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Brain, Behaviour and Cognition > Lecture 1 - Brain Structure and Function > Flashcards

Lecture 1 - Brain Structure and Function Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the CNS made up of?

A

The Brain and Spinal Cord

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2
Q

What is the PNS made up of?

A

All areas of the nervous system outside the brain and spinal cord.

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3
Q

What is the role of the somatic system?

A

Links the spinal cord with the body and sense organs as well as controlling voluntary behaviour.

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4
Q

What is the role of the Autonomic system?

A

Its serves internal organs and controls automatic functions

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5
Q

What are the 2 divisions of the autonomic nervous system?

A

The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system

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6
Q

What is the role of the sympathetic nervous system?

A

The fight or flight response, this arouses the body and is an emergency system which stimulates energy resources.

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7
Q

What is the role of the parasympathetic nervous system?

A

The rest and digest response, this relaxes the body and saves energy, is most active after an emotional event.

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8
Q

Outline the steps of the sympathetic response

A
  1. The release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine within the ANS.
  2. Acetylcholine actives the sympathetic adrenal-medullary system by stimulating the adrenal medulla to release epinephrine and norepinephrine.
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9
Q

What system does the Adrenal -Medullary System work with?

A

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA). This constitutes the hormonal component of the stress response.

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10
Q

Outline the role of the Somatic Nervous System

A

Allows for Sensory Input and Movement control. It carries sensory information and motor responses to and from the CNS. Also processes sensory information from external stimuli and is involved in voluntary movements and reflexes.

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11
Q

Outline the steps of reflexes in the somatic system

A
  1. The sensory receptor senses a stimulus
  2. Sensory neurone transmits signals to the PNS via afferent nerve fibres.
  3. The integration centre in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord decodes the signal
  4. The signal travels via the ventral horn to the efferent nerve fibres to the effectors
  5. Effector muscles respond by contracting
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12
Q

What are the 3 major functions on the spinal cord?

A
  1. Conduit for motor information
  2. conduit for sensory information
  3. A centre for coordinating certain reflexes
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13
Q

Types of matter make up the spinal cord?

A

Grey and White matter

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14
Q

What is the Dorsal horn?

A

In the spinal cord, a site where afferent nerve fibres synapse

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15
Q

What is the Ventral horn?

A

In the spinal cord, a site where efferent nerve fibres synapse.

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16
Q

Functions of the spinal cord

A
  1. Neurones in the motor cortex send their axons through the corticospinal tract to connect with motor neurones in the spinal cord. These project out of the cord to correct muscles and control conscious movements.
  2. Information also flows in the opposite direct, resulting in involuntary movement.
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17
Q

