Chapter 6 Definitions Flashcards
Fight, flight or freeze response
Also known as fight-or-flight response. An organism’s survival response, readying the body for action. Stems from sympathetic nervous system.
Motor neurons (nerves)
Neurons that communicate message from the central nervous system to the particular muscles that an organism intends to move at any particular moment.
Sensory neuron
A neuron that carries information from the body and from the outside world into the central nervous system.
Autonomic nervous system
Consisting of the parasympathetic and sympathetic branches - responsible for the communication between the body’s nonskeletal (visceral) muscles, as well as internal organs and glands that carry out the basic bodily functions necessary for survival. The ANS functions automatically and without conscious awareness.
Somatic nervous system
The division of the peripheral nervous system that is responsible for the voluntary movement of skeletal muscles. It carries sensory information into the central nervous system, and also carries motor commands from the central nervous system to the skeletal muscles.
Brain stem
Part of the brain that connects the brain to the spinal cord.
Broca’s area
Association area of the left frontal lobe (near the primary motor cortex). Responsible for the movement of the mouth muscles for the articulation of the sequence of words for meaningful speech.
Cerebral cortex
Outer layer of the brain. Location of higher mental processes and complex behaviours.
Corpus callosum
The thick band of about 200 million nerve fibres connecting the right and left hemispheres.
Central nervous system
Comprises of the brain and spinal cord
Spinal cord
The bundle of nerve fibres connecting the brain with the peripheral nervous system.
Peripheral nervous system
Communicates information from the body to the central nervous system (for example aches and pains) and to the body’s organs, glands and muscles.
Parasympathetic nervous system
A branch of the autonomic 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 soo,e glandular functions.
Sympathetic nervous system
A branch of the autonomic nervous system that activates the fight-or-flight response, preparing he body for action during a time of danger or stress.
Wernicke’s area
Part of the left temporal lobe (near the primary auditory cortex), responsible for language reception and interpretation and for creation of grammatically correct speech.
