3 marks) The CNS protects itself in 3 different ways. Fill in the blanks below.

a. First, the CNS is enclosed with bone. The bone that surrounds the brain is
called the CRANIUM and the bones that surround the spine are called the
VERTEBRAE.

b. Second, protective membranes called meninges surround the CNS. Both the
brain and the spine have 3 membranes in total – the DURA mater,
ARACHNOID mater, and the PIA mater.

c. Lastly, CEREBROSPINAL fluid (CSF) sits between the meninges of the CNS.
This fluid bathes the CNS in nutrients and helps to protect and absorb any shock
caused by body movement.

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2. (2 marks) The CNS is composed of grey matter tissue and white matter tissue.
Assign a label of “grey” or “white” to the descriptions below.

a. WHITE Axons are myelinated

b. GREY Axons are unmyelinated

c. WHITE Composed only of long axons

d. GREY Contains short axons, cell bodies, and dendrites

PART 2 – SPINE

3. (3 marks) Determine whether the following statements about the spine are TRUE
or FALSE:

a. TRUE Grey matter within the spinal cord has a butterfly shape

b. FALSE White matter is centrally located within the spine and the grey
matter is on the outside

c. TRUE The spinal cord has a central canal that carries cerebrospinal
fluid (CSF)

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4. (3 marks) Insert your labelled diagram of a cross-section of a spine. Make sure it
includes labels for grey matter, white matter, and the central canal.

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PART 3 – THE DIENCEPHALON, BRAINSTEM AND CEREBELLUM

5. (9 marks) Insert your picture of Figure 1 in the Lab Manual (page 48). Use the
following checklist to make sure that all required items have been completed.

☐ The diencephalon is outlined clearly and labeled.


☐ The thalamus is shaded clearly and labeled.
☐ The hypothalamus is shaded clearly and labeled.
☐ The pineal gland is shaded clearly and labeled.
☐ The brainstem is outlined clearly and labeled.
☐ The medulla oblongata is shaded clearly and labeled.
☐ The midbrain is shaded clearly and labeled.
☐ The pons is shaded clearly and labeled.
☐ The cerebellum is outlined clearly and labeled.

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6. (7 marks) Describe the major functions of various parts of the brain by matching
the structure to its appropriate function below.

DIENCEPHALON A. Controls the body’s sleep-wake circadian rhythm by


D Thalamus releasing the hormone, melatonin
G Hypothalamus
B. Primary role in the regulation of breathing;
A Pineal gland
regulates heart rate; controls reflexes such as
vomiting, coughing, and sneezing
BRAIN STEM
E Midbrain C. Coordinates voluntary motor movements in skeletal
F Pons muscles and ensures appropriate posture and
B Medulla balance.
oblongata D. Acts as a “relay station” to sort incoming peripheral
sensory signals and send them to the correct part
CEREBELLUM of the brain; helps regulate voluntary motor
C Cerebellum movements in skeletal muscle

E. Helps regulate voluntary motor movements in


skeletal muscle by releasing dopamine

F. Bridges the cerebellum and cerebrum; plays a


secondary role in the regulation of breathing

G. Works to achieve homeostasis within the body by


releasing hormones that control body temperature,
water-salt balance, hunger, growth, etc

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PART 4 – THE CEREBRUM

7. (5 marks) The cerebrum is composed of an inner portion and an outer layer. To


learn about these regions, fill in the blanks below.

a. The inner portion is called the


SUBCORTICAL REGION and contains
only WHITE matter. It houses several
key structures including various basal
nuclei, the amygdala and the limbic
system that help to regulate human
emotions and various primal instincts. It
also contains the CORPUS
CALLOSUM which connects the left
and the right hemispheres of the brain.

b. The outer layer is called the


CEREBRAL CORTEX and contains only
GREY matter. It is this highly folded
region that sets humans apart from other
animals.

8. (2 marks) The cerebrum can be divided into 4 main lobes. Use the diagram below
to locate each lobe. Note that the view in the diagram is from the top of the head.

Label A = FRONTAL lobe

Label B = TEMPROAL lobe

Label C = PARIETAL lobe

Label D = OCCIPITAL lobe

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9. (4 marks) Determine the major functions of each lobe by matching the lobe to its
appropriate function below.

D Frontal A. Controls sensations of touch;


integrates sensory information to help
C Parietal with visual-spatial processing; involved
in self-awareness
B Occipital B. Receives information important for
vision
A Temporal
C. Controls hearing; allows for the
comprehension of speech

D. Controls voluntary motor movement in


skeletal muscles; controls muscles
involved in speech; responsible for
intelligence and higher-order thinking

10. (2 marks) The brain functions above occur because of small sub-regions that exist
within each lobe. For example, the temporal lobe can achieve speech
comprehension because of a sub-region call Wernicke’s area. Similarly, the
occipital lobe allows for vision because of a sub-region called the visual cortex.
While your textbook outlines MANY of these sub-regions, you are only responsible
for knowing TWO of them for this course:

Fill-in-the-blanks:
a. The motor cortex is found in the FRONTAL lobe and allows our brains to have
conscious control of skeletal muscles, i.e. voluntary movement in skeletal
muscles. Much of the motor cortex tissue is dedicated to the face, mouth/lips,
and hands – meaning that these are places where we have a lot of fine muscle
control.

b. The somatosensory cortex is found in the PARIETAL lobe and allows our
brains to receive sensory input from the skin, muscles and joints. Much of the
motor cortex tissue is dedicated to the lips and the hands – meaning that these
are places that are highly sensitive.

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