Lateral

A

Towards the side, away from the middle

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18
Q

Medial

A

Towards the middle, away from the side

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19
Q

Ipsilateral

A

On the same side

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20
Q

Contralateral

A

On the opposite side

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21
Q

Anterior/Rostral

A

In front of, towards the front of the brain but top of the spinal cord

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22
Q

Posterior/Caudal

A

Behind, Towards the back of the brain but the bottom of the spinal cord

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23
Q

Superior/Dorsal

A

Above, towards the top of the brain but at the back of the spinal cord

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24
Q

Inferior/Ventral

A

Below, Towards the bottom of the brain but at the front of the spinal cord

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25
What is grey matter made up of?
Neuronal cell bodies
26
What is white matter made up of?
Neuronal axons
27
what are the gross divisions of the brain?
Cerebellum, Brain Stem, Cerebral Cortex
28
What is the Medulla Oblongata
Forms the lower part of the brain stem and is the transition between the brain and the spinal cord. Controls vital functions.
29
What is the Pons?
Form the upper part of the brain stem and connect the rest of the brain to the cerebellum. Bridges the spinal cord and the brain. Controls muscle movement and carries sensory motor info from the PNS. Arousal and automatic functions. Also involved in the sleep and wake cycle.
30
What are the 2 parts of the Midbrain
Tectum (roof) and tegmentum (floor)
31
What are the different parts of the Tectum?
Superior Colliculi (part of the visual system that controls eye movement) Inferior Colliculi (forms part of the auditory pathway and controls pitch perception and startle response.
32
What are the different parts of the Tegmentum?
Periaqueductal gray Reticular formation Red Nuclei Substantia Nigra
33
Periaqueductal Gray function
Specific movement sequences, pain regulation, reproductive and maternal behaviours.
34
Reticular formation function
Sleep, arousal, attention and muscle tone
35
Red nuclei function
Gait, crawling and fine hand movement
36
Substantia Nigra function
Controls dopamine release, relays to basal ganglia. Motor planning, eye movement, reward seeking, learning, addiction.
37
The cerebellum
'small brain' located at the back of the brain. the stem is attached to the pons by cerebellar peduncles.
38
cerebellum function
Controls motor movement and coordination, balance and equilibrium, automated movement sequences, fine movement and muscle tone. Also involved in Automatic language processing.
39
where is the thalamus
Lies on the top of the brainstem and consist of many thalamic nuclei. Serves as a central relay centre of the brain.
40
what is the function of the thalamus?
central relay centre of the brain and takes part in sensory and motor pathways as well as co-cortical loops. it has a fundamental role in attention involved in consciousness/sleep and alertness
41
where is the hypothalamus located
sits below the thalamus, contains maxillary bodies and projects to the pituitary gland
42
what is the function of the hypothalamus
controls the autonomic nervous system and has a role in homeostasis (central for the regulation of hormones and regulates basic behaviours)
43
what is the limbic system made up of
made up of the hippocampus, amygdala, fornix, cingulum, maxillary bodies and olfactory bulb. the thalamus and hypothalamus have a lot of input.
44
what is the function of the limbic system?
regulates emotions and behaviour
45
the limbic system - amygdala
central for emotional responses and involved in fear conditioning. attaches emotional content to memories to reinforce their storage
46
the limbic system - hippocampus
learning and long-term memory storage. produces new brain cells (neurogenesis)
47
what are the 3 main structures of the basal ganglia
globus palidus caudate nucleus putamen
48
where is the basal ganglia located
interconnected with the brainstem as well as the thalamus and cortex
49
what is the function of the basal ganglia
control of voluntary higher-order motor movement, procedural learning and eye movement
50
what is the cerebral cortex
outer layer of neural tissue on the cerebrum of the brain. it is folded for greater surface areas in the confined volume of the cranium
51
Hemisphere meaning
half of the brain
52
fissure meaning
major groove in the surface
53
sulcus/sulci meaning
secondary groove
54
gyrus/gyri meaning
convolution separated by sulk and/or fissures
55
what is the function of the occipital lobes
controls the processing of visual information
56
what is the calcimine fissure
centre point of the primary visual cortex
57
what happens in the visual association cortices
higer-order vision is further processed
58
what happens in the parietal lobe
it processes your sense of touch and assembles input from your other senses.
59
temporal lobe - superior temporal cortex (Heschel's Gyrus)
seat of the primary auditory cortex
60
where is wernicke's area
the temporal lobe
61
what it the function of Wernicke's area
controls language and speach comprehension
62
what do the inferior proportion of the temporal lobes do
organise and integrate visual sensory input
63
which lobes have a crucial role in semantic memory/cognition
the temporal lobes
64
what is the function of the posterior proportion of the frontal lobes
contains the pre-motor and motor cortices that control motor function
65
what are the functions of the anterior frontal lobes
executive function - planning and reasoning etc. attention social cognition and emotion regulation language production semantic control
66
where is broccas area
anterior frontal lobes
67
what is the function of broccas area
language production
68
what is the anterior cingulate cortex
part of the medial surface of the brain, involved in emotion processing
69
what is the corpus callosum
white matter bundle which joins the hemispheres and allows communication between them
70
what are the ventricles of the brain
4 interconnected cavities filled with cerebrospinal fluid. they are the lateral, third, fourth and cerebral aqueduct.
71
what is the function of the ventricles in the brain
they serve as protection of the brain and enable chemical stability and provision of nutrients
72
what is the meninges of the brain
a protective sheet wrapping around the whole CNS.
73
what are the 3 layers of the meninges of the brain
dura matter, arachnoid and Pia matter
74
What is the function of the Dura matter
holds it together
75
what is the function of the arachnoid
cushions it, the subarachnoid space is filled with cerebrospinal fluid
76
what is the function of the Pia matter
allows for nourishment

Brain, Behaviour and Cognition (10 decks)

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