The Central Nervous System Flashcards
Central Nervous System
(levels of processing)
Spinal cord
Subcortical
Cortical
Brain Stem
Conduction of signals from spinal cord to brain
Midbrain/Mesencephalon
Eye movement
Pons
Respiratory function
Medulla Oblongata
Respiratory
Heart rate
Blood pressure
Midbrain/Mesencephalon
Eye movement
Pons
Respiratory function
Medulla Oblongata
Respiratory
Heart rate
Blood pressure
Cerebellum
Coordination of movement
Diencephalon
(sits on top of brain stem)
Thalamus
Major integrating & relay center
Hypothalamus
homeostasis
Pituitary
hormonal control
Thalamus
Major integrating & relay center
Hypothalamus
homeostasis
Pituitary
hormonal control
Cerebral Lateralization
The division of neural functions between the two cerebral hemispheres, with one more dominant than the other for certain tasks
Example: Wernicke’s Area (language comprehension) and Broca’s Area (speech production)
Corpus Callosum
Connects cerebral hemispheres
Explain how CSF is secreted and reabsorbed
capillaries called the choroid plexus produce CSF from the blood (plasma) .
Which is secreted by the
ventricles ,
travels around the brain and spinal cord , then is reabsorbed into the blood .
Explain the blood-brain barrier and how it works.
the Blood Brain Barrier consists of astrocytes foot processes connected by tight junctions that surround the pia
mater of the brain ,
including vasculature and neurons .
This prevents substances harmful to the brain
from getting through ,
however ,
small lipophilic substances can pass (alcohol) or substances on a carrier glucose) .
Describe how memories are formed and differentiate between declarative memory and skill memory, and between short and long term memory.
memories are stored in traces (chains of neurons) when the brain encounters information important
enough to be stored . Memories can lead to changes in pathways or sensitization.
Declarative memory involves recall (
things you can declared while skilled memory involves things you can do.
Short -
term memory lasts as long as the concept is thought of white longterm memory can last for
minutes to weeks .
Long term memories can still be lost if not consolidated ,
which involves changes in synapsing.
This is led by the hippocampus !
Memories
stored in “traces”
Brain determines which information is important enough to be stored
Facilitates synapses in pathway
Leads to sensitization
Information deemed unimportant is inhibited
Declarative memory
Things you can declare
Skill/procedural memory
Things you can do/demonstrate
Short-Term Memory
Memory held for just a few seconds or as long as we are thinking of the thing
Intermediate Long-Term Memory
Memory held for minutes to weeks
Will be lost if not made more permanent
Due to changes in synapses
Prolonged action potentials in pre-synaptic neuron lead to increased neurotransmitter release
Potentially changes in post-synaptic neuron, too
Long-Term Memory
Likely due to structural changes in synapse, not just chemical as in intermediate long-term memory
On presynaptic cell
Increased vesicle release sites
Increased neurotransmitter released
Increased presynaptic terminals
Changes in dendrites
Memory Consolidation
Converting short-term memory into long-term
Rehearsal
Hippocampus – declarative memory
Give possible functions of sleep
maturation of neurons
clearance of metabolic waste
memory consolidation
healing
energy conservation
cognition
Identify and describe the stages of sleep
1 . REM sleep :
dreams are remembered , movement is inhibited , and HR can be irregular
2- 4 .
Slow wave sleep :
restful ,
decreased HR, BP,
and BMR
REM (paradoxical, desynchronized)
Dreaming
Inhibited muscle tone
Heart and respiratory rate can be irregular
Beta brain waves (similar to when awake)
Slow-Wave Sleep
Stages 1-4 (theta and delta waves)
Restful
Decreased blood pressure, respiratory rate, and BMR
Dreams not usually remembered
