lec 3 biology of the mind pt 2 (nervous system) Flashcards
what is the nervous system?
body’s electrochemical communication network
What are the 2 main categories of the nervous system? What are their functions?
Central nervous system (CNS)-decision maker
Peripheral nervous system (PNS)-delivery system
What is the function of the PNS? What is it made of?
-link CNS w/ sensory receptors, muscles and glands
-nerves that lie outside of brain and spinal cord
What are the parts of the CNS? What are their functions?
Spinal cord
- transmits info b/w brain to rest of body thru PNS
-handles simple reflexes
-attached to brain
Brain
-3 lbs protein, fat +fluid
What are the 2 subareas of the PNS? What are their functions?
Somatic nervous system
Autonomic nervous system
What is the function of the somatic system of PNS? what are the 3 types of neurons involved and what are their functions?
-voluntary skeletal muscles
-sensory neurons: info to tissues and sensory receptors of CNS
-motor neurons: info CNS–> muscles +glands
-interneurons: sensory-motor relay within CNS
What is the function of the Autonomic system of PNS? What how is it further divided?
-system is automatic, but we can override (ex holding breath)
-glands + muscles of internal organs
DIVIDED
sympathetic NS: (arouses)
-mobilizes body’s resources for action
-deals with threats (fight or flight)
parasympathetic NS: (calms)
-conserve energy (relax)
What are the 3 main divisions of the brain?
Hindbrain, Midbrain, Forebrain
What is the function if each division of the brain?
Hindbrain: survival functions
Midbrain: connects hind to forebrain, movement, seeing, hearing
Forebrain: complex cognitive, sensory, associative functions, voluntary motor
What is the brainstem? What is its function?
central core of brain
starts where spinalcord swells as it enters skull
automatic survival functions
What are the 3 parts of the brainstem? Where are they?
Medulla- base of brainstem
pons- above medulla
midbrain- inside brainstem
What are the functions of each part of the brainstem?
Medulla: heartbeat, breathing
Pons: movement and sleep
midbrain: vision, body movement, hearing
What is the crossover point, and where does it happen?
brain nerves cross over and connect with body’s opposite side
brainstem
What are the 3 parts of the forebrain?
Cerebellum, thalamus, hypothalamus
What is the cerebellum? Where is it?
hindbrain’s “little brain”
attached to rear of brainstem
What is the role of the cerebellum?
-sensory input
-voluntary movements and balance
-non-verbal learning
-skill memory
What can result from damage to the cerebellum?
coordination difficulties
ex. jerky movements, lose balance, can’t stand
What is the Thalamus, where is it?
-top of brainstem
-receives+sends sensory info
-transmits replies to cerebellum+medulla
What is the reticular formation? What is the function?
-nerve network, travels thru brainstem+thalamus
-filters important info
-controls arousal (alerts higher parts of brain that they are receiving info)
-multitask, cardiac reflexes, attention, motor functions
What is the limbic system?
system of neural structures at boarder of brainstem + cerebrum
What is the function of the limbic system?
Four f’s : fight, flight, feeding, fornication
What are the 3 parts of the limbic system?
Amygdala, hypothalamus, hippocampus
What is the function of the amygdala?
emotion
enables aggression, fear, anger
Where is the hypothalamus located? What is it’s function? Damage to it?
below thalamus
-body functions (thirst,body temp) homeostatis
-governs endocrine system via pituitary gland
(linked to emotion+reward)
-damage would change all of the above
What does the hippocampus control?
-memories
-short term memories–> long term memories
-verbal memories
-connects to amygdala to connect memories to emotions
What happens to hippocampus with age?
decreases in size and function, furthers cognitive decline
What is the cerebral cortex? What is the function?
thin layer, interconnected neural cells that cover cerebral hemispheres
body’s ultimate control+info processing center
What are the 4 lobes of the cerebral cortex? Where are they?
frontal lobe: front near eyes
parietal lobe: middle
occipital lobe: back
temporal lobe: above ears (under these 3)
What is the function of each lobe of the cerebral cortex?
Frontal:
-motor cortex
-voluntary muscles, cognitive abilities, planning, judgement, personality
-no direct sensory input
Parietal:
-spatial location, attention, movement, recognition
-somatosensory cortex
-multiple sensory inputs, output to frontal lobe
Occipital:
-visual center
-input from eyes (optic nerve), output to paretial+temporal lobes
Temporal:
-speech, sound production
-input from ears+occipital lobe, output to limbic system, brainstem +basal ganglia
Where are the motor and somatosensory cortex’s?
both fall on border of frontal+parietal lobes
motor in frontal, somatosensory in parietal
what does the amount of cortex assigned to certain areas of the body depend on?
tasks they perform+sensitivity of area
brain devotes more tissue to sensitive areas+areas that require more precise control.
What are association areas?
-found in all 4 lobes
-NOT committed to 1 function, create functional connectivity
-more intelligent animals have more uncommitted areas
-lobes only take up abt 1/4 of brain, these are other areas (the ‘90%’)
What are association areas responsible for? What are they not responsible for?
-interpreting, integrating, acting on info from sensory
-links info w/ stored memories
-NOT involved in primary motor or sensory functions
If someone is blind, does their brain not use the space linked to vision?
FALSE, neurons can re-map themselves
-able to adapt unused space for other functions
What is it called when brain generates new neurons?
Neurogenesis
What is plasticity?
Brain’s ability to modify itself after some types of injury or illness
What is lateralization?
greater localization of function in 1 hemisphere
-left and right brain
-hemispheres work TOGETHER not VS
What is the corpus callosum? What is its function?
mass of neurons, connect left and right hemispheres
-communication b/w hemispheres
-permits data received on one side to be processed in both hemispheres
what is splitting the brain? What does it impact? What can it help?
corpus callosum severed
-impacts communication b/w hemispheres
-treatment for epilepsy
What is each hemisphere of the brain responsible for?
left:
rational, verbal, reading, writing
right: creative, spatial, perception of emotions
What did split brain research discover with respect to vision?
object presented on right visual field can be named, objects in left field cannot
b/c hemispheres cannot communicate
what is psychopathy? what is it characterized by?
personality disorder
-lack of emotion
-manipulative tendencies
-lack of remorse
-impulsivity
What is psychopathy linked to?
Abnormal brain function +structure
-amygdala not activated by emotion-inducing stimuli
-abnormal corpus callosum
