Ch 11.2 The Central Nervous System

Question 1

What is the central nervous system composed of?

Answer 1

Spinal cord and the brain

Question 2

Describe spinal cord

Answer 2

Carries info from the senses to the brain for interpretation and from the brain to the effectors
Primary reflex centre
Outer region is made of white matter
Inner region is made of grey matter

Question 3

What is the spinal cord protected by?

Answer 3

Cerebrospinal fluid
Meninges
Spinal column (series of backbone/vertebrae)

Question 4

What is a dorsal root?

Answer 4

Contains sensory neurons, ganglion, and brings sensory information into the spinal cord from the BACK

Question 5

What is a ventral root?

Answer 5

Contains motor neurons and carries motor neural impulses out of the spinal cord (from the FRONT)

Question 6

Describe the brain

Answer 6

Receives sensory info, evaluates the info and initiates responses of the body

Question 7

What is the brain protected by?

Answer 7

Skull-protective bone
Meninges- 3 layers of tough elastic tissue which directly encase the brain and spinal cord, and produces the blood-brain barrier
-Dura matter-outer
-Arachnoid matter
-Pia matter-inner
Cerebrospinal fluid
-in sub arachnoid space
-shock absorber
-transports hormones,nutrients, wastes, and white blood cells across the blood brain barrier

Question 8

What are the three regions of the brain?

Answer 8

Hindbrain
- cerebellum
-medulla oblongata
-pons
Midbrain
Forebrain
-thalamus
-hypothalamus
-cerebrum

Question 9

What is a cerebellum?

Answer 9

A walnut shapes structure located below and behind the cerebrum. This part of the brain is involved in the unconscious coordination of posture, reflexes, and body movements, as well as fine voluntary motor skills. The cerebellum receives info from specialized sensors called proprietors, located within skeletal muscles and joints

Question 10

What is a medulla oblongata

Answer 10

Sits at the base of the brainstem, where it connects the brain with the spinal cord. It contains centres that control automatic, involuntary responses, such as heart rate, constriction or dilation of blood vessels, the rate and depth of breathing, and swallowing and coughing

Question 11

What are pons?

Answer 11

Is found above and in front of the medulla oblongata in the brain stem. It serves as a relay station between the neurons of the right and left halves of the cerebrum, and the rest of the brain

Question 12

Describe midbrain

Answer 12

Is found above the pons in the brain stem. It relays visual and auditory information between areas of the hindbrain and forebrain. It also plays an important role in eye movement and control of skeletal muscles
EYE AND EAR REFLEXES

Question 13

What is a thalamus

Answer 13

Sits at the base of the forebrain. It consists of neurons that provide connections between various parts of the brain. Relays information from senses

Question 14

What is a hypothalamus?

Answer 14

It helps to regulate the body’s internal environment, as well as certain aspects of behaviour

• contains neurons that control blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature, and basic drives and emotions
• coordinates the actions of the pituitary gland by producing and regulating the release of certain hormones

Question 15

What is a cerebrum?

Answer 15

The largest part of the brain
Is dividddd into right and left central hemispheres, which contain the centre for intellect, memory, consciousness, and language; it interprets and controls the response to sensory information
Responsible for higher mental functions, coordination of sensory and motor information

Question 16

What is a cerebral cortex?

Answer 16

Each half of the cerebrum consists of an internal mass of white and a thin, outer covering of grey matter, called the cerebral cortex
Responsible for language, memory, personality, vision, conscious thought, and other activities that are associated with thinking and feeling

Question 17

What is a Corpus callosum

Answer 17

Sends messages from one cerebral hemisphere to the other, telling each half of the brain what the other half is doing

Question 18

Describe the two hemispheres

Answer 18

Right hemisphere
-associated with holistic and intuitive thinking, visual and spatial skills, and artistic abilities
Controls LEFT muscles

Left hemispheres
-linked to segmental, sequential, and logical ways of thinking, and to linguistic and mathematical skills
Controls RIGHT muscles

Question 19

Describe the occipital lobe

Answer 19

Receive and analyze visual information

When damaged, a person is able to see objects but not able to recognize them
“Visual cortex”

Question 20

Describe temporal lobes

Answer 20

Their main function is auditory reception
Linked to understanding of speech and retrieving visual and verbal memories
“Auditory cortex”

Question 21

Describe frontal lobes

Answer 21

Integrate information from other parts of the brain and control reasoning, critical thinking, memory and personality
also contain motor areas that control various aspects of precise, voluntary motor movement, such as playing piano “motor cortex”

Question 22

Describe Broca’s area

Answer 22

Coordinates the muscle for speaking snd translates thought into speech
Damage to this sea results in an inability to speak, but does not affect the understanding of language

Question 23

Wernicke’s Area

Answer 23

Stores the information involved in language comprehension

The ability to utter words is not affected if this area is damaged but the words make little sense