10.1 Alpha and Gamma Lower Motor Neurons Flashcards
Motor Systems
Consciousness refers to …
Consciousness refers to our individual awareness—our thoughts, emotions, and perceptions.
Collective consciousness, on the other hand, encompasses …
the shared beliefs, ideas, and moral attitudes that operate as a unifying force within society. The ideas that each human operates like a cell in a larger organism.
The Collective Unconscious
Reference is made to Carl Jung’s idea of the “collective unconscious,” suggesting a shared layer of memories and archetypes inherent to all humans.
psychiatrist Phil Stutz’s therapeutic approach…
encourages individuals to recognize their part in a larger collective consciousness, suggesting that personal growth is intertwined with our connections to others.
Microtubules
Microtubules are microscopic structures within cells that facilitate intracellular communication. Microtubules create an intracellular transport network.
fascia
Fascia is a connective tissue that surrounds and supports muscles, organs, and other structures throughout the body. Fascia creates a body-wide web that transmits mechanical and electrical signals. fascia forms an interconnected web throughout the body, linking muscles, bones, and organs, enabling communication and mechanical force transfer.”
Mechanotransduction
The process by which cells convert mechanical stimuli, such as pressure, stretch, or tension, into biochemical signals. This allows cells to sense and respond to their physical environment, playing a key role in systems like fascia, muscle spindles, and neural pathways.
Mechanotransduction occurs in muscle spindles when changes in muscle stretch are detected and transformed into signals that help regulate movement and posture.
Fascia and mechanotransduction
“Fascia…is increasingly recognized as a medium for mechanotransduction, where mechanical forces are converted into biochemical signals, potentially influencing the nervous system.”
Fascia’s piezoelectric properties
The idea that the body sometimes reacts and responds before conscious awareness, implying a deeper, intrinsic intelligence. he connection between cells and the nervous system allows the body to respond to threats, pain, or other stimuli before we consciously process them. Fascia’s piezoelectric properties suggest the possibility of a role in cellular-level electrical signaling.
Roger Penrose and Stuart Hameroff’s Orch OR theory
proposes that consciousness arises from quantum processes in brain microtubules
The Higgs boson and the Higgs field
give particles their mass. presented as symbols of fundamental connectivity within the universe.
Fractals and Universal Patterns
The theme of fractal patterns repeating across scales, such as the structure of a tree or a galaxy, is introduced. This concept is used to illustrate a potential relationship between microtubules at a cellular level, fascia at a body-wide level, and the Higgs field on a universal scale.
Resonance and Vibration
The idea that everything in the universe vibrates, from the quantum realm to the body, is proposed, suggesting that frequencies could act as a language of connectivity.
What is the Orch OR theory of consciousness, and how does it relate to anesthesia?
The Orch OR theory, proposed by Penrose and Hameroff, suggests that consciousness arises from quantum processes in brain microtubules. They believe that anesthetics disrupt these quantum vibrations, leading to a loss of consciousness.
Describe the difference between microtubules and fascia, including the main functions of each.
Microtubules are microscopic structures within cells that provide structural support and facilitate intracellular transport, while fascia is a connective tissue that surrounds and supports muscles, organs, and other structures throughout the body. Microtubules exist within cells, and fascia exists between cells.
What does the term “embodied intelligence” mean in the context of cells and communication within the body?
Embodied intelligence refers to the body’s intrinsic ability to respond and react as a cohesive system, often before conscious awareness, demonstrated through communication among cells and the nervous system. It’s the idea that the body “knows” and reacts in complex ways on its own, below conscious thought.
What is the significance of the Higgs boson, also known as the “God particle,” and how might it be related to consciousness or connectivity in the body?
The Higgs boson is a fundamental particle associated with the Higgs field, which gives other particles their mass. It represents a deeper understanding of universal connectivity at the quantum level and could relate to consciousness through its implication that everything is connected at its most fundamental level, potentially involving microtubules.
How might concepts of shared consciousness or telepathic communication relate to ideas about unseen networks?
The concept of shared consciousness and telepathy might reflect a layer of unseen communication between individuals, similar to how the Higgs boson is seen as the foundation of connectivity within the universe. Both suggest that there is a reality that is not directly observable or measurable by current scientific standards, but might still be an important mechanism.
What does the term “piezoelectricity” mean, and how does it relate to fascia?
Piezoelectricity is the ability to generate electrical charges in response to mechanical stress. Fascia exhibits this property, potentially contributing to the transmission of signals throughout the body.
What is Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), and how is it related to the fascia in the body?
Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) is a group of connective tissue disorders that often lead to hypermobility, due to changes in the fascia which can become thick and rigid, impeding its ability to glide and causing pain and lack of coordination.
Describe the relationship between alpha and gamma motor neurons.
Alpha motor neurons directly stimulate skeletal muscle fibers, creating movement, while gamma motor neurons regulate muscle spindle sensitivity, adjusting tension to ensure precision in movements. They work in tandem.
Name three specific brain regions that would be most central to the study of motor systems and consciousness, as discussed in the source material.
The motor cortex, cerebellum, and basal ganglia are most central to the study of motor systems and consciousness. These brain regions all have a key part in the motor system and have more recently been linked to other higher-level functions, such as emotional regulation.
How do stretching practices like yoga potentially relate to the health of the fascia?
Stretching practices like yoga can improve fascia mobility and reduce stiffness by applying gentle stress to the tissue, making it more supple and flexible by way of intentional movement.
Consciousness
Individual awareness of one’s own thoughts, feelings, and perceptions.
