How does the nervous system function?

Question 1

gray matter

Answer 1

Areas of the nervous system composed predominantly of cell bodies and capillary blood vessels that function either to collect and modify information or to support this activity.

Question 1

Parkinson’s disease

Answer 1

Disorder of the motor system correlated with a loss of dopamine in the brain and characterized by tremors, muscular rigidity, and a reduction in voluntary movement.

Question 2

nucleus (pl. nuclei)

Answer 2

A group of cells forming a cluster that can be identified with special stains to form a functional grouping.

Question 3

neocortex (cerebral cortex)

Answer 3

Newest, outer layer (“new bark”) of the forebrain, composed of about six layers of gray matter; creates our reality.

Question 3

tegmentum

Answer 3

Floor (area below the ventricle) of the midbrain; a collection of nuclei with movement-related, species-specific, and pain-perception functions.

Question 4

tract

Answer 4

Large collection of axons coursing together within the central nervous system.

Question 5

cerebral cortex

Answer 5

Thin, heavily folded film of nerve tissue composed of neurons that is the outer layer of the forebrain. Also called neocortex.

Question 5

stroke

Answer 5

Sudden appearance of neurological symptoms as a result of severely interrupted blood flow.

Question 7

Tourette’s syndrome

Answer 7

Disorder of the basal ganglia characterized by tics, involuntary vocalizations (including curse words and animal sounds), and odd, involuntary movements of the body, especially of the face and head.

Question 8

dermatome

Answer 8

Body segment corresponding to a segment of the spinal cord.

Question 9

somatic nervous system (SNS)

Answer 9

Part of the PNS that includes the cranial and spinal nerves to and from the muscles, joints, and skin that produce movement, transmit incoming sensory input, and inform the CNS about the position and movement of body parts.

Question 10

frontal lobe

Answer 10

Part of the cerebral cortex often generally characterized as performing the brain’s “executive” functions, such as decision making; lies anterior to the central sulcus and beneath the frontal bone of the skull.

Question 11

meninges

Answer 11

Three layers of protective tissue - dura mater, arachnoid, and pia mater - that encase the brain and spinal cord.

Question 11

vertebrae (sing. vertebra)

Answer 11

The bones that form the spinal column.

Question 12

parasympathetic division

Answer 12

Part of the autonomic nervous system; acts in opposition to the sympathetic division - for example, preparing the body to rest and digest by reversing the alarm response or stimulating digestion.

Question 13

corpus callosum

Answer 13

Band of white matter containing about 200 million nerve fibers that connects the two cerebral hemispheres to provide a route for direct communication between them.

Question 14

afferent

Answer 14

Conducting toward a central nervous system structure.

Question 15

cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)

Answer 15

Clear solution of sodium chloride and other salts that fills the ventricles inside the brain and circulates around the brain and spinal cord beneath the arachnoid layer in the subarachnoid space.

Question 16

limbic system

Answer 16

Disparate forebrain structures lying between the neocortex and the brainstem that form a functional system controlling affective and motivated behaviors and certain forms of memory; includes cingulate cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus, among other structures.

Question 16

orienting movement

Answer 16

Movement related to sensory inputs, such as turning the head to see the source of a sound.

Question 17

cytoarchitectonic map

Answer 17

Map of the neocortex based on the organization, structure, and distribution of the cells.

Question 18

autonomic nervous system (ANS)

Answer 18

Part of the PNS that regulates the functioning of internal organs and glands.

Question 19

diencephalon

Answer 19

The “between brain” that integrates sensory and motor information on its way to the cerebral cortex.

Question 20

hypothalamus

Answer 20

Diencephalon structure that contains many nuclei associated with temperature regulation, eating, drinking, and sexual behavior.

Question 20

nerve

Answer 20

Large collection of axons coursing together outside the central nervous system.

Question 21

white matter

Answer 21

Areas of the nervous system rich in fat-sheathed neural axons that form the connections between brain cells.

Question 23

gyrus (pl. gyri)

Answer 23

A small protrusion or bump formed by the folding of the cerebral cortex.

Question 24

sulcus (pl. sulci)

Answer 24

A groove in brain matter, usually a groove found in the neocortex or cerebellum.

Question 26

efferent

Answer 26

Conducting away from a central nervous system structure.

Question 27

midbrain

Answer 27

Central part of the brain that contains neural circuits for hearing and seeing as well as orienting movements.

Question 28

hindbrain

Answer 28

Evolutionarily the oldest part of the brain; contains the pons, medulla, reticular formation, and cerebellum, structures that coordinate and control most voluntary and involuntary movements.

Question 29

Alzheimer’s disease

Answer 29

Degenerative brain disorder related to aging that first appears as progressive memory loss and later develops into generalized dementia.

Question 31

cranial nerve

Answer 31

One of a set of 12 nerve pairs that control sensory and motor functions of the head, neck, and internal organs.

Question 32

law of Bell and Magendie

Answer 32

The general principle that sensory fibers are located dorsally and motor fibers are located ventrally.

Question 33

neuroplasticity

Answer 33

The nervous system’s potential for physical or chemical change that enhances its adaptability to environmental change and its ability to compensate for injury.

Question 34

excitation

Answer 34

Increase in the activity of a neuron or brain area.

Question 35

reticular formation

Answer 35

Midbrain area in which nuclei and fiber pathways are mixed, producing a netlike appearance; associated with sleep-wake behavior and behavioral arousal.

Question 36

temporal lobe

Answer 36

Part of the cerebral cortex that functions in connection with hearing, language, and musical abilities; lies below the lateral fissure, beneath the temporal bone at the side of the skull.

Question 38

inhibition

Answer 38

Decrease in the activity of a neuron or brain area.

Question 39

parietal lobe

Answer 39

Part of the cerebral cortex that functions to direct movements toward a goal or to perform a task, such as grasping an object; lies posterior to the central sulcus and beneath the parietal bone at the top of the skull.

Question 40

phenotypic plasticity

Answer 40

An individual’s capacity to develop into more than one phenotype.

Question 41

sympathetic division

Answer 41

Part of the autonomic nervous system; arouses the body for action, such as mediating the involuntary fight-or-flight response to alarm by increasing heart rate and blood pressure.

Question 42

occipital lobe

Answer 42

Part of the cerebral cortex where visual processing begins; lies at the back of the brain and beneath the occipital bone.

Question 43

basal ganglia

Answer 43

Subcortical forebrain nuclei that coordinate voluntary movements of the limbs and body; connected to the thalamus and to the midbrain.

Question 44

tectum

Answer 44

Roof (area above the ventricle) of the midbrain; its functions are sensory processing, particularly visual and auditory, and the production of orienting movements.

Question 45

forebrain

Answer 45

Evolutionarily the newest part of the brain; coordinates advanced cognitive functions such as thinking, planning, and language; contains the limbic system, basal ganglia, and the neocortex.

Question 47

brainstem

Answer 47

Central structures of the brain, including the hindbrain, midbrain, thalamus, and hypothalamus, that are responsible for most unconscious behavior.

Question 48

ventricle

Answer 48

One of four cavities in the brain that contain cerebrospinal fluid that cushions the brain and may play a role in maintaining brain metabolism.

Question 49

thalamus

Answer 49

Diencephalon structure through which information from all sensory systems is integrated and projected into the appropriate region of the neocortex.