The Human Nervous system

Question 1

The Brain of a psychopaths - Raine

Answer 1

• Raine (NGRI study)
• studied brain activity in people with antisocial personality disorder
• clear differences in brain activity

Question 2

Neurons

Answer 2

• specialised cells that generate + propagate electrical signals in the brain
• All have cell body, dendrites + axon’s (send signals)

Question 3

Glial cells

Answer 3

• support cell (glial=glue)
• Astrocytes-maintain chemical env in brain
• oligodendrocyte-cover axons with myelin
• Microglial-immune response

Question 4

centeral + peripheral nervous system

Answer 4

_cns=brain+ spinal cord
- pNS has autonomic subdivision
- Autonomic:
parasympathetic: rest + digest
sympathetic=3 f’s flight ,fright, fight

Question 5

grey matter

Answer 5

cell body + dendrites

Question 6

white matter

Answer 6

axon

Question 7

cerebrum lobes

Answer 7

occipital = vision
Temporal = vision, hearing, lang, memory emotion
parietal = vision , sensory -motor integration, touch , balance
frontal = movement, lang, planning, decision making

Question 8

Anatomical Terminology

Answer 8

Anterior: front
posterior = back
superior / dorsal = above
inferior /Ventral below

Question 9

gyri

Answer 9

convex convolutions (hills) of brain
e.g. precentral +postcentral gyrus

Question 10

sulci

Answer 10

concavitie (valleys) between gyri
- central sulci

Question 11

Disecting brain

Answer 11

3 main sections :
coronal= posterior to anterior
Horizontal = inferior to superior
sagittal = divides hemispheres

Question 12

Basal ganglia

Answer 12

Regulates motor activity
Damage: parkinsons, tourettes

Question 13

Amygdala

Answer 13

Detection of fearful / threatening stimuli

Question 14

Hippocampus

Answer 14

learning new memories

Question 15

thalamus

Answer 15

processing sensory info

Question 16

Hypothalamus

Answer 16

Homeostatis=maintenance of constant internal body state

Question 17

Pineal Gland

Answer 17

circadian rhythM s
day / night
sleep cycle

Question 18

Brainstem

Answer 18

-midbrain-sensorimotor integration (vision, hearing)
- Pons -integrates info from cerebellum to cerebrum + finetunes motor signals
- medulla-regulates breathing, heart rate

Question 19

cerebellum

Answer 19

motor coordination

Question 20

connections in brain- white matter tracts

Answer 20

Association tracts: from 1 hemisphere to another
commissure-between hemispheres (corpus collosum)
Protection tract- cortical to subcortical

Question 21

ventricles+ meninges

Answer 21

filled with cerebral spinal fluid- protective cushion for brain
- CSF kept in place by Dura+ Arachnoid membranes which form meninges

Question 22

Brains Blood supply

Answer 22

2 main arteries=carotid + basilar
converge on a circle of Willis before sending blood to different brain regions