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Psychology 375 > Chapter 2 - Nervous system anatomy > Flashcards

Chapter 2 - Nervous system anatomy Flashcards

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1
Q

Agenesis?

A
  • The failure of a particular structure of the brain to develop
  • Ex. Agenesis of the cerebellum
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2
Q

Brain’s primary function?

A
  • Elicit behaviours in response to external stimuli
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3
Q

What’s the general overview of the steps of NS function?

A

1) Sensory input - conduction of signals from sensory neurons to CNS
2) Integration - Analysis and interpretation of signals and formulation of responses in CNS
3) Motor output - send commands to effector cells

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4
Q

What does principle 9 state?

A
  • The nervous system produces movement in a world it constructs
  • Sensory organs convert world into biological activity, creating a subjective reality
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5
Q

What does principle 10 state?

A
  • Neuroplasticity is the hallmark of nervous system functioning
  • The brain modifies its organization in response to change/new experiences
  • Key to learning and memory
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6
Q

What are the major divisions and subdivisions of the nervous system?

A
  • Divides into the CNS and PNS
  • CNS includes the brain and spinal cord and retina
  • PNS includes the somatic nervous system, the autonomic nervous system (sympathetic and parasympathetic) and the enteric nervous system (gut)
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7
Q

What are the general functions of the CNS, SNS, and ANS?

A
  • CNS - mediates behaviour
  • SNS - transmits sensation, produces conscious, voluntary movement
  • ANS - Balances internal functions (involuntary; homeostasis). Includes sympathetic (arousing) and parasympathetic (calming) subdivisions.
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8
Q

Afferent vs. Efferent?

A
  • Afferent - the site with the incoming info
  • Efferent - the site with the outgoing info
  • Ex. dendrites = afferent, postsynaptic terminal = efferent
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9
Q

What are the terms for the brian body orientation when discussing the human brain?

A
  • Dorsal - top
  • Ventral - bottom
  • Posterior - backside
  • Anterior - frontside
  • Medial - midline
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10
Q

What terms are used to describe sections/areas on different or same hemispheres of the brain?

A
  • Ipsilateral - two areas found on the same side
  • Contralateral -occuring on one side
  • Bilateral - represented in both hemispheres
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11
Q

What are the layers of the skull, starting from the outside in?

A

1) Skull (bony part)
2) Dura mater (means hard mother)
2) Arachnoid membrane
3) Subarachnoid space (filled with CSF)
4) Pia mater (means soft mother)
5) Brain

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12
Q

What three layers of the skull make up the meninges?

A
  • The dura mater, arachnoid membrane, pia mater
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13
Q

What’s the difference between meningitis and encephalitis?

A
  • Meninges = inflammation of meninges due to infection by viruses or harmful microorganisms. Symptoms include severe headache, stiff neck/head, convulsions etc.
  • Encephalitis = infection of the brain itself. There are different forms with different effects
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14
Q

Gyri vs. Sulci?

A
  • Gyri/gyrus (sing.) - bumps
  • Sulci/sulcus (sing.) - Troughs
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15
Q

What are the two major areas of the cerebral cortex?

A
  • Allocortex (hippocampus, amygdala)
  • Neocortex (4 lobes: frontal, temporal, parietal, occipital)
  • The cerebral cortex is the outermost layer of the cerebrum/forebrain
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16
Q

Longitudinal fissure vs. Lateral fissure?

A
  • Longitudinal - Sulcus that cuts down between the two hemispheres
  • Lateral - Sulcus that cuts between the frontal and temporal lobes
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17
Q

Where’s the central sulcus?

A
  • Sulcus found between the frontal and parietal lobes
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18
Q

What’s the difference between Schwann cells and oligodendrocytes?

A
  • Schwann cells are found only in the PNS while oligodendrocytes are found only in the CNS
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19
Q

Grey vs. white matter?

A
  • Grey - cell bodies, dendrites, capillaries
  • White - myelinated axons
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19
Q

What’s the difference between nuclei and ganglia?

A
  • Nuclei - refers to a group of similar neurons forming a cluster in the CNS
  • The same idea found in PNS just referred to as ganglia
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20
Q

Tracts v. Nerves?

