organization of nervous system Flashcards
spinal cord
reflex responses, relay to/from brain
brain
“lower” structures (toward spinal cord) carry out basic life processes, hindbrain, midbrain, “higher” structures carry out complex cognitive function, mostly forebrain
cerebellum
balance and coordinated movement
medulla
HR and breathing, some desiccations
Pons
sleep and arousal, balance, coordinated movements, and some hearing
reticular formation
arousal and attention
midbrain
(above pons) helps vision and audition, for ex- by fixing gaze even as your head moves, aids basic movements for sex and aggression
thalamus
relay station, send info to appropriate information area in the cortex and from the cortex
Hypothalamus
autonomic info- homeostasis
Limbic system
hippocampus and amygdala
Hippocampus
vital for memory/learning
amygdala
emotion center (emotion and learning, emotion recognitio)
cerebral cortex
2-3mm thick, wrinkled and convoluted- much surface area, controls complex and abstract thought
cerebral cortex - 4 lobes
frontal, parietal, occipital, and temporal lobes
how much is cortical mass in association area, in humans?
about 3/4
frontal lobe
help inhibit behavior, plans, thoughts, language, interpreting
Phineas Gage
accident in 1848 damaged pathways between his limbic system and frontal cortex; frontal lobes initiate activity and suppress inappropriate behaviors
temporal lobe
learning, memory, auditory, language
parietal lobe
touch (temp, sharp/dull), spatial reasoning, multi sensory integration
Occipital
vision
Rasmussen syndrome
very rare disorder in children, inflammation of the brain cells in one hemisphere, leading to frequent and severe seizures.
Treatment: hemispherectomy (remove affected hemisphere of brain)
How many hemispheres does the cerebral cortex have
2 halves, left and right
Hemispheres connected by what
corpus collosum
“cross over”
sensory and motor pathways “cross over” so L side of brain controls R side of body, R side of brain controls L side of bodyl
