Chapter 3B – Nervous System Flashcards
Spinal cord
Part of the body that function as an automatic rain in its own right and as a relay station for impulses to and from the higher brain
Central nervous system
The brain and spinal cord
Reflex
An automatic behavior of the body involving movement that is activated through the spinal cord without use of the higher brain
Peripheral nervous system
All the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord;
lnks the brain to the organs of the body
Somatic nervous system
A division of the peripheral nervous system containing sensory and motor nerves
Autonomic nervous system
The automatic control system of the body; regulates breathing, heart rate, digestion, and so on.
Controls the smooth muscles and some glandular functions.
Sympathetic nervous system
A division of the autonomic nervous system that energizes and prepares for emergencies
Parasympathetic nervous system
A division of the autonomic nervous system that conserves bodily activity; works in opposition to the sympathetic system to calm us down
Smooth muscles
Muscles that you can control but you don’t need to think about them because they function on their own such as lungs, stomach, etc.
Behavioral genetics
Seeks to understand both the genetic and environmental contributions to individual variations in human behavior
Twin studies
Identical twins (monozygotic) are genetically identical and fraternal (dizygotic) share about 50% of their jeans on average.
Three protective structures of the brain and spinal cord
The meninges, spinal column, skull
Brain structure responsible for voluntary activities, creativity, logical reasoning
Cerebrum
Primary function of central nervous system
Responsible for sending receiving processing info from all areas of the body
Region of the brain responsible for coordinating muscle movements and graceful/efficient manner
Brainstem
