The human brain and nervous system Flashcards

1
Q

The nervous system

A

CNS - brain and spinal cord
PNS - nerves and sensory organs of the body outside of the brain and spinal cord

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Anatomical directions

A

Caudal <——————–> Rostral
Posterior <—————> Anterior
^ Dorsal v Ventral

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Neurons

A

Sensory - respond to external stimuli, transmit sensory information to CNS (afferent = arriving)
Motor - carry messengers from CNS to muscles and glands. (efferent = exiting)
Interneurons - transmit messages to other neurons

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Features of the PNS

A
  • Somatic: in contact with the external environment:
    conveys information from sensory detectors to the brain and controls movement
  • Autonomic: internal environment: regulates internal functioning e.g. digestion, respiration, circulation, secretion of sex hormones

Both systems use:
- AFFERENT nerves (sensory information TOWARDS CNS)
- EFFERENT nerves (motor signals AWAY from CNS to the organs).

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Autonomic NS

A

Sympathetic - activated by conditions that promote arousal e.g. increase heart rate, energy expenditure
- Fight or Flight system

Parasympathetic - activated by conditions of recovery e.g. decrease heart rate, energy conservation
- Rest and Digest system

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Divisions of the brain

A
  • Hindbrain
  • Midbrain
  • Forebrain
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

The Hindbrain

A

Myelencephalon
- Medulla - controls basic functioning (breathing) and involved in reflex responses

Metencephalon
- Cerebellum - involved in the development and coordination of movement
- Pons - regions involved in motor control and sensory analysis

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

The Midbrain

A

Mesencephalon
- Tectum - relays visual and auditory information
- Superior colliculus (visual)
- Inferior colliculus (auditory)

Tegmentum
- Substantia nigra - movement and reward
- Red nucleus - basic body movements
- Reticular formation - controls consciousness and arousal

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

The forebrain

A

Diencephalon
- Epithalamus - contains pineal gland
- Thalamus - relay station for sensory info transmitted to cerebral cortex
- Hypothalamus - sensor for human’s basic needs

Telencephalon
- Limbic system (emotion)
Amygdala (fear and anger)
Cyngulate gyrus (+ and - emotions, pain and attentional processes)
Hippocampus (memory)
- Basal Ganglia - voluntary movement, muscle tone and posture
Caudate nucleus
Putamen
Globus pallidus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

The four lobes of the brain

A

Frontal lobe
- Posterior region - primary motor cortex involved in the control of voluntary body movements
Anterior region - prefrontal cortex complex intellectual functioning

Occipital lobe
- Initial visual reception which is passed to temporal and parietal lobes

Parietal lobe
- Anterior region - somatosensory cortex (sensory info)
- Posterior region - complex visual processing (where an object is)

Temporal lobe
- Auditory information - language processing, comprehension of words
- Memory functions
- Complex visual processing (what an object is)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly