Chapter3: Anatomy Of The Nervous System Flashcards
What are the two kinds of cells in the nervous system, and what are their functions?
Neurons and glia
Neurons receive and transmit chemical and electrical signals
Glia provides support for the neurons
Describe the structure of the human nervous system
Nervous system: central and peripheral nervous system
central nervous system: brain and spinal cord
peripheral nervous system: somatic and autonomic nervous system
autonomic nervous system: Sympathetic and para-sympathetic nervous system
Briefly describe the human nervous system
it is a network of neurons and nerves that connect the different body parts: it is our internal body communication center
What are the 2 main functions of the human nervous system?
interpreting and processing information
regulating body functions of different organs
Define the Central nervous system and what it consists of
is the center of making complex decisions and it connects the brain to the other body parts and passes information to and from the brain.
Define the Central nervous system and what it consists of
is the center of making complex decisions and it connects the brain to the other body parts and passes information to and from the brain.
Spinal cord - central nervous system
it is an extension from the brain and it connects the nerves to the peripheral nervous system
Define the peripheral nervous system and what it consists of
it transmits information via neurons to the CNS and muscles and glands
Neurons>CNS>muscles and glands
and it consists autonomic and somatic nervous system
Define the Autonomic nervous system and its divisions
the autonomic nervous system is responsible for involuntary body functions like heart rate breathing, intestines, and other organs
and it consists of the sympathetic and para-sympathetic nervous system
What is the function of the divisions of the ANS - name them
Sympathetic NS is activated during fight and flight situations and it increases heart rate and breathing rate dilates pupils
Parasympathetic nervous system is activated during the rest and digest period it decreases heart rate and breath rate digestion and arousal
What are the neurotransmitters used in the ANS
Acetylcholine is used by parasympathetic nervous system
Norepinephrine is used by sympathetic nervous system
Define Somatic nervous system - a division of ANS
The somatic nervous system Controls muscle movement and receives information from sensory receptors
- Transmits info from receptor cells in sense organs to the CNS which then directs muscles to act.
Major divisions of the vertebrate brain and what they consist
Forebrain: thalamus, hypothalamus, hippocampus, basal ganglia.cerebral cortex
Midbrain: tectum,tegmentum,inferior colliculas,superior colliculas, substancia nigra
Hindbrain: medulla, pons, cerebellum
Function of medulla
it is located above the spinal cord it controls heart rate and other reflexes like coughing, swallowing, sneezing and vomiting.
function of pons
is located on each side of the medulla like it is a bridge between the opposite hemispheres
The function of the cerebellum
it has deep folds and it helps regulate movement, balance, and coordination also important for shifting attention between auditory and visual stimuli
Tectum
is the roof of the midbrain
superior and inferior colliculus
process sensory information
tegmentum
contains nuclei for cranial nerves
substansia nigra
gives rise to the dopamine-containing pathways and facilitate readiness for mavement
The substantia nigra is a brain structure that is part of your basal ganglia. While it’s very small, this structure is essential in how your brain controls your body’s movements.
The substantia nigra is a critical brain region for the production of dopamine
Limbic system
contains the hypothalamus, olfactory bulb, hippocampus, amygdala, and cingulate gyrus of the cerebral cortex
Associated with motivation and emotions
Thalamus
filters information from the sense organs except for the nose and passes it down to the relevant brain parts for further interpretation
Hypothalamus
It is essential for maintaining the internal body environment: homeostasis as well as releasing hormones from various glands
including the pituitary gland and also associated with emotions as it is part of the limbic system
Pituitary gland
A hormone-releasing gland that is located at the base of the hypothalamus main function of your pituitary gland is to produce and release several hormones that help carry out important bodily functions, including: Growth. Metabolism
Basal ganglia
refers to a group of subcortical nuclei associated with planning, motor movement, memory and emotional expression
also important for attention, language and other cognitive functions.
Basal forebrain
located in the dorsal surface of the brain and receives information from the hypothalamus and basal ganglia. important for wakefulness, arousal, and attention
Ventericals
four fluid filled cavities in the brains central canals containing cerebrospinal fluid
CSF and its function
it is a clear fluid found in the brain and spinal cord
it provides protection, nourishment, and waste removal for the brain
Hippocampus
is a large structure located between the thalamus and cerebral cortex
responsible for storing memory and reviving it particularly new events
Meninges
the membrane that surrounds the brain and the spinal cord
it contains painreceptors> infection of the meninges is called meningitis and the swollen blood vessels around the membranes are the cause of migraine and headaches.
Cerebral cortex
the most prominent part of the mammalian brain and it is the outer layer of the two cerebral hemispheres
there are two hemispheres in the brain divided by fissure and connected corpus callosum and it’s more developed in humans compared to other species.
