MIDTERM 1 Flashcards
What is behaviour endocrinology?
The study of the interactions among hormones, brain, and behavior.
What are the 3 communication systems in the body?
- Nervous System (Neurotransmitters)
- Endocrine System (Hormones)
- Immune System (Cytokines)
What are the two subdivisions of the NS and what are their subdivisions?
- Central Nervous System (CNS)
- Brain
- Spinal cord
Both are encased in bone - Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
- Autonomic Nervous System (involuntary)
- Somatic Nervous System (conscious perception and voluntary motor responses)
Cranial and spinal nerves
In the PNS, what are the two subdivisions of the autonomic nervous system and what are they responsible for?
- Sympathetic Nervous System
Responsible for fight or flight response - Parasympathetic Nervous System
Responsible for rest and digest
In the PNS, what is the somatic nervous system responsible for?
It allows you to move and control muscles throughout your body.
It also feeds information from four of your senses — smell, sound, taste and touch — into your brain.
Includes afferent and efferent neurons.
What are afferent neurons and what are efferent neurons?
Afferent neurons carry information from sensory receptors to the central nervous system .
Efferent neurons carry motor information away from the CNS to the muscles and glands of the body.
Name the 3 divisions of the brain.
- Forebrain (TELECEPHALON & DIENCEPHALON)
- Midbrain
- Hindbrain
The cortex is responsible for what?
Cognitive functions such as: consciousness, thought, emotion, reasoning, language and memory.
Name the different lobes of the cortex.
- Frontal Lobe
- Parietal Lobe
- Temporal Lobe
- Occipital Lobe
What is the frontal lobe responsible for?
- Executive functioning (Pfc)
- Motor control (motor cortex)
- Emotion
- Language (contains broca’s area)
What part of Phineas Gage’s brain was damaged in a railroad accident and what was the result?
Widespread lesion of his brain’s left frontal lobe which lead to reported effects on his personality and behavior.
What is the parietal lobe responsible for?
Sensory information of the body (contains the somatosensory cortex (postcentral gyrus)).
Remember how we would look if we were a representation of our bodily sensations (cortical homunculus)
What is the temporal lobe responsible for?
Processing auditory signals
It is important in some aspects of learning, memory, and language.
What is the occipital lobe responsible for?
Visual perception.
Blunt force to this area can transmit significant force to the brain and the structures in the brainstem, increasing the risk of:
- Concussions
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Damage to the nerves responsible for vital functions like vision and balance.
Illegal to hit there in boxing matches.
Name the components of the limbic system and what they are responsible for.
Emotional Responses such as fear, aggression, sexual attraction, memory, learning and smell.
Bridge between neocortex and brainstem.
- Hypothalamus
- Thalamus
- Hippocampus
- Amygdala
In the limbic system, what is the hypothalamus and what happens when it is damaged?
Hypothalamus: Critical connection between brain and body. Releases hormones and controls other glands. Maintains homeostasis in the body. Sleep/wake, hunger/satiety, fight/flight.
This is why it is called the master regulator of the endocrine system.
When it is damaged, affects appetite, temperature control, sleep and mood.
In the limbic system, what is the thalamus and what happens when it is damaged?
Thalamus: Relay center of the brain, which inputs go where or if it is ignored altogether. If information is relevant, it will send information to relevant parts of brain, occurs for most senses except smell which is sent directly to olfactory bulbs.
When it is damaged, can lead to loss of senses, decrease in balance/coordination and pain related issues.
In the limbic system, what is the hippocampus and what happens when it is damaged?
Hippocampus: Sea horse like in shape, related to learning and memory. Especially short-term to long-term memory conservation.
When hippocampus is damaged, people cannot convert short-term memories in to long-term memories. So, things are forgot within minutes. Memories prior to damage are intact but no new ones can form. Anterograde amnesia.
In the limbic system, what is the amygdala and what happens when it is damaged?
Amygdala: Almond shaped structure responsible for fear, anxiety, aggression, sexual attraction and pleasure. Important to note amygdala sends the signal but hypothalamus activates bodily response.
When amygdala is damaged it can lead to Kluver-Bucy Syndrome (impairment in ability to feel fear, hypersexuality and other symptoms).
What is H.M. known for?
Due to seizures, Dr. Scoville removed his hippocampus. At the time, the function of the hippocampus was unknown. His seizures improved and no decrease in intelligence but his memory was gone. He was unable to form new memories because he had no hippocampus to consolidate his memories.
What is Brenda Milner known for?
Brenda Milner studied the caseof H.M. She exemplified the difference between short-term and long-term memory, while demonstrated they were also specific to certain brain regions.
She also exemplified that learning can still occur without explicit memory. So, declarative memory (knowing that) and procedural memory (knowing how) are different. Procedural memory relies more heavily on the basal ganglia and cerebellum.
Name the components of the midbrain and what they are responsible for.
- Substantia nigra
- Ventral tegmental area
They are responsible for mood, reward and addiction.
Name the components of the hindbrain.
- Medulla
- Pons
- Cerebellum
What is a glial cells?
Initially it was thought that glia served only to hold neurons in place and act as supportive cells. However, glia are recognized as having a
variety of functions:
- Providing support to neurons
- Repair damage
- Fight infections
- Influencing neurotransmission.