chapter 3.3 Flashcards
the central nervous system
- consists of the brain and spinal cord
- the spinal cord receives information from the brain and stimulates nerves that extend out into the body
the peripheral nervous system
a division of the nervous system that transmits signals between the rest of the body and is divided into the somatic and autonomic nervous system
the somatic nervous system
consists of nerves that control skeletal muscles which are responsible for voluntary and reflexive movement.
autonomic nervous system
the part of the nervous system responsible for control of the bodily functions not consciously directed, such as breathing, the heartbeat, and digestive processes.
parasympathetic nervous system
helps maintain homeostasis balance in the presence of change; following sympathetic arousal
sympathetic nervous system
is responsible for the fight or flight response of an increased heart rate, dilated pupils, and decreased salivary flow; the responses prepare the body for action.
Hind brain
- consists of structures that are critical to controlling basic, life sustaining processes
- located at the top of the spinal cord
brain stem
it is the bottom of the brain and consists of two structures: the medulla and pons
Medulla
regulates breathing, heart rate, sneezing, all the actions your body does with little conscious control.
the pons
contributes to generel level of wakefulness, roll in dreams. also helps control balance, eye movement and swallowing.
reticular formation
extends from the medulla upwards to the mid brain
- it influences attention and alertness
cerebellum
lump like structure at the base of the brain
-is involved in monitoring movement, maintaining balance, attention, and emotional response
midbrain
just above the hind brain
- primarily functions as a relay station between sensory and motor areas
forebrain
consists of all neural structures above the midbrain
- critical to complex processes such as emotion, memory, thinking, and reasoning
basal ganglia
a group of three structures that are involved in facilitating planned movements, skill learning, and integrating sensory information with the brains reward system.
the limbic system
an integrated network involved in emotion and memory.
-amygdala, hippocampus, and thalamus
amygdala
facilitates memory formation with emotional events, mediates fear responses, and recognizes emotional stimuli
hippocampus
critical for forming new memories.
thalamus
a set of nuclei involved in relaying sensory information to different regions of the brain.
cerebral cortex
the convoluted, wrinkled outer part of the brain
- involved in higher processes such as thoughts language, and personality
what are the 4 lobes?
Occipital, parietal, temporal, and frontal lobes
occipital lobe
located at the rear of the brain and is where visual information is processed
parietal lobe
involved in our experiences of touch and bodily awareness.
temporal lobes
located at the sides of the brain new the eyes and are involved in hearing, language, and some higher level aspects of vision
frontal lobes
important in numerous functions, such as planning, regulating impulses, emotion, language production, and voluntary movement
corpus callosum
a collection of neural fibres connecting the two hemispheres of the brain
the right brain is specialized in:
cognitive tasks that involve visual and spatial skills
the left brain is specialized in:
tasks involving language and math
neuroplasticity
the capacity of the brain to change and rewire its self based on individual experiences.
neurogenesis
process by which neurone are generated from the neural stem cells and progenitor cells
