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Biopsychology (Year 1) > Nervous System > Flashcards

Nervous System Flashcards

1
Q

What is the nervous system split into?

A

Peripheral and central nervous system

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2
Q

What is the peripheral nervous system split into?

A

Sensory and motor

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3
Q

What is the motor NS split into?

A

Somatic and autonomic

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4
Q

What is the autonomic NS split into?

A

Sympathetic and parasympathetic

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5
Q

What is the functions of the NS

A
  • connects brain to rest of body
  • routes messages to and from the brain (merges with brain stem)
  • own system of automatic processes
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6
Q

What are the characteristics of the brain?

A
  • billions of interconnected neurons and glia
  • bilateral (distinct lobes)
  • all areas interact to provide our thoughts and behaviours
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7
Q

What is the cerebral cortex?

A

The layer of nerve cells on the outer surface of the brain which is associated with higher level processes, such as consciousness

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8
Q

What is the most prominent sulcus known as?

A

The ‘longitudinal fissure’ - it splits the 2 hemispheres

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9
Q

What are the ‘hill tops’ called?

A

Gyri

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10
Q

What are the ‘valleys’ called?

A

Sulci

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11
Q

What is the function of cerebrospinal fluid?

A

Acts as a cushion between the skull and the brain

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12
Q

Is there much difference in function of the 2 hemispheres?

A

Beyond differences in language ability, differences are minor

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13
Q

What are the 2 hemispheres connected by?

A

‘Corpus callosium’

  • thick band of neural fibres
  • allows 2 hemispheres to communicate
  • allows for info being processed on one side to be shared with the other side
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14
Q

What is the function of the central sulcus?

A
  • in charge of voluntary movements e.g. kissing

- specific body parts have unique portion of primary motor cortex devoted

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15
Q

How do we know different parts of the brain are involved in different functions according to the neurons?

A
  • the no. and variety of neutrons varies in different parts of the cerebral cortex
  • based on the variations of thickness, cell density, and complexity of these neurons, it is assumed different parts have different functions
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16
Q

What does the occipital lobe contain?

A

The primary visual cortex (involved in interpreting visual info)

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17
Q

What does the parietal lobe contain?

A

Somatosensory cortex (which is essential for processing sensory info)

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18
Q

What does the temporal lobe contain?

A

Auditory cortex (involved in processing auditory info) and Wernicke’s area (speech comprehension)

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19
Q

What does the frontal lobe contain?

A

Motor cortex (planning and co-ordinating movement), pre-frontal cortex (higher-level cognitive functioning),and Broca’s area (language production)

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20
Q

How is the primary visual cortex organised?

A

Retinopically (close relation between the position of an object in a visual field and the position of that objects representation on the cortex)

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21
Q

How is the somatosensory cortex organised?

A

Topographically (spatial relationships in the body are maintained on the surface e.g. the portion that controls info from the hand is adjacent to the wrist portion)

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22
Q

What is the main function of the occipital lobe?

A

Visual processing

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23
Q

What is the main function of the parietal lobe?

A

Touch, balance, movement

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24
Q

What is the main function of the temporal lobe?

