Chapter 49: Nervous Systems Flashcards
Frontal Lobe
Involved with executive functions
Temporal Lobe
Language/verbal/sound related functions
Parietal Lobe
Sensations of the environment
Occipital Lobe
Functions with eyesight/seeing
Thalamus
Main input center for sensory information going to the cerebrum
Hypothalamus
Functions in temperature regulation, thirst, hunger, and other homeostatic functions
Brain Stem
- Midbrain, pons, and the medulla oblongata
- Deals with receiving sensory information and delivering it to the brain
- Involuntary homeostatic functions (i.e. breathing, swallowing, and vomitting)
Nerves
Clusters of the axons of neurons
Central Nervous System (CNS)
Made up of animal neurons that carry out integration
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
Made up of neurons that carry information into and out of the central nervous system
Ganglia
Segmentally arranged clusters of neurons
Glia/Glial Cells
- Ependymal cells, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, microglia, & Schwann cells
- Plays an essential role in development
Astrocytes
Participate in the formation of blood brain barrier
Central Canal
- Narrow
- In the spinal cord
- Cavity of nerve cord gives rise this and the ventricles of the brain
Gray Matter
Primarily made up of neuron cell bodies
White Matter
- Consists mainly of bundled axons
- Makes up the outer layer of the spinal cord and the interior of the brain
- Functions in learning, emotions, processing sensory information, and generating commands
Reflexes
The body’s automatic responses to certain stimuli
Motor System
Consists of neurons that carry signals to skeletal muscles
Automatic System
- Involuntary control of smooth and cardiac muscles
- 3 divisions:
- Sympathetic
- Parasympathetic
- Enteric
Enteric Division
Neurons active in the digestive tract, pancreas, and gallbladder
Sympathetic Division
Corresponds to arousal and energy generation
Parasympathetic Division
- Promotes calming and return to self maintenance functions (“rest and digest”)
- Works with sympathetic division in reproductive activity
Forebrain
- Contains olfactory bulb and cerebrum
- Processes olfactory input (smells)
- Regulates sleep, learning and complex processing
Midbrain
- Located centrally in the brain
- Coordinates routing of sensory input
Hindbrain
- Part forms the cerebellum
- Controls involuntary activities (i.e. blood circulation)
- Coordinates motor activities (i.e. locomotion)
Brainstem
Stalk that joins with the spinal cord at the base of the brain
Cerebellum
- Lies behind the cerebrum
- Coordinates and balances actions of the muscles
Cerebrum
- Includes cerebral cortex and basal nuclei
- Center for learning, emotion, memory, and perception
- Functions in voluntary/conscious actions
Cerebral Hemispheres
- A left and a right
- 2 different parts of the cerebrum
Cerebral Cortex
- Outer layer of the cerebrum
- Important for perception, voluntary movement, and learning
Corpus Callosum
-Enables the cerebral cortices to communicate
Thalamus
- Main input center for sensory information going to the cerebrum
- Formed by two masses
Hypothalamus
- Constitutes a control center that includes the body’s thermostat and central biological clock
- Roles in hunger, thirst, sexual and mating behavior, and the fight/flight response
Pons
- Portion of the brain
- Participates in certain automatic, homeostatic functions (i.e. regulating the breathing centers in the medulla)
Medulla Oblongata
- Lowest part of the vertebrate brain
- Commonly called the medulla
- Swelling of the hindbrain interior
- Controls automatic, homeostatic functions (i.e. breathing, heart rate, blood vessel activity, swallowing, digesting, and vomitting)
Biological Clock
Molecular mechanism that directs periodic gene expression and cellular activity
Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN)
- Group of neurons in the hypothalamus
- Acts as a pacemaker, synchronizing biological clocks in cells throughout throughout the body to cycles of day length
Amygdala
- Most important structure for emotional memory
- Almond-shaped mass of nuclei near base of cerebrum; causes autonomic arousal
Neuroplasticity
- Capacity for the nervous system to be remodeled
- Most remodeling occurs at synapses
Short-Term Memory
Where information is held for a short period of time and then released
Long-Term Memory
Where information we want to retain is held
Long Term Potentiation (LTP)
Lasting increase in the strength of synaptic transmission
