Chapter 1 Flashcards

(30 cards)

1
Q

What are the main components of the nervous system?

A

Brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves.

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2
Q

What are the two types of cells in the nervous system?

A

Neurons and glial cells.

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3
Q

What is the function of sensory neurons?

A

They detect and respond to stimuli from the internal and external environment.

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4
Q

What sensory modalities are served by specialized receptors?

A

Vision, hearing, touch, smell, and taste.

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5
Q

What are nociceptors?

A

Receptors activated by intense mechanical, thermal, or chemical stimuli that can cause tissue damage, leading to pain and reflexes.

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6
Q

What do motor neurons control?

A

Muscle activity and all forms of behavior, including speech.

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7
Q

What are interneurons and what is their role?

A

Neurons that connect sensory and motor neurons; they mediate reflexes and are involved in higher brain functions.

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8
Q

What is the function of glial cells?

A

They support neurons and contribute to nervous system development and function but do not transmit information like neurons.

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9
Q

What are the structural parts of a neuron?

A

Cell body, axons (send information), and dendrites (receive information).

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10
Q

What are synapses?

A

Specialized contacts where axons and dendrites communicate between neurons.

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11
Q

What is the function of the spinal cord?

A

It mediates simple and complex reflexes and serves as a communication highway between the body and brain.

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12
Q

What is unique about the human brain compared to other vertebrates?

A

Its large size relative to body size due to an increased number of interneurons.

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13
Q

What are the two main parts of the brain?

A

Brain stem and cerebral hemispheres.

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14
Q

What are the divisions of the brain stem?

A

Hind-brain, mid-brain, and diencephalon.

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15
Q

What vital functions are controlled by the hind-brain?

A

Breathing and blood pressure.

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16
Q

What structure arises from the roof of the hind-brain and what is its role?

A

The cerebellum; it controls and times movement.

17
Q

What does the midbrain contain?

A

Neurons that use specific chemical messengers and project to the cerebral hemispheres.

18
Q

What functions are influenced by midbrain projections?

A

Sleep, attention, and reward.

19
Q

What are the two parts of the diencephalon?

A

Thalamus and hypothalamus.

20
Q

What is the function of the thalamus?

A

It relays sensory impulses to the cerebral cortex and receives feedback.

21
Q

What does the hypothalamus control?

A

Eating, drinking, and hormone release related to sexual functions.

22
Q

What is the basal ganglia and what does it do?

A

A core structure in the cerebral hemispheres involved in movement initiation and control.

23
Q

What is the cerebral cortex?

A

A folded sheet of neurons that forms the outer layer of the cerebral hemispheres and handles complex functions.

24
Q

Why is the cerebral cortex folded?

A

To increase surface area within the limited space of the skull.

25
How is the cerebral cortex organized functionally?
Into discrete areas like visual, auditory, olfactory, sensory (somaesthetic), and motor regions.
26
How does sensory and motor information travel in the brain?
It crosses sides; the right cortex controls the left body and vice versa.
27
What connects the left and right cerebral hemispheres?
The corpus callosum.
28
What functions require the cerebral cortex?
Voluntary actions, language, speech, thinking, and memory.
29
Are all higher functions equally distributed between both brain hemispheres?
No; some, like speech, are lateralized (mainly in the left hemisphere).
30
Why is the study of the cerebral cortex important?
Because many of its functions, especially consciousness, remain poorly understood and are active research areas.