ch 2 the human nervous system Flashcards
the nervous system
divided into two major sections the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system
the central nervous system
brain and spinal cord. It helps the brain to communicate with the rest of the body by sending messages to the peripheral nervous system
the brain
made up of the hindbrain, the midbrain and the forebrain
the hindbrain
links to the spinal cord and the rest of the brain and is important for movement and balance
the midbrain
coordinates movement, sleep and arousal
the forebrain
is responsible for receiving and processing sensory information and for higher-order thinking processes, including problem-solving, planning, memory, language and emotions
what are the 4 main lobes in the cerebral cortex
frontal lobe
temporal lobe
parietal lobe
occipital lobe
frontal lobe
abstract thought, social skills and planning
temporal lobe
hearing, language, and visual recognition
parietal lobe
touch, non-verbal thought, and spatial orientation
occipital lobe
visual
the spine
the bundle of nerve fibres connecting the brain with the peripheral nervous system
sensory neurons
neurons that carry information from the body and from the outside into the CNS
somatic nervous system
carries sensory information into the CNS and motor commands from the CNS to the skeletal muscles
peripheral nervous system
works with the central nervous system to enable you to interact with the environment
the autonomic nervous system
communication of info between the CNS and body skeletal muscles, such as the heart and stomach
brocas area
- responsible for speech production
- controls lips/tongue/vocal cord movement to literally produce words
- located in the frontal lobe
wernickes area
- responsible for language comprehension and producing grammatically correct speech
- located in the temporal lobe
Geschwind’s territory
- responsible for linking the words we hear to areas of the brain responsible for producing speech
- a bundle of nerve fibres that connect to Brocas area and Wernickes areas, but more functionally that physically
cerebellum
- is located in the hindbrain
- remembers and coordinates smooth well-sequenced movements
basal ganglia
- a group of structures located between the two hemispheres of the brain
- channels information from various regions to the motor cortex
primary motor cortex
- located at the back of the frontal lobe
- responsible for the movement of (voluntary) skeletal muscles
control in the motor cortex
- the left motor cortex controls movement on the right half of the body and vice versa
spinal reflexes
are automatic responses to sensory stimuli
monosynaptic reflex arc
a reflex arc made up of two neurons (one sensory and one motor)
polysynaptic reflex arc
a reflex arc made up of multiple neurons, with one or more interneurons connecting the sensory and motor neurons
limbic system
the area of the brain that is associated with emotion
hippocampus
- involved in the regulation and expression of emotion
- important for remembering memories that are tied to strong emotions
hypothalamus
involved in the control of emotion, especially concerning our stress response
roles of the amygdala in emotion
- located on the inside of the temporal lobe
- central to emotion (especially fear) and aggression
- the right amygdala also appears to be vital on perceiving negative emotions
roles of the prefrontal cortex in emotion
roles in regulating and modifying emotions, and even deciding between good and bad actions
cerebral cortex
responsible for receiving information from the environment controlling our responses, and allowing complex voluntary movements and higher-order thinking processes
cerebrum
part of the brain most responsible for voluntary movement and complex thought processes such as perception, imagination, judgement and decision making
corpus callosum
the band of neural fibres that connects the right and left cerebral hemispheres
fight-flight-freeze response
a physiological response to stress that causes fight an organism to react in a combative manner(fight) by removing itself from the situation (flight) or by not reacting at all (freeze)
homeostasis
the state of balance in the body’ metabolism
HPA axis
a major neuroendocrine system that includes the hypothalamus, pituitary gland and adrenal gland; regulates a person’s digestion, immune system, mood, emotions and their response to stress
parasympathetic nervous system
responsible for maintaining our day-to-day functioning and for most of the automatic functions of the body such as digestion, heart rate, breathing and some glandular functions
motor neurons
neurons that communicate messages from the central nervous system to the particular muscles that an organism intends to move at any particular moment
primary somatosensory cortex
located at the front of each parietal lobe processes sensations such as touch, pressure, temperature and pain
primary visual cortex
located in the occipital lobe; processes information from the eyes
reflex
simple, automatic response to a sensory stimulus
sympathetic nervous system
a branch of the autonomic nervous system that activates the fight-flight-freeze response
thalamus
structure in the brain located between the cerebral cortex and the midbrain, just above the brain stem; responsible for relaying motor and sensory signals to the cerebral cortex
