Principles of Neuroscience Lecture 1, History Flashcards
What are three reasons to have a nervous system?
- Regulation and Coordination of the internal environment - Homeostasis
- Control of movement
- Revelation of the universe
What is the scientific name for mustard weed, and why is it significant?
Arabidopsis thaliana
It was the first plant to have its genome sequence
It is a complex organism, however, it lacks a nervous system
Describe Egyptian thought about consciousness
Flow of fluids was believed to be important for health
The Nile River
Describe Hippocrates’ contribution to thought on the brain
Hippocrates proposed that the brain was the centre of consciousness, not the heart
Describe Aristotles’ thought of the mind
Aristotle thought that the heart was the centre of emotion and consciousness
Describe Galen’s contributions to neuroscience
He was a surgeon in Roman times.
He followed Hippocrates’ line of thought that the brain was the centre of consciousness, however he also followed the Egyptians’ line of thought that fluids were vitally important (ventricles in the brain)
What were Descartes’ views on sensory perception?
Light leaves an imprint on the fluid in the eye
Muscles filled with fluid
What important things did Broca discover?
He was associated with the person Tan.
Tan could not articulate language, but showed evidence of understanding and normal intelligence.
After Tan’s death, a post-mortem revealed damaged area in the brain.
This area is now called Broca’s area and is associated with language production
What are two types of brain scanning, and why are they so useful?
CAT, and MRI (fMRI)
These allow health professionals to look at the brain without having to wait for the patient’s death
How are nervous systems between different species similar?
The function of neurons is the same
The structures in neurons are homologous
Which organisms have had their complete genome sequenced?
Humans
Mice
Drosophila melanogaster
C. Elegans
