Nervous Systems

Question 1

Does the nervous system tend to vary between different animals?

Answer 1

YES

Question 2

Function of these glial cells: ependymal cells, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, microglia, and schwann cells?

Answer 2

Ependymal cells - have cilia that promote circulation of CSF

Astrocytes - BBB

Oligodendrocytes - myelinate axons in CNS

Microglia - immune cells in CNS

Schwann cells - myelinate axons in PNS

Question 3

What is the central canal and the ventricles of the brain filled with? What is its function?

Answer 3

CSF - filtered arterial blood that supplies CNS with O2 and nutrients and hormones, also carries away wastes.

Question 4

What are the two types of matter that the brain contains? What are they made of?

Answer 4

Gray matter - neuron cell bodies and unmyelinated axons.

White matter - bundles of myelinated axons

Question 5

What are reflexes? Is the brain involved in these?

Answer 5

These are the bodies automatic response to a stimulus.

Brain is not involved in these, just the spinal cord.

Question 6

What two types of neurons exists in the PNS? What are the two branches of the PNS, what do they control, are they voluntary?

Answer 6

afferent neurons - send info to the CNS

efferent neurons - send information away from the CNS

1. Motor (somatic) system - regulates skeletal muscles and is voluntary
2. Autonomic system - regulates smooth and cardiac muscle and is involuntary. COntrols organs of digestive, cardiac, excretory, and endocrine systems.

Question 7

Look at this picture and see some of the specific functions of the PNS.

Answer 7

DO IT.

Question 8

What are the three embryonic regions in which all vertebrate brains develop from?

Answer 8

forebrain - smells, sleep, learning, complex processing

midbrain - routing sensory input

hindbrain - blood circulation, motor acitivites/locomotion

Question 9

Look at this picture and understand where each embryonic region develops into in a human.

Answer 9

DO IT.

Question 10

What are the basal nuclei important for?

Answer 10

Planning and learning movement sequences.

Question 11

What is the function of the corpus callosum?

Answer 11

To allow the communication between the left and right hemispheres.

Question 12

What is the cerebellum involved in?

Answer 12

coordinating movement and balance, learning and remembering motor skills

Question 13

What contributes to the production of CSF?

Answer 13

The epithalamus INCLUDING THE PINEAL GLAND

Question 14

What is the function of the thalamus?

Answer 14

main input center for sensory information going to the cerebrum

receives information leaving the cerebrum and other brain areas to regulate emotion and arousal

Question 15

What is the basic function of the cerebrum?

Answer 15

information processing

Question 16

What is the function of the hypothalamus?

Answer 16

Regulate homeostasis and play a role in fight or flight response, mating behavior, and pleasure

Question 17

What are the functions of the brainstem?

Answer 17

homeostasis

coordination of movement

conducts info from higher brain centers

Question 18

What composes the cerebrum?

Answer 18

L and R hemisphere

Basal nuclei

Corpus callosum

Question 19

What is the diencephalon composed of?

Answer 19

epithalamus (including pineal gland)

thalamus

hypothalamus

Question 20

What is the brainstem composed of?

Answer 20

medulla oblongata

pons

midbrain

Question 21

What does the medulla oblongata and pons do?

Answer 21

Transfer information between the PNS and the mid and forebrains

Question 22

What does the midbrain do?

Answer 22

receives and integrates sensory information

Question 23

What is the function of the medulla oblongata?

Answer 23

controls breathing, cardiovascular activity, swallowing, vomiting, and digestion

Question 24

What is the function of the pons?

Answer 24

regulation of breathing centers

Question 25

What is the reticular formation?

Answer 25

One of several brain centers that control arousal and sleep, involving both the brainstem and cerebrum.

Question 26

What is an example of an adaptation that allows for substantial activity during sleep?

Answer 26

Dolphin sleep one brain hemisphere at a time so they can still swim around while they are asleep.

Question 27

How does the hypothalamus regulate the biological clock? What part of the hypothalamus does this? What is required for proper regulation?

Answer 27

regulating circadian rhythms like the sleep/wake cycle, body temperature, hunger, and hormone release. The SCN is what functions as the biological clock (suprachiasmatic nuclei) Usually external ques are required to allow remaining synchronized with natural cycles of day length.

Question 28

Where are emotions generated and experienced?

Answer 28

The limbic system and other sensory areas

Question 29

What is the limbic system composed of?

Answer 29

amygdala, hippocampus, and parts of the thalamus

Question 30

What is the function of the amygdala?

Answer 30

helps to store emotional experience and emotional memory

Question 31

Look at this picture of the lobes of the brain and understand their basic function. What are the 4 lobes of the brain?

Answer 31

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

Question 32

Where is the primary motor cortex vs the primary somatosensory cortex located?

Answer 32

motor - frontal somatosensory - parietal

Question 33

Describe the function of brocas and wernickes area? Where are these located?

Answer 33

Brocas - frontal lobe - generation of speech Wernickes - temporal lobe - active in speech comprehension

Question 34

What is it called that each hemisphere has a different function?

Answer 34

lateralization

Question 35

What are the basic functions of the left and right hemisphere?

Answer 35

Left - language, math, logic, processing of serial sequences, brocas and wernickes also reside here. Right - pattern recognition, nonverbal thinking, emotional processinfg

Question 36

How is information transmitted between the two cerebral hemispheres?

Answer 36

Via the corpus callosum