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PSYC234 > Nervous System Anatomy > Flashcards

Nervous System Anatomy Flashcards

1
Q

What does the Peripheral Nervous System do?

A

Connects the CNS to the rest of the body

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2
Q

What NS does the Peripheral NS contain?

A

Autonomic NS and Somatic NS

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3
Q

Autonomic NS

A
  • AKA involuntary NS
  • sends & receives messages to regulate the autonomic behaviours of the body (e.g., heart rate, respiration, digestion)
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4
Q

Somatic NS

A
  • Controls voluntary muscles
  • Conveys sensory information to CNS
  • AKA the voluntary NS
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5
Q

What does NS the Autonomic NS contain?

A

Parasympathetic NS and Sympathetic NS

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6
Q

Parasympathetic NS function

A
  • facilitates vegetative, nonemergency response
  • conserves bodily resources
  • Decrease functions increased by the sympathetic NS
  • Associated with rest and digestion (system becomes relaxed
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7
Q

Sympathetic NS function

A
  • Prepares the organs for rigorous activity
  • Mobilises bodily resources
  • Associated with flight or fight response (for situations that are perceived as dangerous or of high risk)
  • Represses digestion and other non-essential/urgent functions to mobilise energy
  • Increase HR, BP, respiration
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8
Q

Anterior

A

Towards the front end

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9
Q

Posterior

A

Towards the rear end

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10
Q

Dorsal

A

Toward the back, away from the ventral (stomach) side, the top of the brain

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11
Q

Ventral

A

Towards the stomach, away from the dorsal (back) side, underneath the brain

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12
Q

Lateral

A

Toward the side, away from the midline

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13
Q

What is included in the Central Nervous System?

A

Brain and Spinal Cord

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14
Q

Medial

A

Toward the midline, away from the side (in the middle)

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15
Q

Function of the Spinal Cord

A
  • Connects the brain to the rest of the body via the peripheral NS
  • Sensory nerves: bring sensory info from body to brain (entering dorsal roots)
  • Motor nerves: transmit motor info from brain to body (exiting ventral roots)
  • Each segment sends sensory information to the brain and receives motor commands
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16
Q

What are the two types of matter in the Spinal Cord?

A
  • Grey matter: located in the centre of the spinal cord, densely packed with cell bodies and dendrites
  • White matter: composed mostly of myelinated axons, carries information from the grey matter to the brain or other areas of the spinal cord
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17
Q

Spinal reflex

A

-Spinal reflexes occur independently of the brain
-Due to interneurons in the spinal cord

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18
Q

What are interneurons?

A

Interneurons are responsible for the pre-conscious nature of reflexes
- receive sensory input
- excite motor neurons controlling muscles that withdraw the limb

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19
Q

Structures included in the Brain stem

A

Hind Brain structures (Medulla, Pons, Cerebellum), the midbrain (Tectum and Tegmentum)

20
Q

Medulla structure

A
  • located above the spinal cord
  • Comprised of ascending & descending tracts
  • small nuclei at its core is the reticular formation (an arousal system)
  • consists of Cranial Nerves
21
Q

Medulla function

A
  • it’s where the cardiovascular and respiratory systems link together into a united system that controls vital reflexes such as breathing, heart rate, vomiting, salivation, coughing, and sneezing
  • Damage often fatal
  • The effects of drugs (e.g., opiates, amphetamines) on breathing & heart rate are primarily due to their impact on the medulla
22
Q

What is the Cranial Nerves

A
  • twelve pairs of nerves that enter and exit the brain directly
  • Allows the medulla to control sensations from the head, muscle movements in the head, and many parasympathetic outputs
23
Q

Olfactory function (Cranial Nerve)

A

relays signals relating to smell from sensory neurons in the nose to the olfactory bulb.

24
Q

Optic function (Cranial Nerve)

A

Carries visual signals from the retina to the thalamus (for our conscious perception of vision) and to the brainstem (for vision related to our reflexes).

25
Q

Facial function (Cranial Nerve)

A
  • Controls the muscles needed for facial expressions, crying, salvation, and dilation of the head’s blood vessel
  • Relays signals relating to taste from two thirds of the tongue
26
Q

Vagus function (Cranial Nerve)

A
  • Relays sensory signals from the throat, and controls muscles involved in speaking, swallowing, and vomiting.
  • Sensations from neck and thorax; control of throat, esophagus, and larynx parasympathetic nerves to stomach, intestines, and other organs
27
Q

Accessory function (Cranial Nerve)

A

Controls shoulder and neck muscles.

28
Q

Hypoglossal function (Cranial Nerve)

A

Controls muscles in the tongue.

29
Q

What is the Pons?

