11 Nervous system/brain Flashcards
nervous system
allows communication from the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body.
brain functions
movement, emotions, and subconscious actions.
neurons
are nerve cells that send and receive signals/electrical impulses from the brain
reflex arc
- involuntary movements
-involves a motor response to a sensory stimulus
spinal cord
receives and transfers information to the brain
CNS vs PNS
CNS: brain, spinal cord
PNS: cranial and spinal nerves, ganglia outside brain and spinal cord
sensory neurons
afferent neurons
carry info from stimulus receptors to CNS
motor neurons
efferent neurons
carry info from brain/spinal cord to muscle fibers and glands
interneurons
transmit signals to motor neurons
somatic nervous system
carry motor and sensory info both to and from CNS
PNS
has somatic and autonomic nervous system
autonomic reflex arcs
impact organs
somatic reflex arcs
impact muscles
autonomic nervous system
modulates respiration, heart rate, BP, digestion, reproduction response, immune response
sympathetic nervous system
- associated w/ fight or flight
- energy directed away from digestion and to increasing heart rate, dilation of pupils, increased perspirations and salvation, increase breathing etc.
parasympathetic nervous system
- associated with relaxed state
- pupils contract, energy is diverted for digestion of food, heart rate slows etc.
dendrites
receive and carry electrical impulses to cell
axon
carry impulses away from cell and transmit to next neuron
glia cells
specialized cells that provide neurons with nourishment, protection, and structural support
- ex: Schwann cells, oligodendrocytes
Schwann cells
myelinate the axons in the PNS
oligodendrocytes
myelinate axons in CNS
grey matter
receives and stores impulses in brain
- where cell bodies of neurons and neuroglia are located
- on the surface of brain
- on the inside of spinal cord
white matter
in brain it carries impulses to and from grey matter
- in inner brain
- in outer spinal cord
meninges
protective tissue that covers brain and spinal cord
cerebrospinal fluid
forms a chemical environment that
allows nerve fibers to transmit information effectively and it forms another layer of protection
cerebral cortex
surface of brain
sulcus
groove
gyrus
bump
cerebrum
responsible for things
such as memory, speech, voluntary behaviors, and thought
- divided into 2 hemispheres
frontal lobe
associated with higher cognition, voluntary movements, and language
parietal lobe
associated with processing sensory information
temporal lobe
associated with hearing and interpreting sounds as well as the formation of
memories
occipital lobe
associated with visual processes
cerebellum
is located under the cerebrum and coordinates muscle movements, and maintains posture and balance
brainstem
- includes the midbrain, pons, and medulla
- It acts as a relay center connecting the
cerebrum and cerebellum to the spinal cord - It performs many automatic functions such as breathing, heart rate, body temperature, wake and sleep cycles, digestion, sneezing, coughing, vomiting, and swallowing.
plasticity
we learn and can modify our behavior and even some reflexes to suit
changing situations
memory has 3 phases
encoding (deciding what to remember)
storing
recalling
short term memory
- working memory
- it stores information for about one minute and its capacity is limited to about 7 items
long term memory
is processed in the hippocampus of the temporal lobe and is activated when
you want to memorize something for a longer time. This memory has unlimited content and
duration capacity
skill memory
is processed in the cerebellum, which relays information to the basal ganglia.
It stores automatic learned memories like tying a shoe, playing an instrument, or riding a bike.