A

Hearing, speech, comprehension, memory and visual recognition

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25
What is the main function of the frontal lobe?
Movement, thinking and planning
26
What is the function of the cerebellum?
Coordination of muscles and non-voluntary moves
27
What is the function of the medulla oblongata?
Controls autonomic activities e.g. heart rate
28
What is the function of the pituitary gland (posterior)?
Stores and secretes hormones produced by hypothalamus
29
What is the function of the pituitary gland (anterior)?
Produces and secretes hormones
30
How does the hypothalamus secrete hormones?
Via the pituitary gland
31
What is the function of the hypothalamus?
Body temperature regulation and osmoregulation
32
Why can our sense of smell evoke emotional responses?
Our sense of smell projects directly onto the limbic system
33
What are the most important structures of the limbic system?
Hippocampus, Amygdala and Hypothalamus
34
What are the basal ganglia?
Groups of nerve cells that are important in the control of voluntary movement
35
What makes up the basal ganglia?
Caudate nucleus, putamen, globes pallidus
36
What is the limbic system and what is involved?
This is part of the subcortical structure and is important in our navigation in space and memory formation
37
What is the hippocampus involved in?
Learning and memory
38
What is the amygdala involved in?
Experience of emotion and tying this to memories
39
What is the function of the hypothalamus?
It regulates homeostatic processes (e.g. body temp) and serves as an interface between the nervous and endocrine system
40
What is the function of the thalamus?
It is a sensory relay for the brain | - all senses except smell are routed through this (before being directed to other areas of the brain for processing)
41
What does the brainstem include?
Hindbrain, Midbrain and Diencephalon
42
What is the brainstem?
- where all processes of life are controlled e.g. regulation of breathing - composed of nerves that run up from the body in the brain
43
What do the substantia nigra and the VTA contain?
Cell bodies that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine
44
What are the substantia nigra and the VTA critical for?
Movement
45
What is dopamine involved in?
Mood, reward and addiction
46
What type of memory is the cerebellum involved in?
Procedural memory (involved in learning and remembering how to perform tasks)
47
Where does the cerebellum receive messages from?
The muscles, joints etc. To control motor skills and balance
48
What is the reticular formation important for?
Regulating the sleep/wake cycle, arousal, alertness, and motor activity
49
What does the medulla control?
Autonomic processes of the nervous system e.g. breathing
50
What is the pons?
A ‘bridge’ that connects the brain and the spinal chord, which regulates brain activity during sleep
51
What is the function of the cranial nerves?
- relay info between brain and parts of the body | - control much of the functions (motor and sensory) of the head and neck
52
What is the olfactory nerve involved in?
Smell
53
What is the optic nerve involved in?
Vision
54
What is the oculomotor, Abducens and trochlear nerves involved in?
Eye movement
55
What is the trigeminal nerve involved in?
Masticatory movements and facial sensation
56
What is the facial nerve involved in?
Facial movement and sensation
57
What is the auditory vestibular nerve involved in?
Hearing and balance
58
What is the glossopharyngeal nerve involved in?
Tongue and pharynx movement and sensation
59
What is the vagus nerve involved in?
Heart, blood vessels, viscera, movement of larynx and pharynx
60
What is the spinal accessory nerve involved in?
Neck muscles
61
What is the hypoglossal nerve involved in?
Tongue muscles
62
How are the cranial nerves arranged?
- each cranial nerve is paired and is present on both sides | - numbering is based on the order in which they emerge from the brain (front to back)
63
How is the spinal chord organised?
Functionally organised into 30 segment | - each segment is connected to a specific part of the body through the PNS
64
How is the spinal chord protected?
By bony vertebrae and cushioned in cerebrospinal fluid
65
What happens when a particular segment within the spine is damaged?
All lower segments are cut off from the brain
66
What happens in the vertebrae?
The nerves branch out
67
How does the brain communicate with the rest of the body?
Via the spinal chord and the cranial nerves
68
How is information about touch processed and acted upon?
Sensory information about touch and pain is relayed to the brain via the spinal cord and the brain sends motor commands via the spinal cord to the muscles to produce movement
69
How are some sensory messages immediately acted on by the spinal chord?
- sensory message meets certain parameters - spinal chord initiates automatic reflex - signal passes from the sensory nerve to the simple processing centre - initiates motor command
70
Where do sensory nerves send messages?
Into the brain
71
Where do motor nerves send messages?
To muscles and organs
72
What is the function of the autonomic nervous system?
- regulates a variety of body processes that take place without conscious effort
73
How does the ANS operate?
By receiving info from the environment and other parts of the body
74
What is the function of the parasympathetic system?
Inhibitory | - ‘rest and digest’
75
What is the function of the sympathetic system?
Stimulatory | - Gives energy for the ‘fight or flight’ response
76
Where is ‘anterior’
Front of head
77
Where is caudal?
Near tail
78
Where is dorsal?
Located above or on the back
79
Where is frontal?
On the front
80
Where is inferior?
Located below?
81
Where is lateral?
Toward side of body
82
Where is medial?
Toward middle
83
Where is posterior?
Near or toward tail
84
Where is rostral?
Toward front
85
Where is sagittal?
Parallel to length of skull
86
Where is superior?
Located above
87
Where is ventral?
Toward belly
88
What does the forebrain contain?
- 2 hemispheres of cerebral cortex | - Other subcortical structures

Biopsychology (Year 1) (8 decks)

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