Ch 2/3 outcome 1 Flashcards
Function of the Central Nervous System (CNS)?
Transmits and receives messages to and from the PNS
Function of the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)?
Carries messages to and from the Central Nervous System
Three main functions of the nervous system?
~Receive information
~Process information
~Coordinate a response to information
What is the brain vs heart debate and who was involved?
~Theory of whether the brain or the heart was involved in emotion, thinking and mental processes.
~The Egyptians but can also be dated back to Greek philosophers Empidocles(Heart) and Alcmaeon(Brain).
What is the mind-body problem and who is involved?
~A theory of whether the mind is part of the body or the body is part of the mind.
~Renè Descartes believed that the mind and body were separate(dualism) but came into contact through the pineal gland.
What is the mind brain problem?
The relationship between brain activity and conscious experience.
What is phrenology and who was involved?
~Phrenology is a pseudoscience that was popular in the 19th century which noted that recessions and depressions on the skull’s surface determined personality.
~Franz Gall first discovered that different areas of the brain were used for different functions (localisation).
~Johann Spurzheim renamed the study ‘Phrenology’.
What is brain ablation and what did it discover?
~Destroying certain parts of the brain to record which functions were affected.
~First evidence of neuroplasticity.
~Mass action & Equipotentiality
What is Electric Stimulation of the Brain (ESB) and what did it discover?
~Electrically stimulating the brain to trigger movement in the body.
~This lead to epilepsy treatments.
What does CT stand for and what is its use?
~ Computerised Tomography
~Structure of brain: cross section
~Abnormalities
What does PET stand for and what is it’s use?
~ Positron Emission tomography
~ Function of brain areas including the level of activity in colour.
What does MRI stand for and what is it used for?
~Magnetic Resonance Imaging
~Structure of brain, changes in brain anatomy.
~High detail, can identify small changes.
What does fMRI stand for and what is it used for?
~Functional magnetic resonance imaging
~Observing brain activity and brain oxygen levels.
What is the function of the Autonomic Nervous System?
~Connects CNS to internal organs and glands.
~Controls internal bodily functions without conscious thoughts
Eg. Sweating, blinking, breathing
What is the function of the Somatic Nervous System?
~Carries sensory information to the CNS from sensory receptors. Eg. Skin(feel)
~Carries motor information from the CNS to skeletal muscles.
~Voluntary Movements
What is the role of the sympathetic nervous system?
~Prepares body for action when under threat.
What is the role of the parasympathetic nervous system?
~Calms the body down after threat has passed.
~Returns body to normal state of function.
What is a neuron?
An individual nerve cell which makes up the nervous system
What are the 4 roles of the neuron?
~Enables nervous system function
~ Carry information around body (action potential
~Interprets messages
~Enables response
What are the 3 types of neurons and their roles?
- Sensory Neurons- receive and carry sensory info from internal and external environments and monitor inner bodily changes.
- Motor Neurons- carry messages from CNS to skeletal muscles, organs and glands to enable movement and control function of internal organs.
- Interneurons- link sensory & motor Neurons to enable simple reflexes . Also converts sensory info to store in memory.
What is the role of the Soma?
To combine information received from the dendrites and send it to the axon.
What is the role of the dendrites?
Receives information from the other Neurons and sends it to the soma
What is the role of the axon?
To transmit info away from the soma to other Neurons or cells