Nervous system Flashcards
What are the two main divisions of the nervous system?
central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS)
What is the CNS made up of?
brain and spinal cord
What is the PNS made up of?
nerve fibers and support cells
What are the three divisions of the PNS?
somatic division, autonomic division, enteric division
What are the three main functions of the nervous system?
sensory, integrative, motor functions
What does the sensory function of the NS do?
detects and collects stimuli and sends it to the brain via the afferent neurons
What does the integrative function of the NS do?
processes all incoming information
What does the motor function of the NS do?
responds to the sensory stimuli via the efferent neurons
What are sensory neurons also called?
afferent neurons
What are motor neurons also called?
efferent neurons
What does the somatic NS control?
voluntary skeletal muscles
What does the autonomic NS control?
involuntary muscle (cardiac and smooth) and glands
What does the enteric NS control?
GI Tract (gastrointestinal tract)
What are the two parts to the somatic NS?
sensory neurons that collect info from sensory receptors (senses) & motor neurons that send out command from brain to skeletal muscle
What are the two parts to the autonomic NS?
sensory neurons that collect info from involuntary sensory receptors in smooth and cardiac muscle & motor neurons that send out command from the brain to smooth and cardiac muscle and glands
What are the two parts to the enteric NS?
sensory neurons that collect info from receptors in GI tract & motor neurons that send out command from brain to contract GI tract
Which division of the PNS do the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions belong to?
autonomic
What do sympathetic motor neurons support?
exercise and emergency situations “fight or flight”
What do parasympathetic motor neurons support?
rest and digest activities?
Sympathetic motor neurons do what to your heart rate?
increase it
Parasympathetic motor neurons do what to your heart rate?
decrease (slow it down)
Why is myelin important?
it speeds up the action potential
Name 2 diseases that break down myelin.
Lou Gehrigs’ Disease and Multiple Sclerosis
Which cell makes myelin for PNS neurons?
Schwaan Cells
Which cell makes myelin for CNS neurons?
Oligodendrocyte Cells
Which support cell is the most abundant?
Astrocytes
Which support cell produces cerebrospinal fluid?
Ependymal cells
What are the three layers of connective tissue that surround the brain collectively called?
The meninges
What are the three layers of meninges from most superficial to deep?
dura mater, arachnoid mater, pia mater
Which part of the brain is the largest?
cerebrum
Which part of the brain controls most vital life functions?
brain stem
Which part of the brain is in charge of coordinated and smooth muscle movement?
cerebellum
Which part of the brain receives all incoming sensory information and decides where it should go?
diencephalon (specifically the thalamus)
Bulges on the surface of the brain are called
Gyrus
Shallow groves on the surface of the brain are called
Sulci
Deep grooves on the surface of the brain are called?
Fissures
The central sulcus separates which two important gyri of the brain?
precentral gyrus (primary motor cortex) and post central gryrus (primary somatosensory cortex)
Which part of the brain controls most higher order thinking as well as emotions
cerebrum
What type of brain matter is most of the cerebral cortex made up of?
gray matter (cell bodies)
Which of the 4 main parts of the brain is the cerebral cortex part of?
cerebrum
Passionate, creative, loving, vivid, and artsy are all characteristic of which hemisphere of the brain?
Right
Which part of the cerebral cortex controls language comprehension?
Wernicke’s area (left side of brain)
Which part of the cerebral cortex controls the detection of simple visual stimuli?
visual cortex
Which part of the cerebral cortex controls the interpretation of visual information?
visual association area
Which part of the cerebral cortex controls the processing of sensory information?
sensory association area
Which part of the cerebral cortex receives all incoming sensory information
primary somatosensory cortex (post-central gyrus)
What is controlled by the prefrontal cortex?
emotions, problem solving, complex thought
What is controlled by the motor association cortex?
the coordination of complex movement
What is controlled by the primary motor cortex (pre-central gyrus)
the initiation of voluntary movement
Which part of the cerebral cortex detects incoming auditory information?
auditory cortex
Which part of the cerebral cortex processes incoming auditory information?
auditory association area
Which part of the brain controls speech production?
Broca’s Area (left side of brain)
What are some functions of the parietal lobe?
perception of stimuli (touch, pain, pressure, temperature)
What are some functions of the temporal lobe?
perception and recognition of auditory stimuli and memory
What is Ataxia?
when you do not have order, damage to your cerebellum: could affect speech, swallowing, movement and eye movement
The function of the thalamus is…
to serve as a relay station for all incoming sensory information where it will either be rejected if not important or sent on to the respective part of the brain if it is important
Which two parts of the brain control consciousness?
thalamus and pons
Which part of the brain controls homeostasis and regulates emotional and behavioral patterns?
hypothalamus
What part of the brain secretes melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleepiness?
pineal gland
What are the 3 parts of the diencephalon?
thalamus, hypothalamus and pineal gland
What are the 3 parts of the brainstem?
medulla, pons, midbrain
Where is heart rate and breathing rate controlled?
medulla
Which part of your brain connects the medulla to the rest of your brain?
pons
Which part of your brain contains the superior and infererior colliculi, bundles of axons important in voluntary motor function and degeneration that is associated with Parkinsons Disease?
midbrain
What are some senses that your body can detect?
sight, sound, taste, smell, body position, balance, pain, temperature, fullness (satiety)
Which mechanoreceptor is specialized for controlling hand grip?
Meissners corpuscles
Which mechanoreceptors fires as long as something is touching your skin, and senses fine detail?
Merkel’s receptors
Which mechanoreceptor is sensitive to stretching of the skin?
Ruffini’s corpuscles
Which mechanoreceptor responds to very fine detail and vibrations
Pacinian corpuscles
