The nervous system and the brain Flashcards
differentiate between the central and peripheral nervous systems
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM: sending
- Brain & Spinal Chord
- helps the brain communicate with the rest of the body by sending messages to the peripheral system
PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM: receiving
- sensory neurones
- interact with the external environment
- Autonomic and Somatic Nervous Systems
explain the areas and role of the cerebral cortex
FRONTAL LOBE
- largest lobe ( the front is the largest)
- functions: initiating movement, language planning, judgement, problems solving aspects of ones personality.
OCCIPITAL LOBE
- at the rear of the brain ( I have eyes at the back of my head)
- primary visual cortex
- integration of visual stimuli
TEMPORAL LOBE
- at the side above the ears (temple of the head)
- primary auditory cortex
- Wernicke’s Area ( comprehension of speech)
PARIETAL LOBE
- allows a person to perceive their own body
- know where things are in relation to space
THALAMUS
- above the brain stem
- relaying motor and sensory signals to the cerebral cortex.
describe the areas of the brain responsible for voluntary movement
FRONTAL LOBE
- Motor cortex
- Broca’s area
describe the areas of the brain responsible for emotion
TEMPORAL LOBE
Amygdala
MIDBRAIN
- periaqueductal gray
what is neuroplasticity?
- change its activity
- intrinsic or extrinsic stimuli
identify the parts of the central nervous system
- BRAIN
- SPINAL CHORD
state the name of the upper portion of the human’s brain that is a wrinkled and folded layer of grey matter
- CEREBRAL CORTEX
determine the task most likely to use Wernicke’s area of the brain:
a) putting a jigsaw puzzle together
b) painting a picture
c) recognising a picture
d) understanding English subtitles in a foreign movie
LANGUAGE COMPREHENSION
d) understanding English subtitles in a foreign movie
identify the function of the temporal lobe
primary auditory cortex:
- Percives sensory input, and auditory stimuli
state the function of the occipital lobe
primary visual cortex:
- rods: the intensity of light (brightness)
- cones: the colour variation of light
- form and motion of visual stimuli
identify the area that is most likely to be damaged if a patient is unable to move their right hand
LEFT HEMISPHERE -> damage to the right side of body
explain a two-neurone reflex arc
MONOSYNAPTIC
- involving only one synapse
- affector neurone (peripheral nervous system to the CNS) brings sensation from receptors in the body
-effector neurone (CNS to a gland) carries motor messages to muscles in the body
describe the function of the basal ganglia and the cerebellum
BASAL GANGLIA
- control of movement
- information gathering process
CEREBELLUM
- coordinating and remembering movements
describe the role of the hippocampus
-consolidation of memories
- transfer these too other parts of the brain for long-term memories
explain the difference between conscious and unconscious responses to sensory stimuli
CONSCIOUS RESPONSES
- controlled by individual
- goal driven
UNCONSCIOUS RESPONSES
- involuntary
- occur automatically
What is the Autonomic and Somatic Nervous system?
SOMATIC NERVOUS SYSTEM
- voluntary movements of the skeletal muscles
- motor neurones
- CNS <Somatic> appropriate muscles</Somatic>
AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM
- communication of information from CNS to body’s non-skeletal muscles (involuntary)
What is Parasympathetic NS and Sympathetic NS?
SYMPATHETIC
- when a person is threatened it becomes activated
-fight, fright, freeze
PARASYMPATHETIC
- cools a person down
- rest and digest
Compare Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area
Broca’s area = language production
Wernicke’s area= language comprehension
What is Geschwind’s territory?
- area of the brain
- connection between Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area
explain a three-neurone reflex arc
POLYSYNAPTIC
- involving interneurons connecting the affector and effector neurones
- two synapses
what is the role of the hypothalamus?
HYPOTHALAMUS
- controls emotions
- motivated behaviours
The somatic nervous system carries information from ____ to the _____
Sensory receptors -> CNS
Nicole was attending a job interview for a promotion that was very important to her. Just before her interview, she felt her heart beating very fast and noticed that the palms of her hands were sweating. During the interview, Nicole noticed that her heart rate decreased and her palms felt much drier after about ten minutes.
a) Which part of Nicole’s nervous system was most likely to be dominant just before her interview?
b) Which part of Nicole’s nervous system was most likely to be dominant ten minutes after the start of her interview?
c) What other symptoms might Nicole have experienced just before her interview, even though she may not have been aware of them?
a) The sympathetic nervous system
b) The parasympathetic nervous system
c) dilated pupils, increased release of glucose.
Paul suffered a head injury as a result of a sporting accident. Since the accident, Paul has great difficulty speaking. He generally speaks in very short, unclear sentences, and often omits simple words such as ‘the’ and ‘a’. Psychological testing has indicated that Paul’s reading and writing abilities are unaffected.
Paul has most likely suffered damage to ______ area in the ______ lobe.
Broca’s; frontal
