The Human Nervous System

Question 1

Central Nervous System

Answer 1

Comprises of the brain and spinal cord; the CNS controls the body by processing and responding to sensory input from the peripheral nervous system.

Question 2

Peripheral Nervous System

Answer 2

Communicates information form the body to the central nervous system (e.g. aches and pains) and to the body’s organs, glands, and muscles.

Question 3

Sympathetic Nervous System

Answer 3

A branch of the autonomic nervous system that activates the fight-flight-freeze response.

Question 4

Parasympathetic Nervous System

Answer 4

A branch of the autonomic nervous system, responsible for maintaining our day-to-day functioning and for most of the automatic functions of the body such as digestion, heart rate, breathing and some glandular functions.

Question 5

Flight-Fight-Freeze Response

Answer 5

A physiological response to stress that causes an organism to react in a combative manner (fight), by removing themselves from the situation (flight), or not reacting at all (freeze).

Question 6

Homeostasis

Answer 6

The state of balance in the body’s metabolism.

Question 7

Cerebral Cortex

Answer 7

The multi-layered outer surface of the cerebrum responsible for receiving information from the environment, controlling our responses, and allowing complex voluntary movements and the higher order thinking processes.

Question 8

Cerebrum

Answer 8

The part of the brain most responsible for voluntary movement and complex thought processes, such as perception, imagination, judgement and decision making.

Question 9

Corpus Callosum

Answer 9

The band of neural fibers that connects the right and left central hemispheres.

Question 10

Frontal Lobe

Answer 10

The largest lobe of the brain; has several functions, including initiating movement of the body, language, planning, judgment, problem solving, aspects of personality and emotions; extremely well developed in higher order mammals.

Question 11

Parietal Lobe

Answer 11

The location of the primary somatosensory cortex in the brain; enables a person to perceive their own body and where things are located in their immediate environment.

Question 12

Occipital Lobe

Answer 12

The cerebral cortex at the rear of the brain; the location of the primary visual cortex and association areas involved with the integration of visual stimuli.

Question 13

Temporal Lobe

Answer 13

The part of the forebrain beneath the temporal plate of the skull, at the side of the head above the ears; contains Wernicke’s area and the primary auditory cortex.

Question 14

Temporal Lobe

Answer 14

The part of the forebrain beneath the temporal plate of the skull, at the side of the head above the ears; contains Wernicke’s area and the primary auditory cortex.

Question 15

Thalamus

Answer 15

Structure in the brain located between the cerebral cortex and the midbrain, just above the brainstem; responsible for relaying motor and sensory signals to the cerebral cortex.

Question 16

Primary Motor Cortex

Answer 16

Located at the rear of each frontal lobe; responsible for movement of the skeletal muscles of the body.

Question 17

Primary Somatosensory Cortex

Answer 17

Located at the front of each parietal lobe; processes sensation such as touch, pressure, temperature and pain.

Question 18

Primary Auditory Cortex

Answer 18

Located in the upper part of the temporal lobe; receives sounds from the ears.

Question 19

Primary Visual Cortex

Answer 19

Located in the occipital lobe; processes information from the eyes.

Question 20

Neurons

Answer 20

Nerve cells, responsible for communication within the body.

Question 21

Broca’s Area

Answer 21

The speech production centre of the brain.

Question 22

Localisation of the function of the brain

Answer 22

Specific parts of the brain are responsible for different functions.

Question 23

Wernicke’s Area

Answer 23

Part of the left temporal lobe, responsible for language reception and for creation of grammatically correct speech.

Question 24

Geschwind’s Territory

Answer 24

Area of the brain that provides a connection between Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area.

Question 25

Refex

Answer 25

Simple, automatic response to a sensory stimulus.

Question 26

Monosynaptic Reflex Arc

Answer 26

A reflex arc made up of only two neurons (one sensory and one motor).

Question 27

Polysynaptic Reflex Arc

Answer 27

A reflex arc made up of multiple neurons, with one or more interneurons connecting the sensory and motor neurons.

Question 28

Basal Ganglia

Answer 28

A set of structures involved in the control of movement, gathering and channelling information from the different areas of the brain.

Question 29

Cerebellum

Answer 29

The area of the brain responsible for coordinating and remembering smooth, well-sequenced movements.

Question 30

Limbic System

Answer 30

Structure of the brain consisting of the amygdala, hypothalamus and midbrain; implicated in memory, emotion, behaviour and motivation.

Question 31

Hippocampus

Answer 31

A finger-sized curve structure that lies in the medial temporal lobes; responsible for consolidation of explicit memories and acts to transfer these to other parts of the bran for storage as long-term memory.

Question 32

Hypothalamus

Answer 32

A structure in the forebrain that plays a major role in controlling emotion and motivated behaviours such as eating, drinking and sexual activity.

Question 33

HPA Axis

Answer 33

A major neuroendocrine system that includes the hypothalamus, pituitary gland and the adrenal gland; these structures interact through a feedback system to regulate a number of functions such as a person’s digestion, immune system, mood, emotions and their response to stress.

Question 34

Amygdala

Answer 34

An almond-shaped structure, located in the medial temporal lobe of the brain that is central to emotion, aggression and implicit learning.

Question 35

Prefrontal Cortex (PFC)

Answer 35

Part of the cerebral cortex that connects brain regions that are involved in the processing and production of emotion.