A
  • Fibre tract that lies on anterior and ventral to the medulla
  • The term pons is Latin for “bridge”
  • Axons from each half of the brain cross to the opposite side of the spinal cord (contralateral control)
30
Q

Cerebellum structure

A
  • Contains 50% of the brain’s neurons, but only 10% of its volume
  • Has many deep folds
31
Q

Cerebellum function

A
  • AKA little Brain
  • Helps regulate motor movement, balance, and coordination
  • Important for sensorimotor function, and critical for coordination of fine motor skills (e.g., writing, typing)
  • Important for shifting attention between auditory and visual stimuli
  • Greatly affected by alcohol
  • People with damage to the cerebellum have trouble shifting their attention back and forth between auditory and visual stimuli
32
Q

Mid-Brain structures

A

Tectum and Tegmentum

33
Q

Describe the tectum

A
  • Roof of the midbrain
  • Composes of superior and inferior colliculi (involved in the sensory function)
34
Q

Describe the Tegmentum

A
  • Contains nuclei for cranial nerves and part of the reticular formation; red nucleus and substantia nigra (both involved in sensorimotor function); and the periaqueductal grey
  • Sensorimotor functioning, arousal system, pain mediation
35
Q

Structure of the Forebrain

A

two cerebral hemispheres
- consists of the outer cortex and subcortical regions
- outer portion is known as the “cerebral cortex”
- each side receives sensory information and controls motor movement from the opposite (contralateral) side of the body
- Structures underneath the cortex:
- Hypothalamus and Thalamus

36
Q

Describe the Hypothalamus

A
  • small area near the base; just below the thalamus (hypo = below)
  • conveys messages to the pituitary gland to alter the release of hormones
  • associated with motivated behaviours (e.g., eating, drinking, sexual behaviour)
  • is essential for control of eating, drinking, temperature control, and reproductive behaviours.
37
Q

What is the Limbic System?

A
  • consists of a number of other interlinked structures that form a border around the brainstem
  • includes the olfactory bulb, hypothalamus, hippocampus, amygdala, and cingulate gyrus of the cerebral cortex
  • associated with motivated and emotional behaviour (e.g., eating, drinking, sexual activity, anxiety, & aggression)
38
Q

Describe Thalamus

A
  • Large two-lobed structure at top of brain stem
  • relay station from the sensory organs (except smell); main source of input to the cortex
  • integrates information across senses
39
Q

Information roots from Thalamus to Cerebral Cortex

A
  • Lateral geniculate nuclei: vision
  • Medial geniculate nuclei: hearing
  • Ventral posterior nuclei: touch
40
Q

Describe the Ventricles

A
  • Four fluid-filled cavities within the brain’s central canal containing cerebrospinal fluid
  • Two lateral ventricles + 3rd ventricle and 4th ventricle
  • provides “cushioning” for the brain
  • reservoir of hormones and nutrition for the CNS
41
Q

Describe the Meninges

A
  • membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord:
    • dura mater (Tough)
    • arachnoid mater (spidery)
      • pia mater (gentle innermost layer)
    • contain pain receptors
42
Q

Describe the Cerebral Cortex

A
  • Consists of the cellular layers on the outer surface of the cerebral hemispheres
  • Highly convoluted outer layer
    • Grooves = sulci
    • Bumps = gyri
  • Most recently evolved, mediates most complex functions
  • the longitudinal fissure separates the two cerebral hemispheres
  • the hemispheres joined by two bundles of axons called the corpus callosum and the anterior commissure
  • divided into four lobes
43
Q

Occipital Lobe

A
  • located at the posterior end of the cortex
  • known as the striate cortex or the primary visual cortex
  • highly responsible for visual input
  • damage can result in cortical blindness
  • Cortical blindness
    - Apparent lack of visual function, despite functioning eyes
    - e.g., the ‘what is that in my external world’ and the ‘where is that in my external world’ is to working
44
Q

Parietal Lobe

A
  • contains the postcentral gyrus, aka the “primary somatosensory cortex”
  • primary target for touch sensations and information from muscle-stretch receptors and joint receptors
  • also responsible for processing and integrating information about eye, head, and body positions from information sent from muscles and joints
  • essential for spatial information as well as numerical information
    - e.g., counting on your fingers
  • damage can result in unilateral neglect
  • One of two association cortices
45
Q

Temporal Lobe

A
  • located on the lateral portion of each hemisphere near the temples
  • target for auditory information and essential for processing spoken language
  • also responsible for complex aspects of vision, including movement and some emotional and motivational behaviours
  • damage results in difficult hearing, comprehending speech, memory impairments, and emotional changes
46
Q

Frontal Lobe

A
  • contains the
    • precentral gyrus, aka the “primary motor cortex”: responsible for the control of fine motor movement
    • prefrontal cortex: the most anterior portion of the frontal lobe; an integration centre for all sensory information and other areas of the cortex
  • responsible for higher functions (e.g., abstract thinking & planning)
    • also responsible for our ability to remember recent events and information (“working memory”)
47
Q

Damages to the Frontal Lobe results in

A
  • an inability to inhibit behaviour &/or control emotion
  • decreased planning and organisation
  • delayed responding to stimulus events (visual or auditory)

PSYC234 (4 decks)

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