Week 3 Flashcards
How many components does the peripheral nervous system have?
Two components, the Somatic Nervous System and the Autonomic nervous system
Describe the Somatic Nervous System
Carries information from the senses to the CNS and sends movement instructions back to muscles.
What function do sensory neurons have?
Carry information TO the brain
What function do motor neurons have?
Carry information FROM the brain to direct motion.
Describe the autonomic nervous system
Carries information back and forth between the CNS and organs and glands. It has two divisions the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system.
What functions do the sympathetic nervous system have?
Mobilises the body for action through fight-or-flight.
What functions do the parasympathetic nervous system have?
Slows the organ and gland activity to conserve the body’s energy.
Describe the spinal cord
The spinal cord transmits information between the peripheral nervous system and the brain.
Describe reflexes
quick, involuntary muscular responses
The spinal cord is an example of what?
A feedback system
The spinal cords sensory neurons are?
afferent neurons and carry information toward the brain
Motor neurons are?
efferent neurons and carry information away from the brain.
Name the three distinct areas of the brain
Hindbrain, Midbrain and Forebrain
Describe the hindbrain
Mudulla oblongata - controls basic physiological functions.
Reticular formation -a network of cells running throughout the hindbrain and into the midbrain. involved in arousal and attention. (locus coeruleus is activated by this)
Cerebellum - controls finley coordinated movements.
Describe the midbrain
Sits above the hindbrain. Surrounded by forebrain.
Tectum - orienting visual and auditory stimuli
Tegmentum - movement and arousal.
Substantia nigra together with the striatum is involved in smoothly initiating movement.
The midbrain and parts of the hindbrain other than the cerebellum are called?
The brainstem.
Describe the forebrain
largest and most sophisticated part of the brain. Involved in complex sensory, emotional, cognitive and behavioural processes.
Describe the major components of the forebrain
Hypothalamus - regulates behaviours such as eating, sleeping, sexual activity and emotional experience. Suprachiasmatic nuclei is part of the hypothalamus.
Thalamus - processes sensory information as it arrives and transmits it to higher brain centres.
Cerebrum - included cerebral cortex as well as basal ganglia, and limbic system.
Desrcibe limib system
includes the hypothalamus, the septum, the amygdala (fear and emotions) and hippocampus (formation of memories)
Describe the cerebral cortex
the outer surface of the cerebral hemisphere. Comprises 80 per cent of the brain’s mass.
Describe the functions of the cerebral cortex
Analysis of information from the senses
Control of voluntary movements
Higher-order thought
other complex aspects of behaviour and mental processes.
What are the four lobes of the brain?
Occipital, parietal, temporal and frontal
What are the functional areas of the cortex?
Sensory, motor and association
Describe sensory cortex
Visual information is received by the visual cortex in the occipital lobe.
Auditory information is received by the
the auditory cortex in the temporal lobe.
Skin information about touch, pain and temperature is received in the
somatosensory cortex in the parietal lobe
Describe the motor cortex
Neurons in specific areas of the motor cortex in the frontal lobe create voluntary movements in specifics parts of the body.
Describe the association cortex
Parts of the cerebral cortex not directly involved with sensory information or movements.
Damage to associating areas can create deficits in all kinds of mental abilities.
Describe aphasia
A deficit in understanding and producing language.
Damage to Broca’s area results in difficulty organising speech.
Damage to Wernick’s area can leave a person unable to understand the meaning of words.
Describe EEG
Electroencephalograph - Measures general electricity activity in the brain.
Describe PET
Positron Emission Tomography - records where radioactive substances are concentrated as the brian performs various tasks.
Describe MRI
Magnetic resonance imaging - exposes the brain to a magnetic field and measure radiofrequency waves to produce a structural picture of the brain.
Describe fMRI
Functional magnetic resonance imaging- Uses magnetic fields to detect changes in blood flow and reflects ongoing changes in the activity of neurons.
Describe DTI
Diffusion tensor imaging is a variant of fMRI and traces the activity of axon pathways
Describe TMS
Transcranial magnetic stimulation temporarily disrupts the function of a part of the brain. It can be combined with MRI to refine the localisation of brain activity.
Describe the endocrine system
influences a variety of behaviours, endocrine organs or glands secrete hormones that travel via the bloodstream and affect coordinated systems of target organs that have receptors for them.
Which part of the body controls the secretion of hormones
The brain. The hypothalamus controls the pituitary gland which controls endocrine organs in the body.
