Week 5- A Walk Through the Brain

Question 1

What makes up the Central Nervous System?

Answer 1

The Brain and The Spinal Cord

Question 2

What makes up the Peripheral Nervous System?

Answer 2

Nerves that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body

Question 3

There are two types of Nervous System:

Answer 3

Central Nervous System
Peripheral Nervous System

Question 4

The Peripheral Nervous System is made up of two sub-systems:

Answer 4

Somatic System
Autonomic System

Question 5

Function of the Somatic System

Answer 5

This connects the central nervous system to the voluntary muscles: muscles we have control over like moving your arm or leg.

Question 6

Function of the autonomic system

Answer 6

Connects the central nervous system to the involuntary muscles and glands: all those things you don’t have conscious control over such as the beating of your heart.

Question 7

The autonomic system is branched into two, which includes;

Answer 7

Sympathetic Nervous System
Parasympathetic Nervous System

Question 8

Function of the Sympathetic Nervous System

Answer 8

prepares you for action! This system mobilizes the body’s resources during stress and emergencies, e.g. heart beats during a confrontation.

Question 9

Function of the Parasympathetic Nervous System

Answer 9

says to the body “Whoa, calm down…” This system brings the heightened bodily responses back to normal following an emergency, e.g. your heart rate slows down once the fight is over.

Question 10

The Spinal Cord

Answer 10

-An extension of the brain
-the spinal cord can act without help from the brain to protect us from injury.
- The spinal cord transmits messages between the brain and the peripheral nervous system. This is how messages from the brain can be sent to the muscles, the glands and other parts of the body
- Protected by bone and spinal fluid, it serves as a shock absorber.

Question 11

The brainstem consists of:

Answer 11

The pons, the medulla, and the reticular formation

Question 12

Brainstem: Pons

Answer 12

Plays a role in the body movement and exerts an influence on sleep and dreaming.

Question 13

Brainstem: Medulla

Answer 13

The medulla controls the heartbeat, breathing, blood pressure, coughing and swallowing.

Question 14

Brainstem: Reticular Formation

Answer 14

-Plays a crucial role in arousal and attention.
-Screens the messages entering the brain which blocks or send some messages to the brain center for processing.
-Determines how alert we are, which can make us doze off when it slows down or jolt us back into consciousness.

Question 15

Functions of the Cerebellum

Answer 15

-To execute smooth, skilled movements and regulate muscle tone and posture.
-Enables you to walk in a straight line or touch the tip of your nose.

Question 16

Thalamus

Answer 16

-Pain goes directly to the thalamus except the sense of smell.
For example, if you hear a song playing, the thalamus sends signals on to an auditory area. Or, if you feel a pin prick it send signals on to a somatosensory area.

Question 17

What structure of the brain registers the sense of smell

Answer 17

The Olfactory bulb

Question 18

Function of the Limbic System

Answer 18

-Controls basic emotions and drives
-Memory formation
-Instincts

Question 19

Three main structures in the limbic system are the:

Answer 19

hypothalamus, amygdala, hippocampus

Question 20

Hypothalamus

Answer 20

-Regulates hunger, thirst, sexual behaviour and emotional behaviour
-Regulates internal body temperature, starting the process that causes us to perspire when we are too hot and to shiver when we are too cold.
-Maintains nearly all of our bodily functions.

Question 21

Amygdala

Answer 21

-Responsible for evaluating sensory information and instantly assessing danger or threat.
-Involved in learned fear responses and helps us avoid danger.
-Allows us recognize facial expressions and understand emotional tones of voice.

Question 22

Hippocampus

Answer 22

-Essential In the formation of memories
-Allows us to navigate through space, by creating mental maps of places we have been.

Question 23

Social emotional agnosia

Answer 23

a disorder where brain injury or damage causes an inability to recognize facial expressions.

Question 24

Medulla Oblongata

Answer 24

Houses breathing control centers, and an area which generates breathing rhythm

Question 25

Ventricles

Answer 25

Cleans up after the brain

Question 26

Cerebrum

Answer 26

-Determines our personality and level of intelligence
-Interpreting sensory information: planning and organization

Question 27

Hemispheres

Answer 27

The cerebrum is divided into 2 separate halves
-The Left side handles most language functions and is specialized for maths and logic.
-The Right side processes music, interpretes emotional messages conveyed by tone of voice and gestures.

Question 28

Frontal Lobes

Answer 28

-Largest lobes in the brain
-Responsible for higher order thinking, like evaluation or analysis and impulse regulation
-Strong correlation between frontal lobe damage and stroke, or depression and anxiety, suggesting that frontal lobe play a role in emotional regulation too.

Question 29

The frontal cortex and love

Answer 29

-The prefrontal cortex, which is at the very front of the frontal lobe, is our brain’s reasoning, command, and control center.
-When we experience love, this area of the brain shuts down a bit.

Question 30

Temporal Lobe

Answer 30

Involved in the reception and interpretation of auditory stimulation

Question 31

Parietal Lobe

Answer 31

Involved in the reception and processing of touch stimuli

Question 32

Occipital Lobe

Answer 32

Involved in the reception and interpretation of visual information

Question 33

ENDOCRINE SYSTEM

Answer 33

-System responsible for our hormones
While these chemicals stimulate the functions in the body, they are different from neurotransmitters.

Question 34

Pituitary Gland

Answer 34

-Controls by the hypothalamus and releases hormones that turn on the other glands.
-Responsible for body growth and the release of oxytocin, which is responsible for lactation, orgasm, initiation of labour and feelings of trust and comfort.

Question 35

Another name for Oxytocin

Answer 35

‘love hormone’ and the ‘cuddle hormone’

Question 36

Gonads

Answer 36

-Reproductive glands
-Responsible for secondary sex characteristics like pubic hair, breasts in female.