Exam 2-Nervous System Organization

Question 1

central nervous system (CNS)

Answer 1

• brain and spinal cord

- integrative and control center

Question 2

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

Answer 2

• cranial nerves and spinal nerves

- communication between CNS and the rest of the body

Question 3

Sensory (afferent) division

Answer 3

• not always conscious signal
• somatic and visceral sensory nerve fibers
• signals go to CNS

Question 4

Motor (efferent) division

Answer 4

• motor nerve fiber

- from CNS (effectors-muscles and glands)

Question 5

somatic nervous system

Answer 5

• voluntary (somatic motor)

- CNS –> skeletal muscles

Question 6

autonomic nervous system

Answer 6

• involuntary (visceral motor)

- CNS –> cardiac muscle, smooth muscle, glands

Question 7

sympathetic nervous division

Answer 7

• fight or flight
• stress response
• mobilizes body systems during activity

Question 8

parasympathetic nervous division

Answer 8

• housekeeping

- conserve energy

Question 9

white matter

Answer 9

• myelinated axons (full of fat)
• nerves (peripheral)
• within CNS

Question 10

gray matter

Answer 10

• cell bodies
• dendrites
• synapse
• organized as nuclei
• brain cortex

Question 11

nerves

Answer 11

• bundles of neurons (axons) in PNS
• can be sensory, motor, autonomic, mix (2 way traffic)
• cranial: off brain (stay in head and neck); motor/autonomic; exception (vagus nerve)
• spinal: always mixed nerves

Question 12

(Hindbrain)

pons

Answer 12

• bridge (ascending/descending tracts)
• sleep, respiration (interacts with the medulla)
• lots of white matter

Question 13

(Hindbrain)

medulla oblongata

Answer 13

• coordinates many essential reflexes (swallowing, vomiting)
• regulation of heart rate and breathing rate
• opioids: analgesic (decrease pain); overdose (stop breathing)

Question 14

(Hindbrain)

cerebellum

Answer 14

• muscle coordination
• muscle feedback (proprioceptive)–> inner ear feedback
• balance and posture
• talking
• most sensitive to affects of alcohol

Question 15

midbrain

Answer 15

pathway for ascending and descending tracts

• auditory reflexes (turn towards sound)
• visual reflexes (pupil dilation, focusing)

Question 16

(Forebrain)

thalamus

Answer 16

coordinates sensory info (except olfactory

Question 17

(Forebrain)

hypothalamus

Answer 17

• autonomic
• pituitary gland
• temperature regulation (maintaining set points)
• motivation/drive

Question 18

(Forebrain)

cerebellum

Answer 18

• frontal lobe: planning, imagination, decision making, self control (longest to develop)
• parietal lobe: sensory
• temporal: language, hearing
• occipital: visual processing

Question 19

commissural tracts

Answer 19

white matter (myelinated axons) that connect the two hemispheres (used for coordination between hemispheres)
*corpus callosum (biggest commissural tract)

Question 20

Principles of brain organization

Answer 20

1. localized function: brockes area (speech), wernickes area (listening)
2. brains have maps
3. size matters: encephelization quotient (body size: brain size) **intraspecies
4. vertebrate brain evolution has involved repeated expansion of forebrain areas (forebrain increased throughout evolution)
5. neural circuits are plastic (neurons changing); quick or longterm