1. The Nervous System Flashcards
How much does the brain weigh?
1.5 kg
The brain consists of ___
billions of tiny cells
The human brain enables us to ___ , ____ , ____
sense the world around us, think, and to talk
The disciplines that Neuroscience includes…
Molecular biology, experimental psychology, anatomy, physiology, and and pharmacology
Neuroscience
The science of the brain
The brain’s building blocks are:
nerve cells
Nerves are connected together in ____
networks
These networks are in a constant state of ___ and ___ activity
electrical and chemical activity
The brain can ___ and ___
see and feel
The brain can sense ___ and its ___ tricks help control uncomfortable effects of pain
pain, chemical
The brain has several ___ to devoted to co-ordinating our movements
areas
When genes go wrong individual can develop ___
dyslexia
Neuronal plasticity
A process called neuroplasticity: similarities between how the brain
develops, and the mechanisms responsible for altering the connections between
nerve cells later on
Plasticity is thought to underlie ___ and ___
learning and remembering
Techniques changing the face of neuroscience
Special electrodes that can touch the surface of cells,
optical imaging, human brain scanning machines, and silicon chips (containing
artificial brain circuits)
Glial cells
A type of cell that provides physical and chemical support to neurons and maintain their environment. Located in the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system, glial cells are sometimes called the “glue” of the nervous system, as well as neuroglia or just glia
The 3 kinds of neurons are…
Sensory, motor, and interneurons
The nervous system consists of the ____ , ____ , and ____
brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves
The nervous system is made up of cells called ____
neurons
The supporting cells are called _____ cells
glial
Sensory neurons
Coupled to receptors specialized to detect and
respond to different attributes of the internal and external
environment.
The sensory receptors are sensitive to changes in ___ , ____ , ____ , and ___ stimuli subserve the sensory modalities of vision, hearing, touch, smell, and taste
light, sound, mechanical and chemical stimuli
When mechanical, thermal or chemical stimuli to the skin
exceed a certain intensity;
They can cause tissue damage.
and a special set of receptors called nociceptors are
activated; these give rise both to protective reflexes and to
the sensation of pain
What special receptors are activated when stimuli reaches a certain intensity on the skin?
Nociceptors
Nociceptors are…
Sensory receptors that detect signals from damaged tissue or the threat of damage and indirectly also respond to chemicals released from the damaged tissue. Nociceptors are free (bare) nerve endings found in the skin, muscle, joints, bone and viscera.
When mechanical, thermal or chemical stimuli to the skin
exceed a certain intensity;
They can cause tissue damage.
and a special set of receptors called nociceptors are
activated.
Nociceptors give rise to both ___ reflexes and to the ___ of pain
protective reflexes and to
the sensation of pain
Motor neurons, which control ___ activity, are
responsible for all forms of ___ including ____.
muscle activity, behaviour, speech
Nociceptors give rise to both ___ reflexes and to ___ of pain ____
protective reflexes and to
the sensation of pain
Interposed between ___ and ____ neurons are _____.
Sensory, motor neurons, interneurons
Interneurons are the most ____
numerous
What special receptors are activated when stimuli reaches a certain intensity on the skin?
Nociceptors
Interneurons mediate ____ as well as being responsible for the ______
Simple reflexes, highest brain functions
Nociceptors give rise to both ___ reflexes and to ___ of pain ____
protective reflexes and to
the sensation of pain
Nociceptors are…
Sensory receptors that detect signals from damaged tissue or the threat of damage and indirectly also respond to chemicals released from the damaged tissue. Nociceptors are free (bare) nerve endings found in the skin, muscle, joints, bone and viscera.
Glial cells make an important contribution to the _____ system development and ____ in the adult brain
Nervous system development and function in the adult brain.
Glial cells are more numerous, they don’t transmit ____, the way ____ do
information, they way neurons do
Neurons have a structure consisting of a ____ and 2 additional ____ ; “processes”
cell body, compartments; “processes’
One set is called an ___
Axons
Axons
Transmit info from the neuron on to others to
which it is connected.
The other set is called; _____
dendrites
Dendrites
Receive the info being transmitted by
the axons of other neurons.
Both processes (axons/dendrites) participate in specialized contacts; ______
Synapses
Neurons are organized into _____
and _____ that are the pathways through which
information in the nervous system is transmitted.
Complex chains, networks, pathways,
The brain and spinal cord are connected to ____ and ____ through long ____ that
make up the ____ nerves.
Sensory receptors/muscles, axons, peripheral nerves
The 2 functions of the spinal cord;
- Simple reflexes (the knee
jerk and the rapid withdrawal of a limb from a hot object) - Complex reflexes (Highway between the body and the brain for information
travelling in both directions)
The ____ of the human brain distinguishes it. A result from the increase in the # of ____ over the course of evolution– providing wide variety of reactions to the environment.
large size, number of interneurons
The brain consists of; _____ and ____
Brain stem and the cerebral
hemispheres
The brain stem is divided into ___, ____, and a
‘between-brain’ called the ____.
Hind-brain, mid-brain, and diencephalon.
The hind-brain is an extension of the ______
Spinal cord
The hind-brain contains ____ of _____ that constitute centres for the control of vital
functions such as _____ and ______.
networks of neurons, breathing and blood pressure
Arising from the roof of the hind-brain is the
____, which plays an absolutely _____ in the
_____ and _____ of movements
Cerebellum, central role, control/timing
The ____ contains groups of neurons, each of which seem
to use predominantly a particular type of _____.
Midbrain, chemical messenger
The diencephalon is divided into 2 very different areas
called the ____ and the _____
Thalamus and the hypothalamus:
The thalamus
relays ____ from all sensory systems to the ____ ____, which in turn sends messages back to the thalamus.
Impulses, cerebral cortex
Info travels back and forward in the brain
TRUE
The hypothalamus controls functions such as ___ and
____, and it also regulates the release of _____
involved in sexual functions.
eating/drinking, hormones
The cerebral hemispheres consist of a core, the ___ ____
Basal ganglia
____ ____ of the cerebral cortex; an extensive but thin surrounding sheet of
neurons.
Grey matter,
The basal ganglia play a central role in the ____ and
____ of movement.
initiation and control of movement
The basal ganglia play a central role in the ____ and
____ of movement.
initiation and control of movement
In limited skull space; cerebral cortex
is thrown into ____ that weave in and out; large SA for neuron sheets
folds
Cerebral cortex woven into folds; this ____ ____ is the most highly
developed brain area area in humans
Cortical tissue,
Cortical tissue divided into large # of discrete
areas, distinguishable in terms of its ____ and
_____.
layers/connections
The ____ from the sensory receptors to the cortex and
from cortex to the muscles ____ from one side to the
other.
Pathways, crossover
Thus ______ of the right side of the body are
controlled by the left side of the cortex, vice versa. (ex. sounds in the
left ear mainly reach the right cortex)
movements
2 halves of the brain don’t work in isolation - left/
right cerebral cortex are connected by a large fibre tract called the ____ ____
Corpus callosum
The cerebral cortex is required for ____ actions,
language, speech and ____ functions such as thinking/remembering.
voluntary, higher,
Speech is
lateralized in the left hemisphere in most people
TRUE
