Chapter 3 Flashcards
(28 cards)
What are techniques that scientists use to study the brain?
- examining autopsy tissue
- testing patients with certain types of brain damage
- recording electrical activity from the brain, ex. EEG
- animal studies
- TMS, delivery of electromagnetic pulse
What is neuroimaging?
What are examples?
techniques that allow for studying brain activity and structure by obtaining visual images in awake humans
- MRI
- fMRI
- CAT or CT
- PET
- DTI
Name the two main systems and the other important part of the nervous system.
What do each consist of?
- CNS, consists of the brain and spinal cord
- PNS, consist of all the nerves that deliver info from the periphery to the CNS
- Neurons, cells that carry info between the parts of our body and the nervous system
What are the types of neurons and what do they do?
- afferent neurons, carry signals from the PNS to the CNS
- efferent neurons, carry signals from the CNS to the PNS, muscles and glands
- interneurons, the relay cells between different neuron types
What are the 2 systems of the peripheral nervous system?
What do they do?
somatic nervous system
- gather sensory info from body, neck, and head and deliver it to the spinal cord and brain
- send info about movement from the CNS to the muscles of the body, neck and head
autonomic nervous system
- control of all main autonamic functions of body (ex. heartbeat, breathing, sweat, bP)
Describe the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system.
sympathetic nervous system
- responsible for the fight-or-flight rxn
parasympathetic nervous system
- reverses the effect of the sympathetic nervous system to return the body to its resting state
CNS
decribe what the spine does
What can it do?
mediates sensory and motor info
can govern some behaviours on its own independent from the brain
Briefly describe the reflex circuit of the spinal cord using pain in foot
- sensory neuron in foot sends pain info to spinal cord
- sensory neuron connects with interneuron which in turn connects with motor neuron and motor neuron initiates muscle response
- pain info also travels to brain simulateneously but takes time because it must cross more synapses
What happens to the nerves in order for a spinal injury to occur?
Describe the process of the spinal cord in function when injuries occur
nerves that make up spinal cord itself are damaged
still functions early after injury, but sub sequent inflammatoin can permanently damage the spinal cord, leading to permanent deficits
Name the 4 parts of the hindbrain.
What is its function?
medulla, pons, cerebellum, reticular formation
regulates the basic life fxns
Name the part of the midbrain.
What is its function?
substantia nigra
fluidity of movement and inhibiting movements
Name the 6 parts of the forebrain.
thalamus, hypothalamus, pituitary gland, limbic system, basal ganglia, cerebral cortex
Hindbrain
Briefly describe the functions of:
- medulla
- pons
- cerebellum
- reticular formation
medulla
- regulates hearbeat, breathing, sneezing, and coughing
pons
- important for sleep, dreaming, breathing, swallowing, eye movements, and facial; sensation and expression
cerebellum
- important for motor coordination and certain types of learning that involve movement
reticular formation
- regulates sleep/wake cycke
Forebrain
Briefly describe the functions of:
- thalamus
- hypothalamus
- pituitary gland
- the limbic system
- basal ganglia
- cerbral cortex
thalamus
- serves as relay station for incoming sensory info
hypothalamus
- important for motivation, basic drives, and control of the endocrine system
pituitary gland
- regulates hormones
the limbic system
- involved in the regulation of motivation, emotion, and learning and memory
basal ganglia
- cognitive flexibility and voluntary movement control
- includes nucles accumbens, important for motivation and reward learning
cerebral cortex
- responsiblefor complex fxns: consciousness, language and thought
What are the 2 parts of the limbic system?
amygdala, hippocampus
(amygdala processes fear, hippocampus incharge of certain types of learning + memory)
What part is one of the things that makes humans most distinct from other animals? What is its function?
Cerebral cortex in the hindbrain
- complex functions of consciousness, language and thought
What are the 3 parts of the cerebral cortex and what do they register?
Sensory Cortex
- registers sensory neurons (touch)
Motor Cortex
- registers the motor neurons (muscles)
Association Cortex
- registers complex fxns, including info from thinking and planning
Name and describe the fxns of the 4 lobes of the cerebral cortex.
Occipital lobe
- vision
Temporal lobe
- processes language and recognizing complex info
Parietal lobe
- sensory integration
Frontal lobe
- movement, speech, emotions, planning
Prefrontal lobe
- memory, morality, impulse control
What is parallel processing?
communication within and between the lobes off the brain that allow performance of complex functions simultaneously
What are glia?
cells that make up the nervous system in addition to neuros
How do neurons work?
- Neurons hold electrical charges
- contain chemical messengers
- when triggered, a neuron will fire and send an electrical cue to release chemical sthat will trigger the next neuron
Describe resting and action potential in neurons
resting
- when a neuron is at rest, negatively charged inside relative to outside
action
- when a neuron fires, pores open and let charged ions flow in and out, becomes positive relative to outside
Compare traumatic and acquired brain injury using examples.
Traumatic: violent blows or jolts to the head (concussions, spinal cord injuries)
Acquired: infections, exposure to toxins, tumours, degenerative diseases, strokes