A
  • Tracts - large collection of axons coursing together in the CNS
  • Nerves - large collection of axons coursing together in the PNS
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21
Q

What’s the purpose of the interconnected cerebral ventricles?

A
  • Make and contain cerebral spinal fluid (CSF adds buoyancy, waste elimination, cycles nutrients etc. )
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22
Q

What are the cerebral ventricles?

A
  • Right lateral ventricle
  • Left lateral ventricle
  • Third ventricle (found in the medial section)
  • Fourth ventricle (found near spinal cord)
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23
Q

What’s a Nissi stain?

A
  • Cresyl violet
  • Used for identifying grey matter in the brain
  • The dark purple signifies grey matter
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24
Q

What are some of the major functions of the spinal cord?

A
  • Executes most body movements
  • Can act independently of the brain (ex. spinal reflexes, which are automatic, unconscious movements, also hard to prevent)
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25
Q

What’s the procedure for a spinal reflex to occur?

A

1) Sensory receptor is stimulated
2) Sensory receptor is activated
3) Goes into ganglion (in the PNS)
4) Signals sent to interneuron in the CNS and info flows through a motor neuron
5) Muscles are triggered to contract/pull away

26
Q

What does the term polysynaptic circuit refer to?

A
  • A neuronal circuit composed of two or more synapses
27
Q

What’s the purpose of the brainstem?

A
  • Evolutionarily the oldest part
  • Begins where spinal cord enters skull
  • Receives afferent signals from body senses, and sends efferent signals out to spinal cord to control most body movements
  • Responsible for most life-sustaining behaviour
28
Q

What are the major components of the brainstem?

A
  • Hindbrain (motor)
  • Midbrain (sensory)
  • Diencephalon (integrative)
29
Q

What are the parts of the hindbrain?

A
  • Reticular formation - look like hot dogs, responsible for sleep-wake behaviour and alertness. Also called reticular activating system
  • Pons - bridge between cerebellum and rest of brain, helps with vital body movements
  • Medulla - Vital functions like breathing and cardiovascular system. Also relays between brain and spinal cord
  • Cerebellum - Coordination of voluntary movements, motor learning, balance and posture
30
Q

T/F: The size of the cerebellum remains constant across all species.

A
  • FALSE
  • The cerebellum size increases with speed and dexterity of different species
  • The vestibular system (spacial awareness) feeds into cerebellum
  • Also involved in timing and accuracy of movements
31
Q

What are the components of the midbrain?

A
  • Tectum - Found more posterior in humans, composed of superior and inferior colliculi. Produces orienting/registers events
  • Tegmentum - More anterior in humans. It’s a motor structure (species-specific behaviours) and is involved in pain perception
32
Q

What’s the difference between the superior and inferior colliculi?

A
  • These parts found in tectum > midbrain > bottom part of brainstem
  • Superior colliculus - connects to optic nerve
  • Inferior colliculus - Receives auditory input
33
Q

What’s the main function of the diencephalon?

A
  • Integrates sensory and motor information on its way to the cerebral cortex
34
Q

What does the thalamus do?

A
  • Found in brainstem > diencephalon
  • Relay centre where info from all sensory systems is organized, integrated, and projected into the appropriate region of the neocortex
35
Q

What does the hypothalamus do?

A
  • Found in brainstem > diencephalon
  • Contains many nuclei associated with temperature regulation, eating, drinking, and sexual behaviour
  • Also controls the body’s production of hormones via the pituitary gland
36
Q

What does the pituitary gland do?

A
  • Found in brainstem > diencephalon
  • releases hormones based on instructions from hypothalamus
37
Q

T/F: The thalamus is bilaterally represented.

A
  • TRUE
  • The thalami are bilaterally represented in both hemispheres
38
Q

T/F: The forebrain/cerebrum is the evolutionarily oldest structure.

A
  • FALSE
  • It’s the newest structure, as it coordinates advanced cognitive functions
39
Q

What’s the difference between the neocortex and the allocortex?

A

*Both found in the cerebrum > cerebral cortex
- Neocortex - perception, planning, emotions, and memory. It constructs reality (the lobes)
- Allocortex - role in emotional and motivational states, as well as some forms of learning and memory (hippocampus, amygdala)

40
Q

What’s the purpose of the basal ganglia?

