chapter 1; biological influences Flashcards
(34 cards)
what are the two main sections of the nervous system
central nervous system (CNS) -consists of brain and spinal cord peripheral nervous system (PNS) -consist of all other nerves although these two systems are often described separately, they form an integrated whole made of nerve cells called neurons.
three main parts of the brain
their important parts and functions
forebrain
-hypothalamus, thalamus and cerebral cortex, hemispheres and corpus callosum.
-think,feel ad behave.
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midbrain
-reticular formation runs through the midbrain to the forebrain ad hindbrain. its job is to screen information so the brain doesn’t become overloaded.
-the reticular activating system is part of the reticular formation. its job is to alter arousal states for sleep.
-Low Ras activity results in sleep
-extremely diverse function, it acts like the brain sensory switchboard passing messages form the spinal cord to the forebrain ad vice versa.
-receives messages from all the senses except smell ad passes them on to higher brain regions to be processed.
-responsible for some muscle movement, liketkrning ur head to check a phone, but does not deal with complex motor coordination like the cerebellum.
hindbrain
- cerebellum and medulla
- controls vital activities over which we have no control
- coordinates muscle movement
functions of the hindbrain
controls vital activités over which we have no conscious control, such as breathing, reflex action and coordinating voluntary muscle movement.
functions of the midbrain
- sits of top of hindbrain under cerebral hemispheres
- simple structure with extremely diverse functions.
- acts as the brains sensory switchboards, passing information from the hindbrain to the forebrain ad vice versa.
- receives information from all senses except smell ad sees them on to appropriate high regions.
- also deals with extremely basic muscle coordination, such as responding to a phone call.
functions of the forebrain
eat all the ass in the world
functions of the corpus callosum
Corpus callosum/the corpus callosum consists of about 200 millon axons that interconnect the two hemispheres. The primary function of the corpus callosum is to integrate motor, sensory, and cognitive performances between the cerebral cortex on one side of the brain to the same region on the other side.
what is the cerebral cortex
The cerebral cortex is the largest site of neural integration in the central nervous system. It plays a key role in attention, perception, awareness, thought, memory, language, and consciousness.
list four factors, with examples and mechanisms that affect behaviour and thought.
physical activity
what is the role of the thalamus
The main function of the thalamus is to relay motor and sensory signals to the cerebral cortex.
filters information from all senses except smell. acts as a relay system.
also regulates our level of arousal through its connection to the RAS.
damage can result in reduced sense of touch, hearing impairment. severe damage cam lead to lethargy/coma.
what is the role of the medulla
The medulla oblongata helps regulate breathing, heart and blood vessel function, digestion, sneezing, and swallowing. This part of the brain is a center for respiration and circulation. Sensory and motor neurons (nerve cells) from the forebrain and midbrain travel through the medulla.
role of the RAS
- a part of the reticular formation
- reticular activating system
- it has both
what is the reticular formation
a network of neurons, extending from the top of the spinal cord to the thalamus, that asses incoming sensory stimuli and redirects it to the correct areas of the cerebral cortex, thereby activating the cortex and influencing our state of arousal.
-it also plays a role in controlling sleep and waking/levels of alertness and for this reason is referred to as the brain arousal system.
what is the Ras
reticular activating system, increases or dampens arousal level depending on feedback from the brain.
when Ras activity is low, we go to sleep.
what is a stimulant
stimulants increase heart rate and breathing. appetite decreases because blood sugar rises, while energy ad self confidence get a boost. people use stimulate to stay awake/loseweight or boost athletic performance.
whats disinhibition
disinhibition leads to normally passive people becoming aggressive, even when unprovoked
what are amphetamines
amphetamines are very powerful stimulants. they work by increasing neurotransmitter activity, speeding up body functions like heart rate and breathing; hence the name speed.
they are used to improve performance and raise mood.
as the effects wear off, users may experience headaches tiredness ad irritability. long term impacts can alter memory and cognitive control. these drugs ca also become addictive.
what is crystal methamphetamine
what may a person experience as effects wear off.
ice is more potent than other forms of amphetamines and much more dangerous.
immediate effects include excitement, a sense of wellbeing, increases confidence and more energy.
as the drug wears off, people experience headaches, big mood swigs, tension and exhaustion. as well as uncontrollable violence.
ice is powerfully addictive and prolonged use leads to rapid mental and physical decline.
how many types of neurons are there
While there are as many as 10,000 specific types of neurons in the human brain, generally speaking, there are three kinds of neurons: motor neurons (for conveying motor information), sensory neurons (for conveying sensory information), and interneurons (which convey information between different types of neurons).
general parts of a neuron
Neurons (nerve cells) have three parts that carry out the functions of communication and integration: dendrites, axons, and axon terminals. They have a fourth part the cell body or soma, which carries out the basic life processes of neurons.
how does the presence of a cell body benefit the neuron
The cell body is the spherical part of the neuron that contains the nucleus and connects to the dendrites, which bring information into the neuron, and the axon, which sends information to other neurons. The job of the cell body is to control all of the functions of the cell.
process of neural transmission
signaling molecules called neurotransmitters are released by the axon terminal of a neuron (the presynaptic neuron), and bind to and react with the receptors on the dendrites of another neuron
what are the main features of the frontal lobe
The frontal lobe is the part of the brain that controls important cognitive skills in humans, such as emotional expression, problem solving, memory, language, judgment, and sexual behaviors. It is, in essence, the “control panel” of our personality and our ability to communicate.
what are the main features of the parietal lobe
The parietal lobes are involved in a number of important functions in the body. One of the main functions is to receive and process sensory information from all over the body. The somatosensory cortex is found within the parietal lobes and is essential for processing touch sensations. For instance, the somatosensory cortex helps us to identify the location of a touch sensation and to discriminate between sensations such as temperature and pain. Neurons in the parietal lobes receive touch, visual and other sensory information from a part of the brain called the thalamus. The thalamus relays nerve signals and sensory information between the peripheral nervous system and the cerebral cortex. The parietal lobes process the information and help us to identify objects by touch.
The parietal lobes work in concert with other areas of the brain, such as the motor cortex and visual cortex, to perform certain tasks. Opening a door, combing your hair, and placing your lips and tongue in the proper position to speak all involve the parietal lobes. These lobes are also important for understanding spatial orientation and for proper navigation. Being able to identify the position, location and movement of the body and its parts is an important function of the parietal lobes. Cognition Information Processing Touch Sensation (Pain, Temperature, etc.) Understanding Spatial Orientation Movement Coordination Speech Visual Perception
what are the main features of the occipital lobe
The occipital lobe is the visual processing area of the brain. It is associated with visuospatial processing, distance and depth perception, color determination, object and face recognition, and memory formation.