It contains up to 6 distinct layers
What are the four lobes of the brain (FPOT)
1.frontal lope
2.parital lope
3.temporal lope
4.occipital lope
Motor area - location, function, damage
- Region of the frontal lobe
- Controls voluntary movement on the opposite side of the body
- Damage to this area results in a loss of control over the movement
Somatosensory area - location, function
Front of parietal lobe separated by central sulcus
- Processes sensory information
- Amount of somatosensory area devoted to a body part denotes its sensitivity
Visual area - location, function, location
occipital lobe
- receives and processes visual information. Each eye sends information from the right visual field to the left visual cortex and the left visual field to the right visual cortex
- Damage to this area causes blindness. ie. damage to this area in the left hemisphere causes blindness in the right visual field of both eyes. damage to this area causes cortical blindness
Auditory area - location, function, damage
- Temporal lobe
- Analyses speech-based information and auditory information
- Damage to this area causes partial hearing loss
Prefrontal cortex
responsible for abstract thinking and planning and remembering recent events
and damage to this area causes delayed response tasks they would respond to something they saw or heard after a delay
prefrontal lobotomy
surgical disconnection of the prefrontal cortex from the rest of the brain
people who under go this are left with the lack ability to express emotions, the ability to plan and memory disorders
How do the parts of the brain work together?
Parts of the cerebral cortex do not work
independently of each other
All areas of the brain communicate with each
other, but no single central processor exists
that puts it all together
The Binding Problem
Refers to how the visual, auditory, and
other areas of the brain produce a
perception of a single object
– For binding to occur:
A person perceives two sensations as happening
at the same time and in the same place
what does the Research methods of the brain attempt to do
The main categories of research methods
to study the brain including those that
attempt to:
– Examine the effects of brain damage
– Examine the effects of stimulating a brain
area
– Record brain activity during behavior
– Correlate brain anatomy with behavior
What are the effects of brain damage?
it can cause the inability to recognize faces or express emotions and many more damages
Removal of a brain area
Ablation
Lesion
brain damage to an area often done for research purposes
used to damage structures in the interior of the brain
Stereotaxic instrument
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Application of an intense magnetic field to a portion of the scalp to temporarily deactivate neurons below the magnet
Allows researchers to study behavior with a
brain area active, then inactive, then active
again
Effects of Brain Stimulation
Stimulation of a brain area should increase
behavior
Optogenetics
Optogenetics: a technique that allows
researchers to turn on activity in targeted
neurons by a device that shines a laser
within the brain
Instruments used to record brain activity
EEG: electroencephalograph
MEG: magnetoencephalography
PET: positron emission tomography
fMRI: functional magnetic resonance imaging
Phrenology
correlating brain anatomy to behavior one of the first ways to study the brain but didn’t get a lot of results
correlating brain anatomy with behavior modern methods
identifies particular behavior and look for abnormal brain structure or function
and these abnormal structures can be identified using
CAT scan: Computerized axial tomography and MRIMagnetic resonance imaging:
Brain Size and Intelligence
Research has not supported that a larger brain is correlated with higher intelligence
The amount of grey and white matter may also play a role
* IQ is correlated with the amount of grey matter
EEG - strengths
- valuable in the diagnosis of conditions such as epilepsy, characterized by random bursts of activity in the brain
- Contributed to understanding sleep stages
- High temporal resolution - accurately detects brain activity at a resolution of a single millisecond
EEG - weaknesses
- Received information is very generalised
- Signals aren’t useful in pinpointing the exact source of neural activity
- Doesn’t allow researchers to distinguish between activities originating in different but adjacent locations
Investigating the brain - fMRI function
Detects changes in blood oxygenation and flow (haemodynamic response) that occur because of neural activity in the brain.
fMRI strengths
Doesn’t use radiation
- If administered correctly, it is risk free, non-invasive and straightforward
- Produces images that have high spatial resolution, providing a clear picture of how brain activity is localised.
fMRI weaknesses
- very expensive
- Only captures clear image if person stays perfectly still
- Poor temporal resolution - 5 second time lag of the image on screen and the initial firing of brain activity.
- Only measures blood flow in the brain, can’t focus on individual neurons
EEG - function
Measure electrical activity in the brain via electrodes fixed to an individuals scalping a skull cap.
EEG - product
Scan recording represents brainwave patterns generated from the action of neurons providing an overall account of brain activity
Brain lobes and functions diagram
Brain lobes and functions diagram
Frontal lobe
Contains the prefrontal cortex and the
precentral gyrus
Precentral gyrus: also known as the primary
motor cortex; responsible for the control of
fine motor movement
prefrontal lobe: Responsible for:
– Higher functions such as abstract thinking and
planning
– Our ability to remember recent events and
information (“working memory”)
Temporal Lobe
Target for auditory information and essential for processing spoken language Also responsible for complex aspects of
vision, including movement and some emotional and motivational behaviors
Klüver-Bucy syndrome associated with
temporal lobe damage
Parietal Lobe
– Primary target for touch sensations and
information from muscle-stretch receptors and
joint receptors
- Also responsible for processing and
integrating information about eye, head,
and body positions from information sent
from muscles and joints
Essential for spatial information as well as
numerical information
Occipital Lobe
Highly responsible for visual input
– Damage can result in cortical blindness
Occipital Lobe
Highly responsible for visual input
– Damage can result in cortical blindness
Occipital Lobe
Highly responsible for visual input
– Damage can result in cortical blindness
Occipital Lobe
Highly responsible for visual input
– Damage can result in cortical blindness
Occipital Lobe
Highly responsible for visual input
– Damage can result in cortical blindness
Occipital Lobe
Highly responsible for visual input
– Damage can result in cortical blindness
