L2 - Brain structure and function

Question 1

What are the components of the Central Nervous System (CNS)?

Answer 1

Brain
Spinal cord

Question 2

What are the components of the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)?

Answer 2

Spit into:
Sensory (afferent) division
Motor (efferent) division

Motor is linked to both the voluntary + autonomic motor systems while the Sensory is only linked to the autonomic motor system

The autonomic motor system is further split into the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) + Parasympathetic nervous system (reverses the effects of fight or flight)

Question 3

What are the 3 primary brain vesicles in the embryonic development of the brain?

Answer 3

Prosencephalon (forebrain)
Mesencephalon (midbrain)
Rhombencephalon (hindbrain)

Question 4

When are the primary brain vesicles developed?

Answer 4

3-4 weeks

Question 5

What are the 5 secondary brain vesicles in the embryonic development of the brain?

Answer 5

Telencephalon: cerebral cortex, basal ganglia

Diencephalon: thalamus, hypothalamus + retina

Mesencephalon: midbrain

Metencephalon: pons + cerebellum

Myelencephalon: Medulla oblongata

Question 6

When are the secondary brain vesicles developed?

Answer 6

6-8 weeks

Question 7

What are the 4 subdivisions of the human brain? (seen before)

Answer 7

FOREBRAIN: cerebral cortex + basal forebrain

MIDBRAIN: mesencephalon

HINDBRAIN: pons, cerebellum, medulla

SPINAL CORD

Question 8

What are the cranial nerves?

Answer 8

12 pairs of nerves on the base of the brain which pass through holes in the skull.

Function similarly to the spinal nerves

Question 9

What are the cerebral ventricles?

Answer 9

4 interconnected chambers in the brain

Filled with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)

Question 10

What are the components within the subcortical brain organisation?

Answer 10

Cerebral cortex
Corpus Callosum
Basal ganglia
Hypothalamus
Thalamus
Spinal cord
Brainstem
Cerebellum
Hippocampus

Question 11

What does the corpus callosum do?

Answer 11

Connects the 2 cortical hemispheres

Question 12

What does the basal ganglia do?

Answer 12

controls behavioural patterns

Question 13

What is the function of the hypothalamus?

Answer 13

homeostasis, emotion control of endocrine (hormone) system

Question 14

What is the function of the thalamus?

Answer 14

crucial relay station in the brain connecting parts of the nervous system to the cerebral cortex.

Question 15

WHat is the spinal cord?

Answer 15

nerves going to + from the rest of the body

Question 16

What is the function of the brain stem?

Answer 16

control of autonomic function

Question 17

What does the cerebellum control?

Answer 17

movement, balance + posture

Question 18

What does the hippocampus control?

Answer 18

Learning and memory

Question 19

What did Paul Broca discover?

Answer 19

Localised speech production to a specific brain region

Question 20

What did Phineas Gage discover?

Answer 20

the frontal lobe damage affects personality and social behaviour

Question 21

What are the 2 brain imaging techniques and what are the functions?

Answer 21

MRI - structural and functioning imaging

PET - visualise brain activity during tasks

Question 22

What is the function of the frontal lobe?

Answer 22

planning, thinking, motor planning + motor output

Question 23

What is the function of the temporal lobe?

Answer 23

hearing, smell, memory, feelings

Question 24

What is the function of the occipital lobe?

Answer 24

vision, visual processing

Question 25

What is the function of the parietal lobe?

Answer 25

spatial processing, spatial orientation, somatosensory function