Nervous System + Brain structure

Question 1

What is the nervous system?

Answer 1

A complex network of cells in the human body. It’s our internal communication system with 2 main functions;
Collect and process information
Coordinate the working of different organs and cells in the body

Question 2

What is the spinal cord and what does it do?

Answer 2

The spinal cord is a tube like extension to the brain. It’s responsible for reflex actions and it passes messages to and from the brain.

Question 3

What is the brain and what does it do?

Answer 3

The source of our conscious awareness and where decision making takes place. It’s divided into 2 hemispheres the right side controls the right of our body and opposite for left.

Question 4

What are the subcortical structures

Answer 4

Hypothalamus, thalamus, limbic system, cerebellum and corpus callosum.

Question 5

What does the thalamus do?

Answer 5

The brains relay station. It receives information from various senses and passes it to the appropriate areas.
Acts as a gate for information (when we wake or sleep)

Question 6

What does the hypothalamus do?

Answer 6

Controls motivational behaviours (sex, hunger, thirst) it’s the body’s key stress response through fight or flight.
It also regulates the endocrine system (hormones)

Question 7

What does the limbic system do?

Answer 7

Consists of several structures (e.g: amygdala) and regulates emotional responses (aggression) it also plays a key role in memory and learning

Question 8

What does cerebellum do?

Answer 8

Coordinate posture balance and movement.

Question 9

What is the corpus callosum?

Answer 9

Physically connects the two hemispheres of the cerebral cortex. It allows communication between hemispheres.

Question 10

What is the cerebral cortex made up of?

Answer 10

Frontal lobes, parietal lobes, temporal lobes, occipital lobes

Question 11

What does the frontal lobe do?

Answer 11

High-level cognitive functions such as thinking, planning and problem solving.

Question 12

What do the parietal lobes do?

Answer 12

They control processing of touch and the information gained from the contact to skin.

Question 13

What do the temporal lobes do?

Answer 13

Deal with sound information process the location volume and pitch of sounds. Also have a role in understanding language.

Question 14

What is a synapse?

Answer 14

The gap between two neurons in which information is passed across during synaptic transmission.

Question 15

Define neuron

Answer 15

A neuron is a nerve cell that allow the nervous system to transmit signals electrically and chemically around the body.

Question 16

Define neurotransmitter

Answer 16

A nerve cell in the brain that sends electrical impulses of information to other neurons.

Question 17

Define synaptic transmission

Answer 17

The process by which neighboroughing neurons communicate with each other by sending chemical messages across the synapse.

Question 18

What are the main features of a synapse?

Answer 18

Cell body (soma)
Dendrite
Nucleus
Myelin sheath
Axon
Terminal button
Node of ranvier

Question 19

Describe the neuron appearance wise

Answer 19

The cell body contains the nucleus and the genetic material of the cell, dendrites stick out for the cell body. These carry impulses from neighboroughing neurons towards the cell body. The axon is a tube like structure that carries the impulse away from the cell body. The myelin sheath covers the axon and is a fatty layer.
Gaps in the myelin sheath are the nodes of ranvier. Finally at the end are the terminal buttons

Question 20

What are the three types of neuron?

Answer 20

Sensory neuron
Motor neuron
Relay neuron

Question 21

Describe synaptic transmission

Answer 21

The process that allows neurons to communicate and pass information. Information is passed down the axon of the pre-synaptic neuron as an electrical impulse (action potential). When it reaches the end of the axon, vesicles in the axon terminal release neurotransmitters which carry the signal across the synaptic gap to the post-synaptic neuron.

Question 23

What is a nucleus?

Answer 23

The DNA of the cell is held here. It coordinates information and functions of the cell body.

Question 23

What are the dendrites?

Answer 23

Branched extensions of a nerve cell along which impulses from other cells travel towards.

Question 24

What is an axon?

Answer 24

An extension of the neuron in which electrical impulses travel along via action potential by myelin sheaths.

Question 25

What is a myelin sheath?

Answer 25

Fatty tissue that insulates the axon to increase the speed of the action potential ( electrical impulses)

Question 26

What are the nodes of Ranvier?

Answer 26

Connectors of the myelin sheaths along the axon.

Question 27

What are the axon terminals?

Answer 27

The end of the axon that contacts with another nerve cell on the terminal button.

Question 28

What are terminal buttons?

Answer 28

Small parts at the end of an axon terminal, that releases chemicals called neurotransmitters across a synaptic gap.

Question 29

What are vesicles?

Answer 29

Sacks that store neurotransmitters that fuse to the pre-synaptic membrane and release them across the synaptic gap.

Question 30

What are the three types of neurotransmitters?

Answer 30

• Noradrenaline
• Dopamine
• Serotonin

Question 31

What is the role of Noradrenaline?

Answer 31

Produces attention and triggers ‘fight or flight’

Question 32

What is the role of dopamine?

Answer 32

Linked to feelings of pleasure and addication.

Question 33

What is the role of serotonin?

Answer 33

Linked to happiness.