Life 47- The Mammalian Nervous System Flashcards
Nucleus
1) In cells, the centrally located compartment of eukaryotic cells that is bounded by a double membrane and contains the chromosomes.
2) In the Brain, an identifiable group of neurons that share commone characteristics or functions.
Midbrain
One of the three regions of the vertebrate brain. Part of the brainstem, it serves as a relay station for sensory signals sent to the cerebral hemisphere
Associative learning.
A form of learning in which two unrelated stimuli become linked to the same response
Procedural memory
Memory of motor tasks. Cannot be consciously recalled and described.
Thalamus
A region of the vertebrate forebrain; involved in integration of sensory input.
Brainstem
The portion of the vertebrate brain between the spinal cord and the forebrain, made up of the medulla, pons, and midbrain
Sympathetic nervous system
The division of the autonomic nervous system that works in opposition to the parasympathetic nervous system.
Electroencephalogram (EEG)
A graphic recording of electrical potentials from the brain.
Declarative memory
Memory of people, places, events, and things that can be consciously recalled and described.
Parasympathetic nervous system
The division of the autonomic nervous system that works in opposition to the sympathetic nervous system
Forebrain
The region of the vertebrate brain that comprises the cerebrum, thalamus, and hypothalamus
Receptive field
The area of visual space that activates a particular cell in the visual system
Cerebellum
The brain region that controls muscular coordination; located at the anterior end of the hindbrain
Autonomic nervous system (ANS)
The portion of the peripheral nervous system that controls such involuntary functions as those of guts and glands.
Reticular system
A central region of the vertebrate brainstem that includes complex fibre tracts conveying neuronal signals between the forebrain and the spinal cord, with collateral fibres to a variety of nuclei that are involved in autonomic functions, including arousal from sleep
Aphasia
A deficit in the ability to use or understand words
Angular gyrus
A part of the human brain believed to essential for integrating spoken and written language.
Primary motor cortex
The region of the cerebral cortex that contains motor neurons that directly stimulate specific muscle fibres to contract.
Slow-wave sleep
A state of deep, restorative sleep characterised by high-amplitude slow waves in the EEG
White matter
In the central nervous system, tissue that is rich in axons.
Amygdala
A component of the limbic system that is involved in fear and fear memory
Pons
Region of the brainstem anterior to the medulla
Broca’s area
A portion of the human brain essential for speech. Located in the frontal lobe just in front of the primary motor cortex.
Limbic system
A group of evolutionarily primitive structures in the vertebrate telecephalon that are involved in emotions, drives, instinctive behaviours, learning, and memory.
Immediate memory
A form of memory for events happening in the present that is almost perfectly photographic, but lasts only seconds.
Optic Chiasm
Structure on the lower surface of the vertebrate brain where the two optic nerves come together.
Binocular vision
Overlapping visual fields of an animal’s two eyes; allow the animal to see in three dimensions
Spinal reflex
The conversion of afferent to efferent information in the spinal cord without participation of the brain
Wernicke’s area
A region in the temporal lobe of the human brain that is involved with the sensory aspects of language.
Hindbrain
The region of the devolving vertebrate brain that gives rise to the medulla, pons, and cerebellum.
Association cortex
In the vertebrate brain, the portion of the cortex involved I n higher order information processing; integrates information form different sensory modalities and from memory.
REM sleep
A sleep state characterised by vivid dreams, skeletal muscle relaxation, and rapid eye movement.
Cerebrum
The dorsal anterior portion of the forebrain, making up the largest part of the Brain of mammals; the chief coordination centre of the nervous system
Monosynaptic reflex
A neural reflex that begins in a sensory neuron and makes a single synapse before activating a motor neurons.
Diencephalon
The portion of the vertebrate forebrain that develops into the thalamus and hypothalamus
Medulla
1) The inner, core region of an organ
2) the portion of the brainstem that connects to the spinal cord.
Long-term depression (LTD)
A long-lasting decrease in the responsiveness resulting from continuous, repetitive, Low-level stimulation.
Gray matter
In the nervous system, tissue that is rich in neuronal cell bodies.
Telencephalon
The outer, surrounding structure of the embryonic vertebrate forebrain, which develops into the cerebrum.
Primary somatosensory cortex
The region of the cerebral cortex that receives input form mechanosensors distributed throughout the Body
Cerebral cortex
The thin layer of gray matter (neuronal cell bodies) that overlies the cerebrum
Hippocampus
A part of the forebrain that takes part in the long-term memory formation.
