unit 1 outcome 1 Flashcards
what 2 parts does the nervous system consist of?
the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system
(+ neurons)
what 2 parts does the peripheral nervous system consist of?
the autonomic nervous system and the somatic nervous system
what 2 parts does the central nervous system consist of?
the brain and the spinal cord
what 2 parts does the autonomic nervous system consist of?
the parasympathetic nervous system and the sympathetic nervous system
what 2 parts does the somatic nervous system consist of?
motor neurons and sensory neurons
what is the function of the central nervous system?
conveys messages to and from the brain and PNS
describe the segments of the spinal cord
the upper section is responsible for communication between the brain and the upper body, and the lower section is responsible for lower body parts (legs, feet, toes etc.)
what are the functions of the peripheral nervous system?
- to communicate information from the body’s organs to the CNS (from both outside world e.g. sensation on skin, and the inside world e.g. aches + pains)
- to communicate information from the CNS to the body’s organs, glands, and muscles via motor neurons
what is the somatic nervous system responsible for?
voluntary movement of skeletal muscles
what do motor neurons do?
communicate messages from the CNS to particular muscles that an organism intends to move
what do sensory neurons do?
convey information from sensory receptors on skin to the brain
how do motor and sensory neurons communicate?
through interneurons
what is the autonomic nervous system responsible for?
- communicating information between CNS and the body’s non-skeletal muscles
- involuntary movement / control of vital functions (e.g. digestion and heartbeat)
list the things that the autonomic nervous system controls the function of internal organs through
- muscles
- the skin
- blood vessels
- the eye
- the stomach
- the heart
- gastrointestinal tract
- gall bladder
- liver
- glands
- pancreas
- adrenal medulla
- sweat gland
what does the sympathetic nervous system do?
operates when the body percieves itself to be in danger or stress, and readies the body for actions like running away, fighting, or freezing (fight, flight or freeze response)
what does the parasympathetic nervous system do?
operates when the body is calm, responsible for maintaining automatic day to day bodily functions (breathing, heart rate, digestion)
what is homeostasis?
regular bodily functioning (maintaining a normal heart rate, breathing rate, digestion etc.)
what do neurons do?
recieve, process, and transmit information to eachother
what are the 3 elements of a neuron?
- dendrites
- the soma
- the axon
describe the look and function of dendrites
they look tree-like, and they recieve information from other neurons / sensory receptors via synapses and deliver this to the cell body / soma
describe the function of the soma
it is the cell body, the largest part of a neuron, controls metabolism and maintainence of the cell
describe the function of the axon
a nerve fibre that carries information as an elecritrical impulse from the soma to other cells in contact with the neuron.
what happens when information is sent down the axon as electrical impulses?
the end of the axon secretes a chemical called a neurotransmitter
what are glial cells and what do they do?
not part of the neuron, but support them.
- surround neurons and hold them in place
- supply nourishment and oxygen
- remove dead neurons
- insulate neurons and increase speed of tramsmission of nerve impulses by producing myelin (myelination)
what is myelin + what does it do?
Produced by glial cells, is a fatty substance that covers + insulates the axon from other neurons.
Myelinated neurons are faster in transmitting messages.
what disease destroys myelin and makes the conduction slow or stop in it’s sufferers?
multiple sclerosis
what is a synapse?
the junction between two neurons where the end of the axon comes into close proximity with the receptor sites on the dendrites of a postsynaptic neuron
what is synaptic transmission?
the process of neurons communicating with other neurons.
what are the 3 main parts of the brain?
- hindbrain
- midbrain
- forebrain
what are the parts of the hindbrain?
- cerebellum
- medulla
- pons
what are the parts of the midbrain?
- reticular formation
what are the parts of the forebrain?
- hypothalamus
- thalamus
- cerebrum
what are the four lobes of the cerebral cortex?
- frontal lobe
- parietal lobe
- temporal lobe
- occipital lobe
what is in the frontal lobe?
the primary motor cortex
what is in the parietal lobe?
the primary somatosensory cortex
what is in the temporal lobe?
the primary auditory cortex
what is in the occipital lobe?
the primary visual cortex
what is the cerebral cortex?
the outer layer of the brain - higher mental processes and complex behaviours
what does the corpus callosum do?
connects the left and right hemispheres of the cerebral cortex
what are the parts of the limbic system?
- hippocampus
- amygdala
what does the hippocampus do?
long term memory and spatial orientation
what does the amygdala do?
responsible for aggression, fear and emotional memory