A
  • Found in the cerebrum
  • Coordination of voluntary movements
41
Q

How does the basal ganglia differ from the cerebellum?

A
  • The Basal ganglia ensures that the movements remain fluid and continuous also initiates movement, while the cerebellum ensures the movements are fine-tuned and specific
42
Q

What’s the role of the hippocampus?

A
  • Found in Cerebrum > Cerebral cortex > allocortex
  • Means ‘seahorse’ in greek
  • Acts in memory consolidation and spatial navigation (ex. remembering routes)
43
Q

Which brain area is affected early on in neuropsychiatric disorders such as Alzheimer disease?

A
  • The hippocampus
44
Q

How many neocortical layers are there?

A
  • 6 layers
  • Each layer is a different cell type
  • Density varies among the layers
45
Q

What general roles are associated between the different layers of the neocortex?

A
  • Layer 4 - receives (afferent) sensory input, so info arrives here first
  • Layers 1-3 - the integrative functions
  • Layers 5,6 - output to other parts of the brain (efferent)
46
Q

Where is the basal ganglia located?

A
  • It’s a collection of nuclei located below the white matter of the cortex
47
Q

What are the different components of the basal ganglia?

A
  • The caudate nucleus
  • Putamen
  • Globus pallidus
  • Subthalamic nucleus
  • Substantia nigra
48
Q

How many cranial nerves are there and what do they do?

A
  • There are 12
  • Control sensory and motor functions of the head, neck, and internal organs
  • Each set has a different name
49
Q

What does it mean to say that the cranial nerves have an ipsilateral set-up?

A
  • The nerves on the left side of the brain control the left side of the body, although the instructions are originating from the right side
50
Q

How do spinal nerves work?

A
  • Spinal cord made up of vertebrae
  • Each spinal segment corresponds to a region of body surface (called a dermatome), which is identified by the same number as the vertebrae
51
Q

What are the regions and groupings of the different spinal nerves?

A
  • Cervical nerves C1-C8 (head, shoulders, arms)
  • Thoracic nerves T1-T12 (mid-upper back)
  • Lumbar nerves L1-L5 (lower back)
  • Sacral nerves S1-S5 (bum and legs)
52
Q

What does the Law of Bell and Magendie state?

A
  • States that the spinal nerves anterior/ventral roots consist of motor fibres (efferent) while the posterior/dorsal roots consist of sensory fibres (afferent)
53
Q

What’s the purpose of the ANS?

A
  • The unconscious regulation of the internal organs and glands
54
Q

What are the two major pathways of the ANS?

A
  • Sympathetic - the fight or flight pathway: relaxes airways, contracts bladder base, dilates pupils, inhibits digestion
  • Parasympathetic - the relax and digest pathway: constricts airway, stimulates bladder body, contracts pupils, stimulates digestion
55
Q

T/F: Sensory and motor divisions pervade the nervous system

A
  • TRUE
  • What the law of Bell and Magendie signifies (both PNS and CNS)
56
Q

T/F: The hindbrain and the midbrain ascribe to the law of Bell and Magendie

A
  • TRUE
  • The posterior is sensory, and the anterior is motor
57
Q

What does it mean to say that brain systems are organized hierarchically and in parallel?

A
  • Hierarchical systems in the brain work in tandem to allow for the performance of complex behaviours.
58
Q

What brain circuits aren’t crossed?

A
  • Circuits in the olfactory sensation
  • ANS, SNS, and ENS connections (of the PNS, many of these are ipsilateral)
  • Somatosensory info is processed in the opposite side of the brain, but instructions are performed by the same side of the body
59
Q

T/F: Neurons, when not activated, remain completely dormant.

A
  • FALSE
  • All neurons have a spontaneous rate of activity that can be either increased/decreased
  • Brain injury/disease can produce either a loss or release of behaviour
60
Q

How does the brain divide sensory input for object recognition and motor control?

A
  • Ventral (bottom) stream - vision for identification/recognition stream (‘what’ stream)
  • Dorsal (top) stream - vision for action (‘how’ stream)
61
Q

What do the ventral and dorsal streams provide a good example of?

A
  • A good example of parallel info processing
62
Q

What’s the hallmark of neurons system functioning?

A
  • Neuroplasticity

Psychology 375 (11 decks)

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