2.1 The Brain and the Nervous System

Question 1

Name the various parts of the nervous system and their respective functions

Answer 1

The nervous system is divided into CNS (Central) and Peripheral.

The central contains the brain and spinal cord.

The peripheral Nervous system is broken down into two more systems, Somatic and Autonomic.

Somatic contains the sensory and motor nerves. Controls our voluntary movements.

Autonomic controls breathing, heart breathing (more self regulated and you don’t have to worry about these)

Autonomic is broken into two more systems. It contains sympathetic(arousing) and parasympathetic(calming)

Question 2

How neurons communicate with each other?

Answer 2

through electrical and chemical signs.

Question 3

Identify the location and function of the limbic system

Answer 3

Limbic system sets are the top of the brain stem and is a collection of highly specialized neural structures that help regulate our emotions

Question 4

Articulate how the primary motor cortex is an example of brain region specialization

Answer 4

The motor cortex is an area in the front lobe that is in charge of voluntary movements. Each part of our bodies has an area within the motor cortex completely devoted to it.

Question 5

Name at least three neuroimaging techniques and describe how they work

Answer 5

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) - records metabolic activity in the brain by detecting he amount of radioactive substance

Function Magnetic Resonance Imaging (FMRI) relies on bloody flow and measures the changes in levels of oxygen in the blood.

Electroencephalography (EEG)
Measures electrical brain activity instead of blood flow.

Question 6

What is Cerebellum?

Answer 6

The distinctive structure at the back of the brain, Latin for “small brain.”

Question 7

What is Axon?

Answer 7

Carries impulses away from the body and onto another neuron.

Part of the neuron that extends off the soma, splitting several times to connect with other neurons; main output of the neuron.

Question 8

What is Contralateral?

Answer 8

Literally “opposite side”; used to refer to the fact that the two hemispheres of the brain process sensory information and motor commands for the opposite side of the body (e.g., the left hemisphere controls the right side of the body).

Question 9

What is Broca’s area?

Hint: think language

Answer 9

An area in the frontal lobe of the left hemisphere. Implicated in language production.

Question 10

Dendrites

Answer 10

Part of a neuron that extends away from the cell body and is the main input to the neuron.

Question 11

What is Cerebellum?

Answer 11

The distinctive structure at the back of the brain, Latin for “small brain.”

Question 12

What is Cerebrum?

Answer 12

Usually refers to the cerebral cortex and associated white matter, but in some texts includes the subcortical structures.

Question 13

What is the Frontal Lobe?

Answer 13

The front most (anterior) part of the cerebrum; anterior to the central sulcus and responsible for motor output and planning, language, judgment, and decision-making.

Question 14

Corpus Callosum

Hint: connects

Answer 14

The thick bundle of nerve cells that connect the two hemispheres of the brain and allow them to communicate.

Question 15

Dendrites

Answer 15

Receive input from other neurons.

Part of a neuron that extends away from the cell body and is the main input to the neuron.

Question 16

Myelin Sheath

Answer 16

Fatty tissue, that insulates the axons of the neurons; myelin is necessary for normal conduction of electrical impulses among neurons.

Question 17

What is the Nervous System?

Answer 17

The body’s network for electrochemical communication. This system includes all the nerves cells in the body.

Question 18

What are Neurons?

Answer 18

Individual Brain cells

Question 19

What are Neurotransmitters?

Answer 19

Chemical substance released by the presynaptic terminal button that acts on the postsynaptic cell.

Question 20

Occipital Lobe

Answer 20

The back most (posterior) part of the cerebrum; involved in vision.

Question 21

Myelin Sheath

Answer 21

Fatty tissue, that insulates the axons of the neurons; myelin is necessary for normal conduction of electrical impulses among neurons.

Think of this as the plastic coating around your iPhone cord.

Question 22

Peripheral nervous System

Answer 22

All of the nerve cells that connect the central nervous system to all the other parts of the body.

Question 23

What does PET standoff and what is it?

Answer 23

Positron Emission Tomography (PET)
A neuroimaging technique that measures brain activity by detecting the presence of a radioactive substance in the brain that is initially injected into the bloodstream and then pulled in by active brain tissue.

Question 24

Soma

Answer 24

Cell body of a neuron that contains the nucleus and genetic information, and directs protein synthesis.

Question 25

Spatial Resolution

Answer 25

A term that refers to how small the elements of an image are; high spatial resolution means the device or technique can resolve very small elements; in neuroscience it describes how small of a structure in the brain can be imaged.

Question 26

Split Brain Patient

Answer 26

A patient who has had most or all of his or her corpus callosum severed.

Question 27

Synapses

Answer 27

Junction between the presynaptic terminal button of one neuron and the dendrite, axon, or soma of another postsynaptic neuron.

Question 28

Synaptic Gap

Answer 28

Also known as the synaptic cleft; the small space between the presynaptic terminal button and the postsynaptic dendritic spine, axon, or soma.

Question 29

Soma

Answer 29

Where decisions are made. Decides if they will pass information to another neuron.

Cell body of a neuron that contains the nucleus and genetic information, and directs protein synthesis.

Question 30

Temporal Resolution

Answer 30

A term that refers to how small a unit of time can be measured; high temporal resolution means capable of resolving very small units of time; in neuroscience it describes how precisely in time a process can be measured in the brain.

Question 31

What is afferent mean and how is it different from efferent?

Answer 31

Carries information from our body to our brain. (fingers to the brain)

Efferent goes from the brain to the body (brain to fingers)

Question 32

Synapses

Answer 32

The space between neurons and where neurotransmitters go from one neuron to another.

Junction between the presynaptic terminal button of one neuron and the dendrite, axon, or soma of another postsynaptic neuron.