Brain and Behaviour Flashcards
The nervous system includes…
CNS - brain and spinal chord
PNS - neurons in rest of body
Different types of neurons
Sensory - sends sensory info TO BRAIN via inter
Inter - Connects neurons (in brain and spinal chord)
Motor - motor information TO GLANDS/MUSCLES
Firing of a neuron
Resting state (-70mV)
Action potential ( -55 mV)
neurotransmitters released from presynaptic neuron into post synaptic cleft and received by post synaptic neuron
receiving neuron becomes more or less likely to fire
The Hindbrain
Medulla - controls heartbeat, breathing, circulation
Pons - Regulates sleep, arousal levels, respiration, movement
Cerebellum - balance, coordination, executing motor commands, fine motor skills, associative learning (limited cognitive skills)
Reticular formation (Partial)- maintaining consciousness
The Midbrain
Tectum - Vision and hearing
Tegmentum - movement
Reticular formation (partial) - implicated in sleep, attention, muscle tone, movement, respiratory reflexes (damage = COMA)
The Forbrain
Cerebrum - 2 cerebral hemispheres (inc. basal ganglia and limbic system) and cortex
Hypothalamus - regulates basic biological drives, tied to endocrine system
thalamus - relay station and sensory info integration
The forebrain’s Limbic System
Regulates emotion, memory, motivations
amygdala - emotional processes
hippocampus - memory
hypothalamus - pleasure centres
septum - emotion laden learning, pain relief, pain avoidance
Corpus calossum
connects 2 hemispheres
information between left and right hemispheres replayed via corpus calossum
specialisations of each hemisphere
Left - language, logic, complex motor skills
Right - linguistic functions including forming visual maps of the environment
Contralateral control
Left hemisphere controls right body
Right hemisphere controls left body
areas of Cerebral Cortex
Frontal lobe - speech, motor cortex
Parietal lobe - Taste, speech, reading
Occipital lobe - vision
Temporal lobe - smell, hearing
