Unit 6: Nervous System

Question 1

What is memory?

Answer 1

a facilitated pathway of neurons

Question 2

Where are visual memories stored?

Answer 2

occipital lobe

Question 3

How long do short-term memories last? Intermediate? Long?

Answer 3

short: seconds to minutes
intermediate: Days to weeks
long term: up to a lifetime

Question 4

Main structures required for fact memory?

Answer 4

Hippocampus and amygdala

Question 5

What helps make memories stick?

Answer 5

Repetition and emotional response

Question 6

anterograde amnesia

Answer 6

type of memory loss that occurs when you can’t form new memories

Question 7

retrograde amnesia

Answer 7

amnesia where you can’t recall memories that were formed before the event that caused the amnesia

Question 8

function of autonomic nervous system

Answer 8

regulates involuntary physiologic processes including heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, digestion, and sexual arousal

Question 9

difference between autonomic and somatic nervous system

Answer 9

The SNS consists of motor neurons that stimulate skeletal muscles. In contrast, the ANS consists of motor neurons that control smooth muscles, cardiac muscles, and glands.

Question 10

What are the divisions of the autonomic nervous system?

Answer 10

sympathetic & parasympathetic

Question 11

What responses do we expect to increased sympathetic activity?

Answer 11

Heightened mental alertness
Increased metabolic rate
Reduced digestive and urinary functions
Energy reserves activated
Increased respiratory rate and respiratory passageways dilate
Increased heart rate and blood pressure
Sweat glands activated
Pupils dilate

Question 12

What responses do we expect to increased parasympathetic activity?

Answer 12

Constriction of pupils & focus eyes, Secretion by digestive glands, Secretion of hormones for digestion & utilization, Changes in blood flow and glandular activity (including sexual arousal), Increases digestive tract smooth muscle activity, Defecation - stimulation and coordination, Contraction - urinary bladder during urination, Constriction of respiratory passageways, Reduction in heart rate & force of contraction

Question 13

What brain structure could be considered the primary controller of the ANS?

Answer 13

hypothalamus

Question 14

dual intervention of autonomic nervous system

Answer 14

they receive competing inputs from the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions

Question 15

Length of neurons

Answer 15

parasympathetic: preganglionic cell - long, postganglionic cell - short

Question 16

What neurotransmitters are released by the postganglionic neuron to the
effectors?

Answer 16

sympathetic: norepinephrine
parasympathetic: acetylcholine

Question 17

Which cranial nerve contains most of the parasympathetic fibers of the body? why is it so important?

Answer 17

the vagus nerve. the vagus nerve supplies various internal organs including the heart, lungs, kidney, liver, spleen, pancreas, and gastrointestinal tract.

Question 18

visceral reflexes

Answer 18

involve a glandular or non-skeletal muscular response carried out in internal organs such as the heart, blood vessels, or structures of the GI tract.

Question 19

What is autonomic tone?

Answer 19

can be conceptualized as a rheostat balancing the two ANS divisions—the sympathetic and parasympathetic pathways.

Question 20

parasympathetic regions?

Answer 20

cervical and sacrum

Question 21

sympathetic region?

Answer 21

thoracic and lumbar

Question 22

What role does the brainstem play in consciousness?

Answer 22

The reticular activating system is the part of the brain stem that responsible for wakefulness. This is a collection of neurons, located in the upper brain stem, that projects to and stimulates the areas of the cortex that is responsible for awareness—the ability to think and perceive.

Question 23

Are you always consciously aware of every stimulus in the environment or are
some stimuli filtered out?

Answer 23

some stimuli are filtered out because of the RAS.

Question 24

What are the 2 stages of sleep discussed in class?

Answer 24

deep sleep and REM sleep