Exam 2 Flashcards
What is the central nervous system?
The nervous system comprised of the brain and spinal chord.
What is the peripheral nervous system?
The set of nerves that connects the central nervous system to the sensory organs, muscles, and glands.
What are the two subsets of the peripheral nervous system?
Sympathetic (arousing) and parasympathetic (calming)
KNOW
The sympathetic division is important for the response to stressful situations.
KNOW
the parasympathetic division stimulates digestive processes and other activities that help to regenerate and vitalize the body.
Through evolution, how have species developed more complex brain systems?
By “adding on” to older, more primitive structures.
Name parts of the central nervous system
Spinal chord, brainstem, thalamus, basal ganglia, limbic system, hypothalamus, cortex
What are the ascending and descending tracts of the spinal chord?
Ascending tract: carries sensory info from spinal nerves to brain.
Descending tract: carries motor-control info from the brain to transmitted by the spinal nerves to the muscles.
What is the brainstem responsible for?
Automatic survival functions, such as breathing and heartbeat.
What is the cerebellum responsible for?
Motor control, posture, balance, and rapid, well-timed movements
Where is the cerebellum located?
In the lower back of the brain
What is the thalamus responsible for?
It serves as a relay station that receives sensory inputs such as vision, sound, etc.
What is the basal ganglia for?
Motor control (specifically intentional movements)
What area of the brain does parkinson’s disease affect?
The nerves running into the basal ganglia.
What is the hypothalamus responsible for?
Regulating basic body functions such as hunger, thirst, sleep, and body temperature.
What is the amygdala responsible for?
Processing and regulating emotional states.
What is the hippocampus responsible for?
Building long-term memories. People with damage to the hippocampus cannot acquire new memories, but can retain old ones.
What is the cerebral cortex?
The outermost layer and largest part of the brain (80% of total volume). It is divided into left and right hemispheres.
What part of a human’s brain is proportionally larger than other animals?
the cortex
What lobe is responsible for speaking, imagining, and thinking?
The frontal lobe
What lobe is responsible for bodily sensations?
Parietal lobe
What lobe is responsible for vision?
Occipital lobe
What lobe is responsible for hearing, language, and comprehension?
Temporal lobe
KNOW
Motor cortex: located at rear of frontal lobes and controls voluntary movements.
Sensory cortex: located at front of parietal lobes and registers sensations.
**The more cortex is devoted to a body part, the finer control we have over that body part.
What is motor/visual crossover?
The right hemisphere of the brain controls the left side of the body/visual field and vice versa.
What is the corpus callosum?
A large bundle of neural fibers (axons) connecting the two brain hemispheres. It is also the main pathway that links and sends communication between the two halves of the brain and permits data to cross hemispheres.