Nervous System

Question 1

how is the nervous system organized?

Answer 1

neurons

Question 2

action potential
- how does an action potential occur?

Answer 2

how messages are sent across the plasma membrane of neurons
- when a neuron is stimulated past a necessary threshold

Question 3

chemical synapse

Answer 3

a substance that is released at the point of contact (between neurons) that stimulates or inhibits the action of the adjoining cell

Question 4

what are the 3 types of neurons?

Answer 4

1. sensory
2. motor
3. interneurons

Question 5

sensory neurons

Answer 5

transmit signals to the CNS from the sensory receptors associated with the 5 senses

Question 6

motor neurons

Answer 6

transmit signals from the CNS to the rest of the body by signaling muscles or glands to respond

Question 7

interneurons

Answer 7

transmit signals between neurons
(ex: interneurons receive transmitted signals between sensory neurons and motor neurons)

Question 8

what are the 3 parts of a neuron?

Answer 8

1. cell body (soma)
2. axon
3. dendrites

Question 9

dendrites

Answer 9

receive impulses from sensory receptors or interneurons and transmit them toward the cell body

Question 10

soma (cell body)

Answer 10

contains the nucleus of the neuron

Question 11

axon
- how is the axon insulated?
- where does the axon terminate?

Answer 11

transmits the impulses away from the cell body
- by olgiodendrites and the myelin sheath with gaps called the nodes of Ranvier
- at the synapse

Question 12

what are the 2 primary components of the CNS?

Answer 12

1. spinal cord
2. brain

Question 13

how does the nervous tissue of the spinal cord function?

Answer 13

with respect to limb movement and internal organ activity

Question 14

what 3 sections is the brain split into?

Answer 14

1. hindbrain
2. midbrain
3. forebrain

Question 15

what 3 things does the hindbrain include?

Answer 15

1. medulla oblongata
2. cerebellum
3. pons

Question 16

what does the midbrain do?

Answer 16

integrates sensory signals and orchestrates responses to these signals

Question 17

what 3 things does the forebrain include?

Answer 17

1. cerebrum
2. thalamus
3. hypothalamus

Question 18

cerebral cortex

Answer 18

thin layer of gray matter covering the cerebrum

Question 19

the brain is divided into 2 ____

Answer 19

hemispheres

Question 20

what 4 main lobes is the brain divided into?

Answer 20

1. frontal
2. parietal
3. occipital
4. temporal

Question 21

frontal lobe

Answer 21

located in the front of the brain and responsible for short term and working memory and information processing as well as decision making, planning, and judgement

Question 22

parietal lobe

Answer 22

located slightly toward the back of the brain and the top of the head and responsible for sensory input and spacial positioning of the body

Question 23

occipital lobe

Answer 23

located at the back of the head, above the brain stem. responsible for visual input, processing, and output. nerves from the eyes enter directly into this lobe

Question 24

temporal lobe

Answer 24

located at the left and right sides of the brain. responsible for all auditory input, processing, and output

Question 25

cerebellum

Answer 25

plays a role in processing and storing of implicit memories, specifically memories developed during classical conditioning

Question 26

brain stem - what are the 3 parts of it? - what are the 3 body systems that the brain stem plays an important role in?

Answer 26

the posterior area of the brain that is connected to the spinal cord - midbrain, pons, medulla oblongata - respiratory, digestive, and circulatory

Question 27

how does information get to/ leave the brain?

Answer 27

brain stem

Question 28

where is the midbrain located? - what are the 3 parts of the midbrain? - the midbrain is an important part of what?

Answer 28

above the pons and medulla oblongata - tectum, tegmentum, and ventral tegmentum - vision and hearing

Question 29

- where is the pons located? - information is sent across the pons from the ____ and to the ____ and ____

Answer 29

between the midbrain and medulla oblongata - cerebrum; medulla; cerebellum

Question 30

where is the medulla oblongata located? - what 3 systems does it play an important role in?

Answer 30

beneath the midbrain and pons - autonomic nervous system, circulatory system, and respiratory system

Question 31

peripheral nervous system

Answer 31

consists of nerves and ganglia throughout the body and includes sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves

Question 32

sympathetic nerves - parasympathetic nerves

Answer 32

trigger fight or flight response - control basic bodily function

Question 33

autonomic nervous system

Answer 33

maintains homeostasis within the body

Question 34

what part of the brain controls the ANS? - where is it located - what does the ANS regulate?

Answer 34

hypothalamus - above the midbrain - heart rate, breathing rate, temperature, and blood pH

Question 35

what are the 2 divisions of the ANS?

Answer 35

sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems

Question 36

sympathetic nervous system

Answer 36

controls the bodys reaction to extreme and stressful situations

Question 37

parasympathetic nervous system

Answer 37

counteracts the effects of the sympathetic nervous system (ex: SNS increases heart rate, PNS decreases it)

Question 38

somatic nervous system

Answer 38

controls the 5 senses and the voluntary movement of skeletal muscle

Question 39

what kind of nerves are in the somatic nervous system?

Answer 39

efferent (motor) nerves and afferent (sensory) nerves

Question 40

efferent nerves

Answer 40

bring signals from the central nervous system to the sensory organs and muscles

Question 41

afferent nerves

Answer 41

bring signals from the sensory organs and the muscles to the central nervous system

Question 42

the somatic nervous system performs ____

Answer 42

involuntary movements

Question 43

reflex

Answer 43

an automatic response without any conscious thought to the stimulus via the reflex arc

Question 44

reflex arc

Answer 44

simplest nerve pathway, bypasses the brain and is controlled by the spinal cord (ex: knee jerk response)

Question 45

describe how a reflex arc works

Answer 45

stimulus detected by sensory receptors > message sent with a sensory (afferent) neuron > one or more interneurons in spinal cord > motor (efferent) neuron > effector muscle