Chapter 2 Flashcards
Neuroplasticity
nervous system’s potential for physical or chemical change that enhances its adaptability to environmental change; ability to compensate for injury
Phenotypic plasticity
the individual’s capacity to develop into more than one phenotype—characteristics that can be seen or measured
Central Nervous System (CNS)
brainstem, forebrain, and spinal cord
Somatic Nervous System (SNS)
all the spinal and cranial nerves carrying sensory information to the CNS from the muscles, joints, and skin; transmits outgoing motor information→ movement
Motor innervation of all skeletal muscles
Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)
balances the body’s internal organs to “rest and digest” through the parasympathetic (calming) nerves or to “fight or flee” or engage in vigorous activity through the sympathetic (arousing) nerves
Motor innervation of smooth muscle, cardiac muscle, and glands
Afferent
incoming information
Efferent
outgoing information
Meninges
layered, protective covering of the brain. Includes the outer dura mater (tough double layer of fibrous tissue that encloses the brain and spinal cord in a lose sac), the arachnoid layer (thin sheet of delicate connective tissue that follows the brain’s contours), and the pia mater (moderately tough membrane of connective-tissue fibers that cling to the brain’s surface)
Subarachnoid space
filled with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the 4th ventricle
Ipsilateral
structures that lie on the same side
Contralateral
structures that lie on opposite sides
Bilateral
structures that lie in each hemisphere
Proximal
structures that are close to one another
Distal
structures that are far from one another
Anterior
located near or toward the front of the animal or the front of the head (frontal; rostral)
Caudal
located near or toward the tail of the animal (posterior)
Coronal
cut vertically from the crown of the head down; used in reference to the plane of a brain section that reveals a frontal view
Dorsal
On or toward the back of the animal, or in reference to human brain nuclei, located above; in reference to brain sections, a viewing orientation from above
Frontal
“of the front”; in reference to brain sections, a viewing orientation from the front
Horizontal
Cut along the horizon; used in reference to the plane of a brain section that reveals a dorsal view
Inferior
located below (ventral)
Lateral
toward the side of the body or brain
Medial
toward the middle, specifically the body’s midline, in reference to brain sections, a side view of the central structures
Posterior
located near or toward the tail of the animal (caudal)
Rostral
“toward the beak” (front) of the animal (anterior; frontal)
Sagittal
cut lengthways from front to back of the skull; the plane that reveals a view into the brain from the side; a cut in the midsagittal plane divides the brain into symmetrical halves, a medial view
Superior
located above (dorsal)
Ventral
on or toward the belly or the side of the animal where the belly is located; in reference to brain nuclei, located below (inferior)
Gyri
bumps in the brain’s folded surface
Sulci
cracks in the brain’s folded surface
Fissures
very deep sulci
Cerebrospinal Fluid
a colorless solution of sodium chloride and other salts; cushions the brain so that it can move or expand slightly without pressing on the skull
Cerebral Cortex (neocortex)
part of the forebrain; made up of four lobes; the surface of the brain is a thin sheet of nerve tissue that is folded many times to fit inside the skull; regulates a host of mental activities ranging from perception to planning; comprises 80% of the human brain
Temporal Lobe
side of the brain; hearing and language and musical abilities
Frontal Lobe
performs the brain’s executive functions (decision making)
Parietal Lobe
top of skull, behind frontal lobe and above temporal lobe; parietal functions include directing our movements toward a goal or to perform a task (grasping an object), spatial issues, attention
Occipital Lobe
back of each hemisphere; visual processing begins
Brainstem
responsible for most unconscious behavior and basic physiological functions; begins where the spinal cord enters the skull and extends upward into the lower areas of the forebrain. Receives afferent nerves coming in from all of the body’s senses and it sends efferent nerves out to the spinal cord to control virtually all of the body’s movements (except the most complex movements of fingers/toes). Three regions→ hindbrain, midbrain, between brain (diencephalon); each performs more than a single task (both sensory and motor functions)
Major Cerebral Arteries
three (anterior, middle, posterior) that sent blood to the cerebrum
Stroke
blockage or break in a cerebral artery that is likely to lead to the death of the affective region; sudden appearance of neurological symptoms as a result of severely interrupted blood flow
Ischemic stroke
blood vessel is blocked (clot); can be treated acutely with a drug called tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) that breaks up clots and allows a return of normal blood flow to an affected region
Hemorrhagic stroke
burst vessel bleeding into the brain
Gray matter
composed of cell bodies and capillary blood vessels; neurons of the gray matter function either to collect and modify information or to support its activity
White matter
composed mostly of nerve fibers with fatty coverings that produce white appearance; form the connections between cells
Ventricles
brain contains four ventricles that contain the cerebrospinal fluid; cells that line the ventricles make the cerebrospinal fluid that fills them; may play an important role in maintaining brain metabolism
Corpus callosum
band of white matter containing about 200 million nerve fibers that connects the two cerebral hemispheres to provide a route for direct communication between them; simliarly connected on both sides
Cerebral Aqueduct
runs the length of the spinal cord; the third and fourth ventricles drain into it