Structure of the Nervous System Flashcards
What are the terms used to describe directions in the brain?
Dorsal: Top of brain
Ventral: Bottom of brain
Anterior: Front of brain
Posterior: Back of brain
Medial/Lateral: Middle Sides
Coronal Section: A cut from the
vertical plane from the crown of the head down and yields a frontal view
Horizontal Section: Falls along the horizon, viewed looking down from above (dorsal view)
Sagittal Section: A cut lengthways, front to back, and viewed from side (medial view)
What are the 2 divisions of the nervous system.
They are called the central and peripheral nervous systems
What does the the Central Nervous System contain?
The CNS contains the Brain and the spinal cord
What does the Peripheral Nervous System Contain?
The Autonomic Nervous System and the Somatic Nervous System
What does the Somatic Nervous System do?
Efferent Nerves: outgoing motor nerves that connect the CNS to the skeletal muscles
Afferent Nerves: incoming sensory nerves that carry information from sense organs into the CNS
What does the Autonomic Nervous System do?
Sympathetic nervous system: Arouses body to expand energy. “Fight or flight”
Parasympathetic nervous system: Calms body to conserve and mantain energy “ rest and digest”
What is the cerebrum?
It is a major structure of the forebrain which has 2 identical forebrains?
What does the cerebellum do?
The cerebellum is involved in motor coordination and possibly other mental processes.
What does the brainstem do?
The brainstem connects the brain to the spinal cord. it is critical for sustaining life (respiration, blood pressure, etc}
Basic instinctual function
What is the Cerebral Cortex?
It is the outer layer of grey matter which allows us to be conscious. It has a wrinkled appearance.
Gyrus?
a bump or convulsion between grooves
Sulcus?
A groove between gyri
What are the Lobes of the brain? What does each one do?
-Frontal Lobe: Controls motor control and executive functions
-Occipital Lobe: Controls vision
Parietal Lobe: Controls touch sensation and self of sense in space
Temporal Lobe: Controls auditory sensation, language perception, and taste functions.
What is the corpus callosum?
The corpus callosum connects the cerebral hemisphere so both sides of brain can work together
What is the Diencephalon and what does it do?
The diencephalon is one of 3 basic regions in the brainstem. It contains;
Thalamus: all sensory information (except smell) that passes through the thalamus
Hypothalamus: Controls homeostasis, regulates hormone secretion and maintains control of the brain
What is the Midbrain and what does it do?
The Midbrain is another one of the 3 basic division of the brainstem. The Midbrain contains neurons that the