HNS Flashcards
What are the parts of the CNS
the brain and the spinal cord
What does the CNS do in human behaviour
It acts as information processing and control centre for information we receive and responses that we make in our environment
What is the role of the brain in human behaviour
The brain processes and integrates all of the information we receive from the senses and generates a response
What does the spinal cord do in human behaviour
It contains circuits of nerves which allow reflexes to be performed by connecting to muscles and glands
What does the somatic nervous system do
Transmits information to and from the senses to and from CNS and the outside world
What are the 2 parts of the somatic ns and what do they do
Sensory receptors- carry information to spinal cord and brain
Motor pathways- allow brain to control movement
What does the Autonomic NS do
It transmits information to and from internal organs to sustain life
What are the 2 divisions of the Autonomic nervous system
The SNS and the PNS
What does the sympathetic nervous system to
Involved in flight or fight response and speeds up bodily activity
What does the parasympathetic nervous system do
Involved in fight or flight response and slows down bodily activity back to neutral levels
What functions is the left hemisphere associated with
Logical thinking, language,
What functions is the right hemisphere associated with
Holistic thinking, creativity, facial recognition
What is the corpus callosum
Connects the two hemispheres and is a big bundle of nerves and allows them to communicate(contralateral control)
What is the cerebellum
Controls motor skills and balance, coordinates muscles to allow for precise movement
What does the brain stem do
The lowest part of the brain and regulates essential functions for life like breathing, swallowing, heart rate
What are the 4 lobes of the brain
Frontal, temporal, occipital, parietal
What is the function of the frontal lobe
Planning and organizing, memory and attention, decision making
What is the function of the parietal lobe
Integrating sensory information from various parts of the body
Contains the primary sensory cortex which controls sensations
What is the function of the occipital lobe
Involved in receiving and processing visual information
Contains areas that help perceiving shape colour
What is the function of the temporal lobe
Recognizing and processing sound
Understanding and producing speech
Various aspects of memory
What is the diencephalon
It contains the thalamus and the hypothalamus
What does the thalamus do
A relay station for nerve impulses from sense organs. It’s function is to transfer the information it collects to the cerebral cortex and regulates sleep
What is the function of the hypothalamus
It regulates body temperature, hunger, thirst. It also links to the endocrine system to control release of hormones(link between endocrine and nervous system)
What is plasticity
The ability of the brain to change shape and adapt to its environment
