Higher Brain, Birds And Reflexes

Question 1

The Functions Of The Nervous System

Answer 1

• Homeostatic control system
• Regulates physiological processes
• Coordinates behaviour
• Processes and stores information
• Consists of structures and organs that facilitate electrical and chemical communication in the body.

Question 2

The Central Nervous System Consists of…

Answer 2

-brain
-spinal cord

Question 3

The Peripheral Nervous System Consists Of…

Answer 3

-Peripheral nerves
- Ganglia

Question 4

Autonomic Nervous System

Answer 4

• Sympathetic (fight or flight response).
• Parasympathetic (Rest and Digest response).

Question 5

Central Nervous System Functions:

Answer 5

• Receives sensory signals and determines appropriate response.
• Stores memory
• Carries out thought

Question 6

Spinal Cord

Answer 6

• Transmits signals from the sensory organs, muscles and glands to the brain.
• controls reflexive responses
• coveys signals from the rest of the body.

Question 7

Spines Structure

Answer 7

The spinal cord is protected by the vertebrae.
* Gray matter contains cell bodies (soma); white matter contains myelinated fibers.
* PNS nerves extend outside of the vertebrae.

Question 8

What Are The Four Principles Of Functional Organization?

Answer 8

1. Brain function is somewhat localized
2. Brains have maps
3. Size matters
4. Vertebrate brain evolution has involved repeated expansion of forebrain area

Question 9

What Are The Three Specialized Regions Of The Brain?

Answer 9

• Hindbrain
• Midbrain
  -Forebrain

Question 10

The Hindbrain

Answer 10

• The most primitive division of the brain.
• Cerebellum, Pons, and Medulla
• Responsible for basic, reflexive functions.

Question 11

The Midbrain

Answer 11

• helps us orient our eye and body movements to visual and auditory stimuli.
• Coordination of visual and auditory reflexes
• Larger in animals that depend on these stimuli eg fish, amphibians
• smallest portion of brain in mammals.

Question 12

The Forebrain

Answer 12

Largest, most complicated and most advanced brain division.
* Cerebrum, Thalamus, Hypothalamus
* This area of the brain is associated with complex thought and behaviors:
* The ability to concentrate, elaboration of thought, judgment and inhibition.

Question 13

Thalamus

Answer 13

Processes sensory information before it reaches the cerebral cortex

Question 14

Hypothalamus

Answer 14

pea-sized; controls complex behaviors such as eating, drinking and sexual activity.

Question 15

Cortex

Answer 15

• The outermost layer of the cerebrum “Cerebral Cortex”
• Various areas control sensory processing, motor control, thought, memory.
• 4 lobes

Question 16

Smell is Processed by…

Answer 16

Smells are processed by structures in the limbic system – parts of our brain that evoke emotion and memory

Question 17

The Exterior Covering Of The Brain…

Answer 17

• different animals have different folding of the cerebrum = more surface area
• More recent evolved animals have a larger proportion of the brain taken up by the cerebral cortex.

Question 18

The Brain Is Divided Into Two Hemispheres…

Answer 18

1. Right and left hemispheres
2. Connected by the corpus callosum

Question 19

Split Brain Patients

Answer 19

• Damage to the Corpus Callosum results in two independent brains in one skull.
• Split brain patients have allowed researchers to discover “hemispheric specialization”

Question 20

Left Brain Controls…

Answer 20

• right side of body
• right side visual field
• speaking
• reading
• logical thinking
• Analytical skills
• Sequential Processing

Question 21

Right Brain Controls…

Answer 21

• Left side of body
• left side visual field
• spatial processing
• facial recognition
• music
• emotional expression
• holistic thinking

Question 22

Brocas Area

Answer 22

• initiates grammatical speech

Question 23

Wernickes Area

Answer 23

• understanding spoken languages

Question 24

The Amount Of Cortex That Is Devoted To Each Body Part Is Not Equally Distributed…

Answer 24

• Larger Areas are devoted to touch in the most sensitive parts of the body such as lips and hands.
• Smaller Areas are devoted to touch in less sensitive parts of the body such as the back and abdomen.

Question 25

Does Bigger Brain Mean Smarter?

Answer 25

• NO!
• depends on how big each part of the brain is.

Question 26

Mind

Answer 26

What we perceive as “mind” (thought, will, self- perception) does produce evidence of brain activity in brain scans.
* That “brain” influences “mind” is well- established; but some evidence shows “mind” can influence “brain”; as cognitive therapy for depression can physically change the brain.