Intro to Nervous system

Question 1

what are the two parts of the nervous system?

Answer 1

Central Nervous System (CNS)
brain and spinal cord

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
spinal & cranial nerves

Question 2

what are the subdivisions of the nervous system?

Answer 2

Input System which transmits information from receptors to CNS

Interpreting and Integrative system which processes the information

Output System which transmits information to muscles and glands
Somatic: innervates skeletal muscle
Autonomic nervous system: innervate smooth muscle, cardiac muscle and secretory glands.

Question 3

what is the sympathetic system?

Answer 3

is known as the fight or flight system
raises heart rate and blood pressure
dilates pupils
increases blood flow to skeletal muscles
decreases salivation

Question 4

what is the parasympathetic system?

Answer 4

is known as the rest and digest system.
deceases heart rate and blood pressure
speeds up the digestive system.

Question 5

name the 4 brain lobes?

Answer 5

frontal lobe
parietal lobe
occipital lobe
temporal lobe

Question 6

function of the frontal lobe?

Answer 6

involved in motor skills (including speech) and cognitive functions.

Question 7

function of the parietal lobe?

Answer 7

main perceptual area of the brain. Receives and processes all somatosensory input from the body (touch, pain).

Question 8

function of the occipital lobe?

Answer 8

It contains the primary visual cortex. It is involved in visuospatial processing, discrimination of movement & colour.

Question 9

function of the temporal lobe?

Answer 9

contains the primary auditory cortex which is responsible for the conscious perception of sound. It is also responsible for memory.
Right hemisphere more involved with visual memory
Left hemisphere more involved with verbal memory and language

Question 10

what is the homunculus?

Answer 10

Both the motor cortex and the somatosensory cortex are mapped to specific body areas.

Question 11

what is the motor cortex?

Answer 11

sends and receives messages from the pre-motor areas which are located more anteriorly in the frontal lobe. Is the origin of upper motor neurons which synapse with lower motor neurons to activate muscle

Question 12

what is the Primary somatosensory area?

Answer 12

receives information from spinal and cranial nerves all of which are regulated and relayed via the thalamus.

Question 13

where is the sensory homunculus?

Answer 13

in the somatosensory region of the parietal lobe.

Question 14

where is the motor homunculus?

Answer 14

in the motor cortex of the frontal lobe.

Question 15

what is the limbic system?

Answer 15

Limbic system consists of a number of structures with complex and often looped connections that all ultimately project into the hypothalamus.
It is responsible for emotions and memory

Question 16

what is the Basal Ganglia?

Answer 16

The basal ganglia sit deep within the cerebral white matter.

Comprises a range of nuclei that are functionally connected

Initiates and controls movement

Question 17

what is the thalamus?

Answer 17

This structure acts as a gatekeeper and therefore regulates information. It receives input from all other areas of the central nervous system and directly from the peripheral nervous system It integrates information and relays to the appropriate areas of the cortices.

Question 18

what is the hypothalamus?

Answer 18

main visceral control centre of the body important to all aspects of homeostasis:

Autonomic control centre
Centre for emotional response
Body temperature regulation
Regulation of food intake
Regulation of water balance and thirst
Regulation of sleep wake cycles
Control of endocrine system functioning

Question 19

what is the cerebellum?

Answer 19

Maintaining posture and balance
Co-ordination of movement
Motor learning

Question 20

function and parts of the brainstem?

Answer 20

Midbrain
Pons
Medulla
functions; 
It acts as a pathway for all ascending and descending information between the brain and the spinal cord. 

It is the origin of the majority of the cranial nerves, which provide sensory and motor input to the head and control the autonomic system.

It is an integrative centre; controlling cardiovascular and respiratory functions and levels of consciousness, through the nuclei of the reticular formation which runs the length of the brain stem.

Question 21

the spinal cord?

Answer 21

The spinal cord is divided into 31 segments and is split into cervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacral regions.

Each Segment is associated with a pair of:
Dorsal root ganglion
Dorsal roots
Ventral roots

The dorsal and ventral root bind together to form a spinal nerve.
These are mixed nerves as they contain both sensory (afferent) and motor (efferent) fibres

Question 22

what are the types and examples of neurons?

Answer 22

multipolar- most common type
pseudounipolar- e.g. skin receptors
bipolar neuron- e.g. photoreceptors

Question 23

name the glial cells?

Answer 23

CNS-
Oligodendrocytes
Astrocytes
Microglia
Ependymal cells

PNS:
Schwann cells

Question 24

what are astrocytes?

Answer 24

End feet: scaffold the neurons 
Absorb leaked potassium ions
Absorb and release neurotransmitters
Contribute to blood brain barrier
Limit exchange between CSF and blood

Question 25

what are Oligodendrocytes?

Answer 25

Myelinating glial cells of the CNS

Wrap around several neurons

Question 26

what are microglial cells?

Answer 26

Migrate to damaged neurons

Transform into macrophages

Question 27

what are ependymal cells?

Answer 27

Line the ventricular system
Cilia support flow of CSF
CSF is produced by the choroid plexus in the ventricles

Question 28

what does grey matter contain?

Answer 28

a large concentration of nerve cell bodies i.e. central cord and surface of cerebral hemispheres

Question 29

what does white matter contain?

Answer 29

mainly nerve processes (axons) and these are lighter

Question 30

what are the brain and spinal cord protected by?

Answer 30

protected and nourished by the surrounded bone, meninges and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).

Question 31

what is the ventricular system?

Answer 31

the structure which produces and circulates CSF.

Question 32

functions of CSF?

Answer 32

, it physically protects the central nervous system and it has a chemical function. It provides protection as it forms a liquid cushion around the brain. This both floats the brain, reducing its weight and it protects the brain and spinal cord from external trauma.

Question 33

what are the layers of the meninges?

Answer 33

The outer layer is the dura mater, the middle layer the arachnoid mater and the inner layer the pia mater