Nervous System Flashcards
Frontal lobe
The frontal lobe is the area behind the forehead and is heavily involved in intellectual activities
such as planning and organising, as well as being involved in personality and the control of
emotions and behaviour.
Temporal lobe
Nestled behind the ears, this area holds the bulk of our memories and our ability to understand
things and speak.
Parietal lobe
Responsible for perception, spatial awareness, manipulating objects and spelling. Located at the
back of the brain above the ears
Occipital lobe
At the very back of the head are the occipital lobes, which are responsible for sight. Any injury to
this area can cause partial or complete blindness.
Cerebellum
The area of the brain that controls muscle movement, balance and coordination.
Amygdala
Two almond-shaped structures located deep within the temporal lobes of the brain. Responsible
for memory, decision-making and emotional reactions.
Brain stem
Includes the midbrain, medulla and pons. Controls breathing, heart rate, consciousness, blood
circulation, basic motor responses. Relays sensory information and regulates the sleep-wake
cycle
Hypothalamus
Controls the pituitary gland in order to regulate temperature, blood pressure, appetite,
wakefulness and sexual arousal. It is also involved in some aspects of memory.
Pituitary gland
A pea-sized structure located behind the bridge of the nose and below the bas e of the brain it is
responsible for producing hormones such as puberty hormones, thyroid stimulating hormone
and stress hormones such as cortisol
Describe the process of synaptic transmission
Action potential is an electrical impulse which travels along the pre synaptic neutron.
At the end of this neutron are axon terminals which is where the vesicles are located.
When AP reaches vesicles they release neurotransmitters.
They travel along the synapse where they bind to receptors on the post synaptic cleft.
How do drugs effect the CNS
Usually dopamine is broken down by enzymes or returns to pre synaptic neutron.
Drugs cause excess dopamine as they block its reuptake which leaves dopamine in the synapse. This also causes the body to produce less dopamine as it has been triggered unnaturally.
Excess dopamine also causes the receptors not downgrade.
What do painkillers do?
Interfere with pain messages going to the brain either at the site of pain or the spine.
Endorphins
The bodies natural pain killers
How does alcohol affect the brain?
Releases GABA which blocks seretonin receptors. Serotonin inhibits mood so blocking it lifts your mood and gives confidence/calming effect.
Olds and Milner(1954)
studied rats and connected wires to their brains, to trigger the pleasure centre in the septum area of the brain using electricity.
The rats could give their brains a pleasurable electric shock by pressing a lever. Olds & Milner noticed that the rats would return to the lever over and over, ignoring other sources of pleasure like food or rats of the opposite sex.
